The Greater Wilmington Business Journal surveyed local economic development groups for updates on their activities.
 
Those full responses appear in the upcoming 2018 Book on Business.
 
Brunswick County has been busy, once again restructuring how it approaches economic development.
 
Last year, the county entered into an agreement with a new private- public economic development organization. The new group called the Brunswick County Economic Development Foundation and doing business as Brunswick Business and Industry Development (Brunswick BID) is now the lead organization.
 
Its focuses include attracting new industry with above-average wages and supporting expansion of existing industries, small businesses and entrepreneurs, officials said.
 
As part of the agreement last year, Brunswick County allocated $362,500 to the group for Oct. 1-April 1 – representing part of its first fiscal year.
 
The next full fiscal year funding request to the county is expected to be submitted by March 15.
 
Bill Early was named Brunswick BID’s executive director, a position he took over earlier this month.
 
Here is how the organization described the programs it offers:
 
“Brunswick BID promotes balanced growth to provide jobs for the county’s residents while sustaining and enhancing the quality of life enjoyed by the community. It works to identify locations throughout the county appropriate for industrial and mixed-use development by aggressively marketing sites and buildings for new or expanding projects.
 
To reduce the risks associated with development, Brunswick BID provides detailed information about sites including price and availability, labor force analysis, utilities, access, environmental concerns and other elements relevant to the project.” 
 

2017 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Responded to about 50 requests for information from prospective industries
• Completed a program of about 20 existing industry visits in conjunction with Brunswick Community College, N.C. Department of Commerce and other partners
• Participated in marketing events at the local, regional and statewide levels including recruitment missions and site selection consultant visits with partners such as North Carolina’s Southeast and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
• Promoted the county’s two megasites with prepositioning activities including state recertification and infrastructure grant applications totaling $3.5 million
• Facilitated efforts in locating Eland Inc. and ITI Inc. to the Leland Industrial Park
 • Facilitated efforts in the expansion of Tri-Tech Forensics to the Leland Industrial Park 
 

2018 GOALS

• Promote economic well-being and quality of life for Brunswick County residents by creating, retaining and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide purposeful capital investment
• Engage public, private, nonprofit and academic partners in collaborative economic development program funding and delivery
• Streamline and optimize the positive impact of economic development efforts that will lead to the advancement of Brunswick County’s economy
 

To find out what other local economic development groups said about their goals for the region this year, pick up a copy of the 2018 Book on Business (BOB). Business Journal subscribers automatically receive the publication. To become a subscriber, go to WilmingtonBiz.com/subscribe.
 
Attendees at the Jan. 30 BOB launch party will receive a free copy of the publication. For more info about the launch party, go to WilmingtonBiz.com/events