EDC reports seeing strong interest from prospects
By Matt Shaw
Published in News on November 4, 2004 2:01 PM
Wayne County is seeing strong interest from several companies that may want to expand here, an economic developer said Wednesday.
"We're swamped with projects right now, which is a great problem to have," said Joanna Thompson, president of the Economic Development Commission, at the EDC's monthly meeting.
In the past month, the commission has been approached by eight industries that are considering projects here, Ms. Thompson said. "That's been two a week."
That's in addition to seven other projects that the commission was already assisting and 12 others that aren't as active, she said. The county has recently had four visits by clients.
And the EDC staff has assisted 15 industries that are already located in the county with different issues.
"I can't remember as busy a time since the mid-1990s," she said.
The commission went into closed session to discuss the prospects. It typically does not publicly identify companies that are interested in Wayne County before they make a commitment to locate here.
Also Wednesday, the commission received its annual audit from Nunn, Brashear & Co. P.A.
CPA Harold Brashear said EDC is in good financial shape, having increased both its net assets and unbudgeted fund balance in the last year.
The audit caught a few minor issues that EDC's leadership has already resolved, he added.
Dr. Ed Wilson, president of Wayne Community College, was named to head a new committee that will be exploring the possibility of establishing a child care-center inside the county's ParkEast industrial park.
Some businesses in the park have been requested child-care assistance for their employees, Ms. Thompson said. The committee will determine the feasibility. The other committee members are Tim Price, Dean Gurley, Sam Sasser and Dr. William Byrd, president of Mount Olive College.
The commission was scheduled to hold its Wayne County Industry Celebration today. Tours were scheduled in the afternoon of several companies followed by a banquet tonight at the Goldsboro Country Club, during which the Industry of the Year and Industrialist of the Year will be named.