News and Announcements
WBD Relationships Foster Regional Economic Growth
November 3, 2020
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and other headwinds, Wilmington Business Development (WBD) and its members, allies and partners achieved significant results for the region in 2019-2020. WBD directly and indirectly influenced over $100 million in new capital investment and 635 jobs for southeastern North Carolina. Those efforts included announcements by Polyhose, Pender Commerce Partners and Pacon, expansions by Coastal Beverage and South-Tek Systems, and acquisitions of the Port Logistics Center and Cape Fear Industrial Complex.
Polyhose Inc., ... Continue Reading
Pender Commerce Partners to Continue Investment in Greater Wilmington
October 26, 2020
Winston-Salem-based Pender Commerce Partners 1 LLC is now in the process of acquiring additional land at Pender Commerce Park in order to develop its second speculative industrial building there in two years. Fresh off the completion of its 127,356 sq.-ft. spec facility at Lot 2 in the park, the company, which consists of Ramm Capital Partners LLC and Taylor Development Group LLC, is now in the due diligence period for 20 acres on Lot 6 ... Continue Reading
ATMC Awarded USDA ReConnect Grant to Bring High Speed Internet to Pender County
September 14, 2020
ATMC announced in September that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded the cooperative a $21.6 million dollar grant to help fund its ‘Faster Pender’ project which will allow the Shallotte-based company to expand high-speed internet access to over 7,000 addresses in rural Pender County. Gigabit broadband internet access will be made available to 6,853 residential addresses, over 285 businesses, 19 educational facilities, nine healthcare facilities, 15 critical community facilities, and 209 agricultural operations. ATMC ... Continue Reading
WBD Welcomes New Board Members, Officers
July 7, 2020
History was made on June 26th when WBD’s board of directors met to choose its leaders for 2020-2021. Sabrina Sells, a Wilmington banker and longtime economic development advocate, was elected the organization’s first-ever female chair. Fred Samz, third party services manager of Celanese is now vice chair, Tim Milam, head of Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage is treasurer and WBD CEO Scott Satterfield will serve as secretary.
“The organization could not be in better hands,” said ... 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
