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ALAMANCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: ALAMANCECHAMBER.COM
The chamber provides a wealth of resources and support for new and existing business, visitors and tourists, current and relocating residents, and the general public. The Chamber is an integral partner in promoting the Burlington MSA and assisting local businesses and initiatives county-wide. They serve the Burlington MSA as a networking organization for local businesses, promote new and growing industries, and assist in attracting business to Burlington and Alamance County. Staff at the Chamber work on initiatives such as Leadership Alamance, Existing Industry promotion, apprenticeship programs, and site selection processes for the Burlington MSA.
The Chamber staff are ready and happy to welcome you to the Burlington business community and help get you connected to the resources you need. Access the Chamber’s tools and resources at their website or reach out to Director Mac Williams today at 336-228-1338.
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BURLINGTON-ALAMANCE AIRPORT (BUY): FLYBURLINGTONNC.COM
Centrally Located in the heart of North Carolina, Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport (KBUY) is your destination airport for Burlington, Elon University, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, Whitsett, Mebane, and Hillsborough. The airport is located just off Interstates 40 and 85, making your drive easy. Alamance County's diverse economy supports an active airport - we frequently welcome large business aircraft such as a Global Express, Gulfstream V, and Citation X. The Burlington Alamance Regional Airport enjoys serving aircraft of all sizes, and are friendly to flight training traffic, making KBUY a regular spot for checkrides. A hub for executive, business, and delivery traffic, the KBUY is the transportation hub for Fortune 250 Company LabCorp for deliveries countrywide and our Airport is ready to help you do the same.
The Burlington Alamance Airport Authority serves as the administrative body for the Airport, with members appointed from the City of Burlington and Alamance County. You can contact the Airport Authority office at their 3441 N. Aviation Drive, Burlington, or by calling Dan Danieley, Executive Director, at 336-227-0771.
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ALAMANCE COUNTY VISITORS BUREAU: VISITALAMANCE.COM
A key part of publicizing what Burlington and Alamance County have to offer, the Visit Alamance staff work hard to show the attractions, events, and amenities Burlington and Alamance County have to offer. Marketing the wonderful cultural, recreation, food, and outdoor amenities in our community, the Visit Alamance staff can find you interesting things to do every day here in Burlington and our surrounding communities. When attempting to attract a workforce to your community, one of the first things on their minds is if they will like living here, amenities are one way to attract a quality workforce and Burlington has a lot to offer!
If you are looking for your next bite to eat or concert to rock out to, the Alamance Visitors Bureau can surely help you out. Contact Grace VandeVisser to find out about events in Burlington or any questions you may have at 336-570-1444.
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BURLINGTON DOWNTOWN CORPORATION (BDC): BURLINGTONDOWNTOWN.COM
The mission of the Burlington Downtown Corporation is to create an environment for downtown redevelopment by engaging community stakeholders and partners, and to inspire investment, business development, and job growth. The BDC administers Burlington’s Downtown as an accredited program of the national Main Street Center and is a North Carolina Main Street Community, designated by the NC Department of Commerce and Main Street & Rural Planning Center. This links Downtown businesses and investors to new avenues of funding and programs in order to better develop and grow our town’s focal point. Burlington’s Downtown Corporation ambitiously aims to continue the Downtown’s momentum with their “7 in 7” initiative, stating out several direct goals for the comprehensive development of Burlington’s Downtown.
An integral partner in Burlington Economic Development strategies, the BDC hosts the ability to connect prospective Downtown business owners and existing businesses with grant funding, façade and business improvement funds as well as other resources to continue promoting our Downtown’s growth. The BDC’s office is at 422 S. Spring Street, Suite 203. You can contact BDC Interim Executive Director Sarah Beth Hardy at sarabeth@burlingtondowntown.com or 336-222-5002. Get in the Mix!
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ALAMANCE-BURLINGTON SCHOOL SYSTEM ABSS.K12.NC.US/CTEC
CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION CENTER
ABSS’s Career and Technical Education Center is a jewel in the Burlington MSA’s crown in regard to education and workforce development. Preparing the next generation for skills needed in the workforce starts earlier than the college level, and CTEC is prepared to meet that challenge. Offering classes in Computer Programming, Engineering, Automotive Service, Game Art Design,
Biotechnology, Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Digital Media, Pharmacy Technician, and the Culinary Arts this institution serves as a foundation for the development of tomorrow’s workforce. CTEC works alongside other educational institutions such as Alamance Community College and the North Carolina School of Sciences and Math to offer high-quality classes to students here in Burlington.
