Haywood County Economic Development Commission
Annual Report 2009 - 2010
The Haywood County Economic Development Commission includes representatives from the four county municipalities, as well as representatives from the Employment Security Commission, Haywood Advancement Foundation, Haywood County Chamber of Commerce and the Haywood County Board of Commissioners. This structure allows a collaborative effort between governmental entities and draws support from the County Commissioners.
Mark Clasby, Executive Director of the Haywood County EDC and the Haywood Advancement Foundation, has been very active, meeting with prospects for new and existing businesses in the county, while negotiating the sale and development of county properties. Some of these negotiations are still in progress.
Site #3 at Beaverdam Industrial Park has been graded to provide 10 “shovel-ready” acres for other potential businesses which would like to move into the county.
The 34 acre property which used to be the Dayco facility in south Waynesville, now called Waynesville Commons, currently holds a Super Wal-Mart building which opened for business in the fall of 2008. Best Buy opened next to Wal-Mart in June 2009 and a strip center is also open on the property which houses Sally Beauty Supply, Verizon, Game Stop and Citi Financial. The site that was to be Home Depot is still held by them and negotiations are continuing for a future business to be located there. A round-a-bout was added at Exit 98 of State Route 23/74 and Hyatt Creek Road and South Main Street were both widened to accommodate the added traffic for this center.
We were involved in 2008 in the fourth Business Plan Competition with the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce and Haywood Community College, which awarded $10,000 to a new business in Haywood County. This competition will be repeated in 2010.
The EDC office also updates and prints an annual “Brief Economic Facts” flyer that is available to the public, which offers demographics and information about Haywood County. The most recent version was printed in June 2009.
The Haywood County EDC has become more involved in the Small Business Incubator where our offices are located. We have been involved as a member of Smoky Mountain Development’s board and assist with management of the incubator. We are involved with the incubator committee to grow new business and meet with potential clients who are interested in renting space, as well as assist current businesses toward graduation. Four companies now occupy the building with available space for six more. The building has been upgraded for free wireless internet and the conference room now houses equipment for teleconferencing and videoconferencing.
We were the first county in North Carolina to receive the “Certified Entrepreneurial Community” designation from AdvantageWest in the fall of 2008, after an extensive application and interview process.
Executive Director, Mark Clasby has also been extensively involved with the Haywood Regional Medical Center Board and Joint Study Commission which has established an affiliation with WestCare in Sylva and is working to finalize a management services contract with Carolina Healthcare System in Charlotte.
Local business, Haywood Vocational Opportunities has purchased a recently vacated building for expansion within the next year, which expects to provide an additional 75 jobs to the county.
The EDC is one of the county’s most proactive and involved organizations, as it relates to growing and building our economy and job base.
Goals for the next fiscal year include:
1) Offering for sale the 10 acres at Beaverdam Industrial Park, Site #3
2) Making more business development trips with CarolinaWest
3) Revising and updating our website to be more comprehensive
4) Assisting in bringing affordable workforce housing to Haywood County
5) Encouraging entrepreneurial enterprises and working with existing businesses to assist them in their growth, which in turn will aid in improving the quality of life for the citizens of Haywood County.
