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News Scotland Neck Lands Textile Plant and Proves a Point SCOTLAND NECK, N.C., March 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hear Bob Partin, mayor of Scotland Neck, North Carolina, talk about his town, and you wonder why he chose teaching rather than preaching as a profession. He's passionate about the future of this town in southern Halifax County where expansive cotton fields come right up to backyards and folks have been hard hit by the decline of the textile industry, job layoffs and the changing rural economy. Last week, Carter & Mayes, a uniform company headquartered in West Virginia, announced it is investing a million dollars in a plant in Scotland Neck to employ 115 people. Harry Copeland, vice president of the company, said, "Our decision was based on the location, the availability of a vacant building, the presence of a skilled workforce and the assistance and pro- business attitude of the Town of Scotland Neck." Then he added, significantly, "We are impressed by what the Town is doing for itself and look forward to becoming a member of the community." Carter & Mayes is not a silver bullet, but it is one more step toward reviving Scotland Neck's economy through a program called Developing Our Own Resources (DOORS) that the town launched a few years ago with a grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation. "When Bob Partin and his people came to the Foundation and laid their plan on the table, you could sense there was something different happening in Scotland Neck," said Valeria Lee, President of the Golden LEAF Foundation. "They had spent a lot of time looking at their local resources and what they had to sell. They had a vision and determination - a great combination. They saw thousands of acres of farmland, woods and streams that they thought they could market nationally as a hunter's paradise. But they needed money to help market their idea." Golden LEAF since its founding in 1999 has had a policy of listening to local leaders carefully when they come with plans to boost their economy and create jobs. "There simply is no one approach that is universally applicable," said Lee. The Foundation's board voted to fund Scotland Neck's modest $50,000 proposal. Guide services sprung up and local residents began to see new faces in town, trucks with hunters mostly from up and down the east coast, spending money, taking home trophies, and spreading the word about Scotland Neck. Eventually other small businesses sprang up around this homegrown industry, including a taxidermy service, and the Town got its first motel. Recently there has been talk about expanding it. At the same time, said Lee, the Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Center, a prestigious, international breeding facility for rare waterfowl that had relocated to Scotland Neck, struck a deal with the North Carolina Zoo to construct an education center in Scotland Neck drawing on the unique resources of the Sylvan Heights Center. Again, the Golden LEAF Foundation stepped forward and through the non-profit North Carolina Zoological Society made a grant that made construction of the Center possible. Now completed and drawing thousands of visitors to the town, including North Carolina school children, the Center is a major asset to the town of Scotland Neck. The Town took another bold step. Though tax dollars are precious, it decided to invest in the future of the community, and especially its children, by building a new public library. As Scotland Neck officials pitched companies about locating in Scotland Neck, they discovered that the library had an impact on visiting business people, including officials of AirBoss of America, a rubber compounding company that opened a manufacturing facility in 2005 that will employ up to 85 people. Partin, who this year is chairing the North Carolina League of Municipalities, said the library is a sign of civic pride and the fact that the community had its priorities in place. Rather than hand wringing, Scotland Neck has a plan for economic revitalization and is moving forward aggressively. In collaboration with the Golden LEAF Foundation and others, it has created 241 jobs and more than $14.5 million in public-private investment since 2002. The Golden LEAF Foundation was established in 1999. Since its inception, Golden LEAF has made 553 grants totaling $204,201,470 to nonprofit organizations and government entities throughout North Carolina to help economically distressed and tobacco dependent communities make the transition from traditional economies and to create new jobs. Grant application forms are available on the Foundation's Web site, goldenleaf.org, or by calling 888.684.8404. The deadline for the next annual grant cycle is August 1, 2007. The next deadline for economic catalyst grants is May 1, 2007. # # # For additional information, please contact Email: info@goldenleaf.org
Golden LEAF Foundation |