Located at 2550 Buckingham Road, CTEC operates in similar fashion to a technical college rather than a traditional high school, filtering in students from all six of the County’s high schools and bringing them together on one campus. If you would like to learn more about how CTEC and their students can be of benefit to your organization, contact Dr. Jay Thomas at 336-570-6092.
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ALAMANCE COMMUNITY COLLEGE: WWW.ALAMANCECC.EDU
Alamance Community College is one of 58 colleges in the NC Community College System. The system provides high-quality, accessible educational opportunities. Two of the three areas within the mission of the system focus on workforce and economic development. Alamance Community College fully supports the entire mission of the NC Community College System and has robust programming and services to address workforce and employer needs in Alamance County. ACC has multiple programs, services and partnerships to assist and support local industry, two specific programs are highlighted below.
First, local employers can post job openings through the Career Services office at ACC. The office also holds job fairs where employers can interact with students about careers available at their facilities, and what training a potential employee would need for various jobs. For the Career Services office, contact Ilona Owens at Ilona.owens@alamancecc.edu or 336-506-4146.
ACC also offers a robust Customized Training program. For more than 50 years, the community college system in NC has provided customized training solutions to companies in the state. Alamance Community College provides training through both a customized training program and through their open enrollment courses. Training can range from technical skills for a specific industry to soft skills for management, to basic English or math skills. Training is customized for individual company needs, and if a company is expanding, there may be grant or other funding opportunities to cover the costs. Louis Judge at louis.judge@alamancecc.edu or 336-506-4207.
SMALL BUSINESS CENTER:
The Alamance Community College Small Business Center is your resource to grow and support a budding business opportunity. Staff will help get you connected with resources and tools proven to help businesses prosper and increase profitability. Business counseling, business workshops, and online classes are the core programs of the SBC. The Center offers these programs on a weekly basis and is your resource to workshop your business idea, learn more about marketing, or find out how to balance the books.
Reach out and see how they can help you today through their website or by contacting Ervin Allen at 336-506-4311.The ACC Small Business Center is located at 1304 Plaza Drive, Burlington in the Dillingham Center.
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ELON UNIVERSITY: HTTPS://WWW.ELON.EDU/U/ACADEMICS/BUSINESS/ENTREPRENEURSHIP
A private university in the neighboring town of Elon, Elon University represents a significant resource and partner for the City of Burlington. A cornerstone of our community since 1889, Elon University has recently been ranked as a Top-100 National University by the US News and World Report. With marquee programs for business, communications, health sciences, and the arts, Elon continually brings in top students from around the country and world. Enrolling 6,200 undergrad and another 700 graduate students, Elon’s 650 acre campus is minutes from downtown Burlington.
The Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship focuses on experiential education that encourages creative and design thinking, opportunity recognition, and plan formulation and implementation. Throughout the year, we sponsor entrepreneurship-themed co-curricular activities open to all majors. The programming provides opportunities for students to further develop their entrepreneurial mindset and skillset. Classes on business economics, accounting, or strategic management and beyond are offered through the Doherty Center that should be utilized by aspiring entrepreneurs.
The Doherty Center is housed on the first floor of Richard W. Sankey Hall. For more information, contact them at 336.278.5992 or innovation@elon.edu.
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SMALL BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CENTER: HTTP://WWW.SBTDC.ORG
The Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) has helped North Carolina businesses grow and create new jobs since 1984. We provide management counseling and educational services to small and mid-sized businesses. Most of our services are free of charge, and all are confidential. The SBTDC can help prepare your business for growth, access to loans, government contracting preparation, equity capital investment, or leadership and management development assistance. A multi-faceted organization that hopes to help lead your business along the path of success.
Whether a new business taking your first step or a small business wanting to expand, the SBTDC has the assets and resources to set you up for success. Visit their website or contact our regional office in Chapel Hill today at 919-962-0389.
