The Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded a total of $18.9 million in funding across two Golden LEAF Programs and an $8 million for a special initiative. The Board awarded $1,300,000 to support four projects through the Open Grants Program and $9,614,500 in funding for seven projects through the Shell Building Pilot Program.
The Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded $8,000,000 to Methodist University for instructional equipment and other costs related to the new Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, which will create 260 new jobs. At full enrollment, the school will graduate 120 doctors each year, many of whom are expected to enter residencies across seven Tier 1 counties and one Tier 2 county throughout Southeastern North Carolina and remain and practice in the region, creating additional jobs and addressing severe healthcare shortages.
The Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded four projects totaling $1,300,000 in Open Grants Program funding. These projects will support workforce preparedness in Cleveland, Martin, Stanly counties and job creation outcomes in rural central and western North Carolina.
- $300,000 to Cleveland Community College for equipment to support expansion of the Heavy Equipment Operator program. Funds will be used to purchase additional pieces of equipment such as a compact/autonomous excavator, dirt roller, and tractor.
- $500,000 to Martin Community College to support expansion of their Emergency Medical Services Simulation Center to significantly increase training for emergency medical services students. Funds will be used for high-fidelity patient simulators, virtual emulators, and advanced audio visual recording platforms and enable the college to increase the number of students trained as well as to provide additional instruction to improve retention.
- $250,000 to Stanly Community College to support the expansion of the CNC machining program in response to growing need for machinists in the area. Funds will be used for two CNC machines.
- $250,000 to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to support expansion of the NCGrowth-facilitated project to help anchor institutions such as universities, hospitals, and local governments increase purchasing and procurement from businesses in rural and tobacco-dependent communities. With Golden LEAF support, NCGrowth began a pilot that started in the Sandhills region in 2021. This award will expand the project to support businesses in two new regions: Central & Western North Carolina.
The North Carolina General Assembly appropriated $10 million to the Golden LEAF Foundation to implement the Golden LEAF Shell Building Pilot Program. Under the authorizing legislation, governmental and charitable nonprofit entities in Ashe, Bladen, Columbus, Franklin, Halifax, Robeson, and Scotland counties are eligible to apply for funding. The program is intended to provide grants to increase the number of available publicly-owned industrial buildings suitable for new or expanding businesses, other than retail, entertainment, or sports projects.
The Golden LEAF Foundation Board of Directors awarded $9,614,500 in funding for seven projects through the Shell Building Pilot Program in Ashe, Bladen, Columbus, Franklin, Halifax, Robeson, and Scotland counties.
- $1,385,000 to Ashe County for clearing, grading, erosion control and construction of a 15,000-square-foot shell building to be located at the Ashe County Industrial Park. The County expects that construction of a shell building could attract a business that would invest $3,000,000 in private capital and create 30 new jobs with an average annual salary of $42,900.
- $1,350,000 to Bladen’s Bloomin’ Agri-Industrial, Inc. in Bladen County to construct a 20,000 square-foot shell building located in the Aviation Park contiguous to the Elizabethtown airport. Bladen’s Bloomin’ Agri-Industrial, Inc. expects that construction of a shell building could attract a business that would invest $2,500,000 in private capital and create 40 new jobs with an average annual salary of $50,000.
- $1,375,000 to Franklin County to construct a 30,000-square-foot shell building expandable to 90,000 square-feet located at the Triangle North Franklin Business Park. The County expects that construction of a shell building could attract a business that would invest $10,000,000 in private capital and create 55 new jobs with an average salary of $52,700.
- $1,398,000 to Halifax County to construct a 40,000-square-foot shell building expandable to 76,000 square-feet located at the Halifax Corporate Park. The County expects that construction of a shell building could attract a business that would invest $10,000,000 in private capital and create 100 jobs with an average annual salary of $47,000.
- $1,375,000 to Robeson County to develop a preliminary design plan to construct a 80,000-square-foot shell building expandable to 142,000 square-fee at the COMtech Business Park. The County expects that construction of a shell building could attract a business that would invest $9,152,000 in private capital and the creation of 75 jobs with an average salary of $45,000.
- $1,350,000 to Scotland County Economic Development Corporation to construct a 30,000 square-foot shell building located at the SCEDC Incubator Park. The County expects that construction of a shell building could attract a business that would invest $1,500,000 in private capital and the creation of 25 jobs with the average salary of $45,116.
- $1,381,500 to the Town of Tabor City located in Columbus County to construct a 25,000 square-foot shell building at the Tabor City Industrial Park. The Town expects that construction of a shell building could attract a business that would invest $750,000 in private capital and create 20 new jobs with an average annual salary of $55,000.
Since 1999, Golden LEAF has funded 2,292 projects totaling $1.3 billion supporting the mission of advancing economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities.