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Job Creation
and Economic
Investment

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Golden LEAF funds economic development projects that focus on creating and retaining jobs, attracting new business to North Carolina, expanding industries and training new workers. Primarily, these projects are meant to create, expand, or improve business activity in tobacco-dependent, economically distressed or rural communities. Golden LEAF partners with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and local governments to provide gap funding to assist with job creation.

Projects in this priority area gather data to support outcomes including:

  • Investment in publicly owned infrastructure
  • Investment in privately owned property, plant, and equipment
  • New full-time jobs created
  • Average annual wage of new full-time jobs
  • Business start-ups
  • New housing units

As well as narrative outcomes including: jobs retained that were at risk without Golden LEAF support; comparison to county wages; job creation in identified job sectors; etc.

Projects are awarded in this priority area through all Golden LEAF programs. Please review the information and links below to determine which program might be best for your project.

Funding Opportunities

Open Grants Program
SITE Program

News

RIverstone Park 2

Infrastructure propels economic growth in Stanly County

Stanly County is seeing tangible returns from a strategic infrastructure improvement at Riverstone Industrial Park. Golden LEAF funding to extend and improve the access road off Brown’s Hill Road transformed both how the park functions and how it was perceived by prospective employers. In 2021, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded $159,034 to extend and improve access into Riverstone Industrial Park. The road improvement helped American Racing Headers locate a new facility at the park, creating 56 new jobs with an average annual wage above the county average and making a capital investment of $4.375 million.
January 21, 2026
Critical Conversations (79)
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Golden LEAF Critical Conversations is now a Podcast: First episode on the 2025 Economic Overview and 2026 Economic Outlook is live

Golden LEAF Critical Conversations has officially moved to a podcast format and is now available for download on Spotify, making it easier than ever to listen on your schedule. Hosted by Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton, Golden LEAF Critical Conversations features conversations with professionals about the most pressing economic development issues shaping communities across North Carolina.
January 7, 2026
CFVH June 2025
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Healthcare programs deliver strong economic impact in Southeastern North Carolina

In southeastern North Carolina, strengthening the healthcare workforce is also a strategy for long-term economic growth. At Cape Fear Valley Health System, expanded physician training has helped address provider shortages while generating significant economic impact across the region. “Developing a physician workforce here in southeastern North Carolina is core to what we do,” said Cape Fear Valley Health System's Chief Executive Officer Mike Nagowski. “By every statistic you look at, we have a dramatic shortage of healthcare providers in this region.”
January 7, 2026