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NC IDEA HTTPS://NCIDEA.ORG
NC IDEA is a private foundation with a mission to maximize the economic potential of the people of North Carolina by supporting the formation and fruition of high-growth entrepreneurial endeavors in the state. NC IDEA empowers entrepreneurs to reach their full potential by offering support when they need it most. Our strategic combination of competitive grants and programs helps entrepreneurs at all stages of business development. Through a strategic combination of grants and programs, we support entrepreneurs and a diverse group of organizations throughout the state that are also helping entrepreneurs succeed. Go to NC Idea’s Grants & Programs page to see their Idea Labs, Micro Awards, SEED Grants, and other resources offered through the organization.
Every year NC IDEA offers competitive grants, business development, and leadership training for entrepreneurs in the state, to see some of their success stories go to their Case Studies page. If you would like to know more, contact Amy Bastian at NC IDEA by calling their office at 919-941-5600. Amy has time set aside on Tuesday afternoons and Friday mornings to answer questions about NC IDEA MICRO and SEED grants. If you’d like to talk with her, schedule a time here.
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HEALTHY ALAMANCE HTTPS://HEALTHYALAMANCE.BLOG
Healthy Alamance is a local organization funded by Cone Health that has been helping to grow Alamance County’s farm-to-table network to support local farmers and achieve healthier outcomes for citizens in our community. The most direct example of this is their Authentically Alamance Farmer’s Market and their collective network of farmers’ markets located in Alamance County. Serving multiple locations in the County, one is in Burlington at North Park every Tuesday throughout late Spring and into early Fall. The goal of the network is to provide direct-to-consumer markets for local farmers, bakers and food entrepreneurs to have economically viable options for selling their products in Alamance County, rather than outside of the county, as has traditionally been necessary for these businesses to continue operating.
For more information on their efforts and how your business can get involved, contact Ann Meltzke at Ann.Meletzke@conehealth.com or 336-214-0771.
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COWORKING ON MAIN: WWW.COWORKINGONMAIN.COM
At Coworking on Main they offer a varied and affordable menu of office services including desk/office, conference room and event/training space to help independent workers and small businesses have a place where they can make their ideas grow. Located at 906 S. Main Street, Downtown Burlington, our coworking space offers comfortable desk and office spaces as an alternative for those who work remotely, for freelancers, startups or for those looking to start a business here in Burlington but do not have the need for a full office to themselves.
With flexible membership options and a convenient downtown location, Coworking on Main can be your solution for a budding business in need of office space. Contact their office at 336-395-4206 or email them.
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THE CHILL PLACE: WWW.THECHILLPLACE.COM
The Chill Place is located at 346 S. Worth Street in Burlington’s downtown and offers a multitude of services. They are a shared workspace where professionals can have access to a network of other innovators for collaboration and inspiration. Created with small businesses, telecommuters, and entrepreneurs in mind, The Chill Place is perfect for people who need office space but don't want to be isolated at home or to lease an entire facility. The Chill Place offers a variety of membership packages and also rent spaces for special events, company retreats, and other occasions.
With a variety of membership options, The Chill Place is flexible to every level of need. You can visit their website at www.thechillplace.com or their Facebook page at The Chill Place-Burlington.
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REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP : WWW.REGIONALPARTNERSHIPWDB.ORG
Regional Partnership Workforce Development Board, is a partnership of public and private resources that provides workforce development solutions for individuals and businesses. As their name suggests, they are a regional body that assists a five county area on workforce development needs. Their vision is to stimulate economic growth by providing a skilled workforce that exceeds business needs for today and tomorrow. Assisting both employers and those looking for employment, Regional Partnership administers a number of programs that helps everyone grasp the opportunity here in Burlington.
If you are a business in need of workers, Regional Partnership will work on recruitment efforts and coordinate with other bodies throughout the region to assist you. Those seeking employment can also contact the Board to seek assistance and additional services. Workforce Development Boards provide integral assistance to Economic Development efforts region wide, visit their website or give them a call at 336-629-5141.
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ALAMANCE CAREER ACCELERATOR PROGRAM (CAP): WWW.ALAMANCECAP.COM
A resource for companies looking to develop a homegrown workforce, the Alamance Career Accelerator Program invites high school juniors to apply and be selected as participants in this four year program. Starting the summer between their junior and senior year, these students spend time getting on the job training as well as classroom studies to grow and develop into an informed and prepared employee. This talent pipeline allows employers to hire and grow local talent in an ever-changing workforce environment.
