News and Announcements

TIM MILAM NAMED 2019 CAMERON MANAGEMENT ALLY OF THE YEAR

October 11, 2019
Tim Milam Receives Top Honors at WBD’s Annual Meeting October 11, 2019 (Wilmington, N.C.) Tim Milam, President of Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage is the winner of the Cameron Management Ally of the Year Award for 2019. The honor was presented Tuesday night at the Annual Meeting of Wilmington Business Development, which sponsors the award. Sea Coast is among the state’s largest residential real estate businesses, employing hundreds of agents and support staff across numerous offices ... Continue Reading

UNCW Among Top 100 Public National Universities in Latest U.S. News & World Report Rankings

September 10, 2019
The University of North Carolina Wilmington ranks 92nd among Top Public National Universities, according to U.S. News & World Report, tying with Ohio University and the University of Houston. The U.S. News’ Best Colleges 2020 guidebook represents the first time UNCW has been included in the national category since receiving the elevated designation of “Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity” institution from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. In previous years, U.S. News included ... Continue Reading

ACME Smoked Fish Corp. Recognized as a North Carolina Star Site by OSHA

June 24, 2019
WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA SMOKED FISH FACILITY AWARDED STATE’S HIGHEST SAFETY HONOR Acme Smoked Fish Corp. announced today that the company’s Wilmington smoked fish facility will be recognized as a North Carolina Safety Site from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.  The Carolina Star Program – which is equivalent to the federal Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star certification, is designed to recognize employers and employees who have implemented effective safety and health management systems.  Acme will be ... Continue Reading

Record Attendance Highlights WBD’s 17th Annual Golf Tournament

June 6, 2019
Regarded as one of the best business golf experiences in the Southeast, this year’s Wilmington Business Development (WBD) tournament did not disappoint. A record 46 teams participated in the 17th Annual WBD Golf Tournament on May 8th at River Landing. The networking, prize package and weather made it a tournament to remember. WBD’s goal is to continue to raise the bar and provide our members with a meaningful day and experience. “We’re delighted with the high level ... Continue Reading

Help Establish New Hanover and Pender Counties as a Work Ready Community

May 10, 2019
Being designated an NCWorks Certified Work Ready Community reflects the Cape Fear Region’s efforts to improve economic growth by giving students and others the foundational & technical skills needed to thrive in the workplace. One requirement is that businesses recognize the value of the Career Readiness Certification (CRC). The CRC is a credential that measures and articulates that a person has “real world” cognitive job skills that are useful for any occupation—skilled or professional, regardless ... Continue Reading

Website Upgrades Provide Clearer Picture of WBD, Greater Wilmington


Given their global footprints and 24/7 time frames, site selection professionals increasingly rely on economic development websites for their initial market research. Internet-based promotion by communities and regions is thus rapidly growing and rapidly changing. Ease of use is a top consideration: the digital research firm Hosting Facts found, for example, that a page-load delayed by as little as one second could turn away 7% of users. These and other trends drove recent upgrades and ... Continue Reading

Meet WBD’s Newest Employee: Cliff Pyron


WBD’s seasoned staff of economic development professionals has recently grown. As of January 15, Cliff Pyron is serving in the role of Senior Manager, Business Development.  A Wilmington resident, Pyron spent more than four years at the NC State Ports Authority, working most recently there as account manager. His responsibilities put him in close touch with local, regional and statewide economic developers and allies. He joined the Ports Authority in September 2014 as communications manager ... Continue Reading

STEM Teacher of the Year Focuses on 21st Century Skills


In her role as an educator, Amy Engle, the 2018 recipient of the Corning/WBD Award for STEM Teaching Excellence, doesn’t settle for the usual science, technology, engineering and math content. Her approach also incorporates art into STEM learning models. She calls it “STEAM” education.  One learning activity, for example, starts with students drawing the human digestive system and then coding the “voice” of a human body. It is an interactive approach for teaching biology, math, ... Continue Reading

Burgaw Manufacturer Guns for Global Market Leadership


Privately-held businesses are the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. In Greater Wilmington, entrepreneurial companies fuel much of the region’s job and investment growth. For the past year, Edge-Works Manufacturing Company has been quietly growing its presence in Burgaw, drawing talent from across the region as it builds market share through business partnerships and e-commerce operations. The 13-year-old firm is a leading maker of firearm holsters and related accessories under the G-Code Tactical brand. “We moved ... Continue Reading

Millions in Improvements Coming to Wilmington Port

April 9, 2019
By Alexis Bell, Spectrum News PUBLISHED Apr. 08, 2019 The latest addition to the Port of Wilmington sailed in on Monday, their third Neo-Panamax crane. This is part of NC Ports' $200 million improvement project These Neo-Panamax cranes are taller than the older ones The COO says the crane will be fully operational in the next couple of months This is part of North Carolina Ports' $200 million improvement project. Other improvements coming to the Wilmington port include berth renovation and expansion, ... Continue Reading