News and Announcements
WBD Welcomes New Board Members, Officers
July 7, 2020
Wilmington Business Development (WBD) recently confirmed new board members and officers for the fiscal year.
Nominated and approved at the June 26, 2020 board of directors meeting as officers for the 2020/21 fiscal year were: Sabrina Sells as Chair, Fred Samz as Vice Chair, Tim Milam as Treasurer and Scott Satterfield as Secretary.
It was a historic day for WBD as Sabrina Sells, Market President and Senior Vice President of North State Bank, is WBD’s first female ... Continue Reading
NCDOT completes bridges at New Hanover-Pender border
June 5, 2020
By Allison Ballard, StarNews
June 4, 2020
WILMINGTON – The N.C. Department of Transportation announced Thursday that construction of two two-lane bridges on U.S. 421 near the New Hanover-Pender county line is complete.
The highway, which is one of the area’s main thoroughfares, fully reopened to traffic Wednesday afternoon, according to a release from the department.
The area washed out during Hurricane Florence in 2018. Crews built a temporary bridge over Fishing Creek after the storm and started construction ... Continue Reading
$8 Million Spec Building in Development at Pender Commerce Park
Plans are well underway by Pender Commerce Partners 1 LLC to build an $8 million, 126,360-sq-ft. speculative building at Pender Commerce Park. Based in Winston-Salem, the company consists of Ramm Capital Partners LLC and Taylor Development Group LLC. Groundbreaking occurred in February on the 15-acre property, and the project is on track for completion as anticipated during the 3rd quarter, according to Chris Ramm, chief operations officer at Taylor Development Group.
“Our project on Lot 2 ... Continue Reading
North Carolina Ports Welcomes Largest Container Ship to the Port of Wilmington
By North Carolina Ports
May 21, 2020
Wilmington, N.C. – The North Carolina State Ports Authority made history Wednesday as the MV Hyundai Hope sailed in to the Port of Wilmington. The MV Hyundai Hope has a carrying capacity of nearly 14,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and is one of the largest container ships calling on the United States East Coast.
“This is a monumental milestone for North Carolina Ports, the Port of Wilmington and the entire state ... Continue Reading
WBD Joins NC Southeast in Interactive Regional Property Database
New Hanover and Pender counties are among the 18 counties working with North Carolina’s Southeast in showcasing available buildings and sites via a state-of-the-art interactive regional database. NC Southeast, the Elizabethtown-based regional economic development marketing partnership, launched the system in January of this year.
Built on the “ZoomProspector” tool suite, the system offers consultants and clients online access to customized mapping, workforce demographics and more. The suite is a product of GIS Planning Inc., a ... Continue Reading
Edgewater Ventures Acquires 240,000-Sq. Ft. Distribution Facility
Edgewater Ventures, a commercial real estate investment firm, announced in April its acquisition of a 240,000-sq.-ft. distribution facility on Landmark Drive in Wilmington. It’s the Raleigh-based company fourth industrial real estate acquisition in the Wilmington region in three years.
“We’re pleased to add the 421 Landmark Drive building to our growing industrial portfolio in Wilmington,” says Chris Norvell, Partner at Edgewater Ventures. “We’re bullish about the long-term growth of the Wilmington market and view this facility ... Continue Reading
Region’s Businesses Rise to the Challenge of COVID-19
There’s no arguing about it: The COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact internationally on people's lives and ability to work. We see it locally, too – from hard-hit restaurant and lodging businesses to service enterprises and even manufacturers. No one is immune to its effects. But well outside the headlines, there are also positive stories. Many companies in Greater Wilmington are not just surviving but thriving, and that can only mean good things for ... Continue Reading
New Hanover County Initiates a Small Business Economic Incentive Grant Program
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Small businesses in New Hanover County that have been impacted by COVID-19 can apply Monday, June 1 through Friday, June 5 for a $10,000 grant through the Small Business Grant Program the county created, utilizing federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Following a public hearing at its meeting Monday, the Board of Commissioners approved the $1.3 million program, which will provide grants of $10,000 each to ... Continue Reading
Winston-Salem Property Developer Unveils Plans for $8 Million Spec Building at Pender Commerce Park
February 10, 2020
Taylor Development Group Will Partner with Cape Fear Commercial in 126,360-sq.-ft. Industrial Space
February 10, 2020 (Wilmington, N.C.) - Pender Commerce Partners 1, LLC (Ramm Capital Partners, LLC and Taylor Development Group, LLC) will invest $8+ million in a 126,360-sq-ft. speculative building at the fast-growing Pender Commerce Park. The Winston-Salem-based developer closed on the 15-acre property today. The move comes around two months after Pender County joined officials from India’s Polyhose in announcing plans for ... Continue Reading
Longtime WBD Staffer Billy King Retires
January 29, 2020
As Director of Business Development at Wilmington Business Development since 2008, Billy King has been a familiar presence in Southeastern North Carolina business circles. But many recall Billy’s economic development leadership role much earlier, in a career that took him from BellSouth to UNC Wilmington. Billy’s retirement from WBD at the end of 2019 drew praise and reminiscences from all over.
“Billy brought maturity, seasoning and dedication to WBD, and we will miss him,” says CEO Scott Satterfield. “He ... Continue Reading