This program is a coordinated effort between employers, the Alamance-Burlington School System, Alamance Community College and the Alamance Chamber. Employers wanting to be involved can contact Andrea Fleming at the Alamance Chamber via email at andrea@alamancechamber.com or by phone at 336-228-1338. Please visit the Alamance Career Accelerator Program’s website at https://alamancecap.com.
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TRIAD GOODWILL: WWW.TRIADGOODWILL.ORG
Triad Goodwill (Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, Inc.), a 501(c)(3) non-profit leader, promotes the value of work by providing career development services, skills training and work opportunities for people with employment needs. In the past year, Triad Goodwill served 15,160 people in the community and helped place 3,312 workers in competitive employment with more than 700 employers. 85¢ of every dollar earned in Triad Goodwill stores supports their mission.
Goodwill's Burlington Career Center provides Career Development Services such as Resume Assistance, Career Coaching, and numerous Skills Training Classes. We offer training to help people become Certified Nursing Assistants, Pharmacy Techs, and Medication Aides. We also offer DSS (Department of Social Services) Caseworker Training, as well as Career Readiness Certification for individuals interested in administrative work.In addition, we offer Computer Training for all skill levels. We also conduct all Employment Pre-screening for Conduit Global and Precor: these pre-screenings are conducted on a daily basis.
Triad Goodwill also hosts job fairs and for local employers and can serve as a resource for those seeking employees. Contact their office at 336-275-9801 to learn how to get involved in their network. Those seeking career development opportunities can find the Burlington Career Center at 3740 South Church Street, Burlington.
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PIEDMONT BUSINESS CAPITAL: WWW.PIEDMONTBUSINESSCAPITAL.ORG
Piedmont Business Capital creates shared economic prosperity through equitable lending and investment. The organization's vision is a financially strong, culturally vibrant community where each person has access to decent jobs, homes, health care, education, healthy food, and economic opportunities. Through flexible, financial products and sound advice, PBC creates opportunities to make socially responsible investments that revitalize communities in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. PBC aims to provide micro-lending, contract/service agreement loans, technical assistance, business coaching and other programs to help create jobs and alter economic outcomes for all individuals. A leader in Minority and Women Owned Business lending, PBC is a vital resource with a variety of services for new or aspiring business owners.
Contact Wilson Lester at their location at 1451 S. Elm-Eugene Street, Suite 2121 or give him a call at 336-256-9350. Visit their website at www.piedmontbusinesscapital.org/.
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NC GOLDEN LEAF FOUNDATION: HTTPS://WWW.GOLDENLEAF.ORG
Golden LEAF works to fund projects with promise to bring significant economic improvement with priority given to North Carolina’s tobacco-dependent, economically distressed, or rural communities. They welcome eligible entities to submit a grant application for a project that is consistent with Golden LEAF’s priorities. Golden LEAF has two standard programs open to eligible entities seeking grants: Open Grants Program and Economic Catalyst. These programs complement other ongoing initiatives of the Foundation, such as Hurricane Florence Programs. Non-profits and governmental bodies are eligible to apply for funds and program assistance from the Golden Leaf Foundation.
After you read through each program description, feel free to contact a member of the program staff, Director of Programs Terri Bryant Adou-Dy can be contacted at tbryant@goldenleaf.com or call their office at 252-442-7474.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP OF NC (EDPNC): EDPNC.COM
EDPNC is the state-wide conduit for all things Economic Development in the State of North Carolina. The Partnership is the networking agent for many state funds in regard to Economic Development, whether this is environmental services, historic rehabilitation, or workforce development incentives, the EDP is a hub of resources (click here for their Incentives page) for businesses in North Carolina. The EDP is an invaluable member of our economic support system and plays a major role here in Burlington and across the state.
The EDPNC’s Resources page on their website is the center of grant resourcing finding in the state for economic development projects, whether a new or existing business in the state, you can find help at the EDP.
An additional resource through EDPNC is Business Link NC, a service offering free one-on-one phone conversations with business advisors helping those looking to start a business, current business owners in need of support, or entrepreneurs interested in moving to North Carolina. You can reach out to BLNC at 800-228-8443 or by using their web Contact page. For other business needs or expansion questions, Burlington’s regional staffer is Tracy Dellinger, covering the Central Piedmont for the EDP. You can reach Tracy via email at tracy.dellinger@edpnc.com or 336-214-7283.
