“Money’s the great equalizer,” Steve Barnett said.   They all had a common goal, regardless of allegiances: To make money and have careers outside of their past experiences. That was the early promise of the TRU Colors concept.   Barnett, an initial hire at TRU Colors, said this in a 2017 Business Journal story detailing a new idea for a Wil ...

With a background in business, Kirk Englebright didn’t set out to construct new film studios – something that hasn’t happened in the region in over a decade – when he purchased what’s since become Dark Horse Studios.    But once film producers started calling asking to use the location off Market Street he had initially acquired fo ...

Visitor spending in the Cape Fear region was up last year, according to newly released state data.   Tourist spending in the tri-county region jumped a dramatic 41% between 2020 and 2021, slightly behind the state average of nearly 45%.   A study commissioned by the state’s tourism arm, Visit North Carolina, part of the Economic Development Partners ...

New Hanover and Brunswick counties are blessed with beautiful natural areas with mild climates and abundant natural resources. These are among the important reasons that our population is booming, the economy is growing and there is a record influx of tourists. Tourism expenditures were a record in 2021. Brunswick and New Hanover counties received $975.1 and $930.4 mill ...

Connectivity, whether physical, internet or economic, is the driver of inclusive growth.   To some, economic development means shiny new buildings, to some it means more jobs in the area (or filling the more than 6,500 open jobs in New Hanover County), and to some it means people moving to the region congesting the roads. But to all of us, economic development shoul ...

FOCUS Broadband, formerly called ATMC, is a member-owned cooperative providing communication services. While it is based in Shallotte, it operates in counties beyond Brunswick’s borders. CEO Keith Holden has worked with the company since 1998, including previously as vice president of information systems. He’s led the cooperative’s efforts to connect u ...

As Princess Street sees more redevelopment projects in the pipeline, food and drink have been the initial strategies to entice people to stop.   The area, nestled along Princess Street between New Hanover High School and downtown Wilmington, was dubbed the Soda Pop District – a reference to the former Coca-Cola bottling plant at Princess and 10th streets ...

For Margaret Weller-Stargell, working at Coastal Horizons Center has been what she’s described as her “chosen career path,” so much so she’s been with the organization since 1985 when she started her work there in counseling.   Today, Weller-Stargell serves as the president and CEO of Coastal Horizons Center, which is a nonprofit corporation ...

Bolstered by new economic development incentives, one of Wilmington’s only publicly traded companies is poised to continue expanding its footprint and workforce for years to come.   Construction could start before the end of the year on the fourth building at Live Oak Bank’s expansive campus in midtown Wilmington, as the online-only financial institution ...

The Cape Fear region’s perks are hard to ignore: miles of beaches, a picturesque riverfront, growing university, percolating film and tech scene and more.     But what is the area missing? What pieces from the proverbial regional puzzle are out of reach, keeping the area from achieving greater economic prosperity?     Area leaders ci ...