Media Relations

Jenny Tinklepaugh
jtinklepaugh@goldenleaf.org
888-684-8404

Home | News & Events | Press Release

Press Release

Greetings—
 
In this edition of “Golden LEAF News,” read about job creation projects in Person and Forsyth counties; the Golden LEAF Community Assistance Initiative in Jones, Northampton, Robeson and Rockingham counties; agriculture projects in western and southeastern NC; and education and workforce training projects for Biomanufacturing and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
 
The Foundation recently awarded 7 grants totaling over $1.5 million to projects that promise to create 104 health care jobs in rural North Carolina and 12 grants totaling over $4.1 million to develop STEM skills in our future workforce.
 
Best,
Jenny
 
Program/ Communications Officer
jtinklepaugh@goldenleaf.org
www.goldenleaf.org

In this edition of "Golden LEAF News":

Eaton Invests $23 Million In North Carolina, To Create 120 New Jobs
Gov Monitor
Governor Bev Perdue recently announced that Eaton Corporation, a diversified industrial manufacturer, will expand its Roxboro facility in Person County. The company plans to create 120 jobs over the next four years and will invest $23.3 million to build leading edge engine valvetrain components that will reduce emissions and help improve a vehicles overall performance, fuel economy and safety. The project was made possible in part by a $500,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation to Person County for the purchase of equipment to lease back to the company and other state grants.
 
NS Aviation To Invest $1.27 Million In North Carolina, Create 308 Jobs
GovMonitor
Governor Bev Perdue recently announced that NS Aviation, a start-up provider of aircraft maintenance and repair services, will locate in Forsyth County. The company plans to create 308 jobs and invest $1.27 million during the next four years in Winston-Salem. Golden LEAF awarded a grant to the Airport Commission of Forsyth County to finance the acquisition of tooling by NS Aviation to be used in the company’s aircraft maintenance business.
 
Jones residents narrow focus on Golden LEAF projects
Kinston Free Press
Jones County residents recently gathered to discuss their plans for using nearly $2 million offered through the Golden LEAF Foundation’s Community Assistance Initiative. The initiative is geared toward Tier 1 counties, which are designated by the N.C. Department of Commerce as the most economically distressed counties in the state. The group currently has rated the top issues into the following categories: economic development, education and workforce training, and human/community services.
 
County pitches in to support regional cattle market
The Macon County News
Thanks in part to funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation, the WNC Regional Livestock Center in Haywood County is nearing completion. Its first official livestock sale is slated for mid-March. Since the beef cattle industry is one of the largest sources of agricultural income for the county, many local livestock producers are expected to take advantage of the center.
 
Conference helps farmers get their crops into mouths of local consumers
Star News Online
Jan Holt, a child nutrition director for Camp Lejeune’s schools, has bought locally grown produce for school meals for decades. She spoke at the Southeastern North Carolina Food Systems Program’s (SNCFSP) first regional conference at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, which brought area farmers together with potential buyers as well as experts to help them with issues like business planning and promoting agritourism. In March, the SNCFSP will open a processing and distribution center in Burgaw, allowing small growers to pool their offerings and sell to customers like restaurants or institutions that require larger supplies thanks to a grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation.

Canton to see long-awaited sewer upgrade near I-40
Smoky Mountain News
Canton will be opening its doors to new business when a long-awaited upgrade to its Champion Drive sewer line is completed next year. This project was funded in part by a grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation. County Commissioner Kevin Ensley expressed support for the project, deeming it beneficial for the whole of the county in terms of economic growth and development.
 
BTEC offers career experience in biomanufacturing
WRAL Tech Wire
N.C. State University mimicked Biomanufacturing industrial standards and created an 82,500 square-foot facility on the university’s research park, Centennial Campus. The Golden LEAF Foundation granted $39 million to design and construct the facility. The Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) addresses workforce issues in Biomanufacturing by training workers in how the industry operates.
 
Mobile clinic seeks to meet medical needs in rural Robeson County
Fayetteville Observer
The Southeastern Mobile Medical Clinic serves Robeson County, an area determined medically underserved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. With a new, 40-foot-long mobile medical bus, rural residents have a better chance of getting nearby care on a regular basis. The Golden LEAF Foundation, through its Community Assistance Initiative awarded a two-year, $500,000 grant for the bus and the program. The idea for the bus arose in 2009, after a series of community meetings emphasized the need for more rural health care services.

Library upgrade under way
Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald
Thanks in part to a Golden LEAF Community Assistance Initiative grant, the Northampton Memorial Library is getting renovated and adding on to its current site. Golden LEAF funds leverage a $108,000 United States Department of Agriculture Community Facilities grant. The facility will provide county citizens with exposure to education opportunities that is intended to strengthen their educational and job related skills, positioning families to earn higher incomes thus, improving the quality of life for all citizens in the county and region.
 
Projects hit the chopping block
GoDanRiver.com
The Rockingham County review team has narrowed down potential proposals solicited from the Golden LEAF Foundation’s Community Assistance Initiative. Seven projects will go on to be evaluated by the foundation’s board of directors. Following a series of meetings that started in June 2010, representatives of the Golden LEAF Foundation have worked with Rockingham County residents on a $2 million grant to benefit economic activity and community progress. The board is expected to make a final decision on proposals by April 7.
 
Grant will fund STEM in region
Charlotte Business Journal
A $300,000 Golden LEAF grant will fund a training program in regional middle schools that will focus on the area’s biotechnology and motorsports industries. The challenge will utilize motorsports-related competitions, teamwork and real-world application of skills to raise awareness of how math and science fit into various career paths. More than 250 eighth-grade students will take part in the program the first year. The program will train 16 teachers in 4 tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural counties school systems in the Charlotte Region.

*On some sites, you may have to sign up for a free account to view the full text.