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PIEDMONT TRIAD REGIONAL COUNCIL: WWW.PTRC.ORG
PTRC is a regional council of governments, representing the Piedmont area spanning from Alamance to Surry County that consists of 12 counties and more than 1.6 million people. This organization focuses on implementing and integrating regional issues in both the urban and rural environment. They serve as a resource for member governments for economic development, planning, strategic initiatives, criminal justice, housing, wellness, and stormwater support. Coordination between industry leaders, potential expanding businesses to the area, nonprofits, and local governments frequently occurs in order to best utilize the resources our community has to offer.
The PTRC can serve as a resource for small business investment loans, brownfield programs, firm attraction, and grant administration, reach out to their Planning Director Jesse Day at 336-497-5601 or visit them at their website on what PTRC can do for you.
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PIEDMONT TRIAD PARTNERSHIP (PTP): PIEDMONTTRIADNC.COM
Piedmont Triad Partnership brings the Triad's private sector leadership to collaborations with local economic development agencies/organization as well as the NC General Assembly and Governor’s office to create, enable and promote job growth in the Triad. As a regional body, the PTP sees the big picture and promotes growth spanning an area from Alamance County to Yadkin. The organization acts as a convening agency for public and private initiatives around economic development.
The Partnership is based out of Greensboro and can be contacted on their website here or by calling Penny Whiteheart at 336-668-4556. Reach out to PTP if you have any questions on the phenomenal assets here in the Carolina Core or if you would like to get more involved in regional economic development efforts.
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NC GROWTH (UNC-CH) NCGROWTH.UNC.EDU
NCGrowth is a university center that helps businesses and communities create good jobs and equitable opportunities through applied research and technical assistance. In partnership with other universities and community organizations, NCGrowth provides technical assistance to businesses and governments on economic development and entrepreneurship projects. Since 2012 NCGrowth has helped to create hundreds of jobs and worked with more than a hundred clients. A program to highlight for business owners trying to hire local talent is SmartUp. SmartUp selects a cohort of up to 10 growing companies in 3 high potential communities.
In addition to providing consulting services for 2 years, SmartUp hosts networking events and workshops in coordination with local government and other resource providers to further strengthen the entire business community.Reach out to NCGrowth and Director Mark Little at Mark_little@unc.edu or 919-962-1041. You can also find out more at their website.
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NC BIOTECH CENTER: NCBIOTECH.ORG
The North Carolina Biotech Center operates as a support organization for the development and attraction of life science companies to NC. NCBiotech leads life science economic development for North Carolina. We help advance ideas from research to marketplace, overcoming all of the challenges in between. They are transforming businesses, technologies, professionals and whole sectors related to life science. Their continued mission to support innovation, commercialization, education and business growth has made North Carolina a global life science leader.
The organization offers funding, networking, and workforce solutions throughout the state, with our local Alamance Community College gaining a $100,000 Economic Development Award from the organization in the past year. Organizations and individuals either working on North Carolina or interested in grasping the opportunity our State’s life science infrastructure presents should contact the organization at their website or by reaching out directly at 919-541-9366.
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NC TEXTILE CONNECT: WWW.NCTEXTILECONNECT.COM
NC Textile Connect is a website that was created and is maintained at the North Carolina State University College of Textiles with initial funding from the North Carolina Department of Commerce. It is designed to serve as an information warehouse that “connects” global textile event, product, market, and company information from government, industry, and academic sources to the North Carolina textile complex. This project builds on a research study completed in Summer 2006 by the College of Textiles entitled, “State of the Union of the Textile Industry in North Carolina: Improving Global Market Competitiveness with Identification and Assistance of Core Competencies.” The results of the 2006 study indicated that the North Carolina textile complex still consists of over 1,340 establishments that employ over 120,000 people in 90 of North Carolina’s 100 counties.
One of the unique features of the website is the ability to traverse through the information for each stage of the value chain through the use of a visual depiction. The visualization is designed to give users a better sense of how the textile complex is connected, and to introduce new ideas on where value can be added, new markets can be served, and new resources that are available to assist in this process. Contact Dr. Lori Rothenberg, Director of the Zeis Textiles Extension for Economic Development at 919-513-1597 for more information on the textiles industry in NC.