Halifax County has a new tool to enhance its competitiveness for new and expanding business and industry investments. The North Carolina Department of Commerce has approved the 705-acre Halifax Corporate Park as a North Carolina "Certified" Industrial Park.

This designation means that the property has undergone an "arduous and indepth review by professional engineers and other specialists who have conducted environmental studies, topographical analyses, geotechnical studies, and a multitude of other assessments and tests" required for a shovel ready designation. Read more...

Matthew Kaplan, President of Kapstone Paper & Packaging Corporation, was the keynote speaker at the Halifax County Business Horizons member networking and recruitment luncheon held on May 4th. Kaplan highlighted Kapstone's strong financial performance that has resulted in its #5 ranking on Fortune's list of 100 Fastest Growing Companies. See Matthew Kaplan's interview with CNBC here. 

Kapstone recently announced a $15 million upgrade of its Number 3 Paper Machine at the Roanoke Rapids Mill. The light-weight kraft paper products manufactured on this machine are sold to shipping sack, refuse bag, and coating and laminating markets.

Sixty-two existing and prospective members of Halifax Horizons attended the May 4th luncheon.

Airboss Rubber Compounding of NC, Inc. held a ribbon cutting on June 9th for the opening of a new Technical Center in Wake Forest. The facility will serve as a service center for customers and suppliers to meet with the company's technical team to advance product development and sales. 

According to Robert Dodd, Vice President of Airboss Rubber Compounding, the new Technical Center is a part of the company's overall growth strategy of providing excellent customer service. Airboss is one of North America's leading custom rubber mixers with a capacity of 250 million pounds annually through its manufacturing facilities in Kitchener, Ontario and Scotland Neck, NC. 

At their last meeting, the Board of Directors of Halifax County Business Horizons re-elected the following officers for Fiscal Year 2011:

• Anitra Collins, President
• Gene Minton, Vice President
• Frank V. Avent III, Treasurer
• Dan Brown, Secretary
• Grady W. Hux, Past President

Halifax County Business Horizons is a private, non-profit corporation that raises funds through individual and business contributions to support tourism and economic development. Last year, Halifax County Business Horizons raised over $125,000 in member contributions and public and private funding to carry out its mission. For a full list of Horizons members, click here. 

Renewable energy and energy efficiency are emerging and potentially significant economic drivers for North Carolina. What are our state's clean energy resources, installed projects, and business and job creation opportunities? What regions of our state are leading the way? Get these answers and more in the "first ever" guide to North Carolina's clean energy economy - the 2011 Clean Energy Data Book published by the NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA). 

NCSEA will host seminars across North Carolina to discuss evolving clean industry trends for each region, including results from the 2011 Clean Energy Data Book. Click here for details regarding upcoming seminars.

The NC Rural Economic Development Center has broadened the types of projects eligible for two existing grant programs that result in the creation of jobs in new or expanding businesses: 

The Building Reuse and Restoration Grants Program now accepts applications for expansions and renovations of buildings occupied by manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, data processing and software development. Grants are available for $5,000 for each job being created, up to a maximum of $500,000.

The Economic Infrastructure Program will now consider grants for access roads not eligible for NCDOT funding, rail spurs, required stormwater infrastructure on private property, privately owned water storage tanks necessary for fire suppression or process water, and wastewater pre-treatment facilities necessary for connection to a public treatment system. Under these categories, grants may be awarded for $5,000 for each job being created, up to $500,000.

Grants are also available for water and sewer projects, natural gas extensions and broadband. Projects in these categories are eligible for $10,000 for each job up to $1 million.

According to a report released by the Policy, Research & Strategic Planning Division of the NC Department of Commerce, North Carolina's unemployment rate remained unchanged for the third consecutive month (9.7%). Other economic highlights include:

• Since April 2011, the state's economy lost 7,400 jobs;
• Education and Health Services is the only sector to have gained employment since the start of the recession;
• Existing home sales increased 10.1% between April and May; and
• Foreclosure filings were 3.4% lower in May than the month before and 38.3% lower than the same month a year ago.

Commissioners Move To Bring New Financing Options To Halifax County
The Halifax County Board of Commissioners will contract with Kaufman and Canoles, experts in New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) financing, to assist in bringing this important financing tool to Halifax County. New Market Tax Credits (NMTCs) are a federal economic development tool designed to encourage private investment in underserved communities. NMTCs generate private equity when leveraged with other sources of capital to create flexible financing structures. NMTC loans are originated through a network of specialized financial institutions known as Community Development Entities (CDEs). Since creation in 2000, the NMTC program has been utilized for manufacturing facilities, commercial developments, health care centers, charter schools, and community facilities throughout the U.S.

A number of Qualified Census Tracts, coupled with a non-metro designation, make the Roanoke Valley exceedingly attractive to NMTC investors. While the benefits of the NMTC program are great, the steps required to receive credits are complicated. Kaufman and Canoles will assist the Board in establishing the framework to secure a direct allocation of NMTCs for Halifax County.