The Future Forward Economic Alliance will hold its next quarterly meeting in Hickory on Tuesday, September 16th. The meeting will begin at 2 PM. The agenda for the meeting can be found here.

More information about The Greater Hickory Metro and Catawba County can be found here and here.

The North Carolina Center for Engineering Technologies to hold open house

The NCCET will hold an open house on September 16, 2008 from 5 pm to 7 pm. Remarks will be given at 5:30 pm. The Center is located at 1990 Main Avenue SE in Hickory.

More information about the NCCET can be found here.

A plaque was unveiled recognizing those organizations, companies and individuals that donated money to purchase a building for the North Carolina Center for Engineering Technologies in Hickory. The fundraising efforts were undertaken by the Future Forward Economic Alliance, and specifically former Congressman Cass Ballenger and BB&T Senior VP Phil Walker. These efforts led to commitments of $1.7 million dollars to purchase and renovate the 52,000 sq. ft. building.

Classes officially began in January 2008 with 40 students enrolling in Western Carolina University’s Engineering Technology bachelor’s degree program. Appalachian State University is serving as the Center’s fiscal agent.

Click on the picture for full-size image.

More information about Statesville and Iredell County can be found here and here.

State Workforce Challenges Discussed at Region C's Joint Regional Forum in August

Paul Combs, a member of the Future Forward Economic Alliance, discussed the NC Workforce Commission's recent "State of the North Carolina Workforce" report at the Joint Regional Forum in Lake Lure. The presentation addressed not only the relationship between economic development and workforce development, but also many of the key trends that will be affecting the state's workforce over the coming decade.

This full presentation can be found here.

The entire State of North Carolina Workforce report can be downloaded here.

Western Piedmont COG releases study about the growth of subdivisions within the 12-county Future Forward region

A recent study conducted by the Western Piedmont COG shows that the region will experience rapid growth in sub-division development, particularly in the Mountains and along the Catawba River Basin and Lake Lure. More information about the study can be found here.

Information about new Certified Sites in Alexander and Rutherford counties

In addition to the four site certifications completed last year, the Future Forward Economic Alliance completed two more industrial site certifications in Alexander and Rutherford Counties. These sites include:

• The Railroad Site in Alexander County
• The Riverstone Business Park in Rutherford County

The FFEA also selected the site for the development of a mixed-use megasite. This megasite will be located along Interstate 40 on the Burke-McDowell county line.

More detailed information about these sites, and the region's other recently certified sites, can be found here.

The Future Forward Economic Alliance Seeks to Expand its Membership

The Future Forward Economic Alliance provides an opportunity for people in 12 Western North Carolina Counties (Alexander, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln, McDowell, Mitchell, Rutherford, Watauga & Wilkes) to work in collaboration with the region's leaders and thinkers in order to create a more sustainable economy. To date, the Future Forward Economic Alliance has proven to be an effective forum in which to discuss, and find potential solutions for, the important educational, transportation, business development and environmental challenges facing the region.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Future Forward Economic Alliance, membership information can be found here