NewswireTODAY - /newswire/ - Hickory, NC, United States, 2008/09/23 - Caldwell County's Economic Development Commission is helping employers to take advantage of state Building Re-Use grants to convert abandoned, stand-alone buildings into productive, working facilities.

When Alan Wood sees an empty storefront or shuttered factory in Caldwell County, NC, he sees the promise of a thriving business that can bring new jobs to his rural county. As senior development manager of the Caldwell Economic Development Commission, Wood helps employers take advantage of state grants from the Building Reuse and Restoration Program to convert abandoned, stand-alone buildings into new facilities that bring more jobs to Caldwell County.

Since 2006, Caldwell County NC has received four building re-use grants totaling $525,000 to help prepare vacant buildings for new businesses. The program's NC relocation incentives and business relocation services have encouraged four businesses to expand or relocate their operations and have brought 165 new jobs to the North Carolina employment rolls. Today new employees are hard at work building furniture frames, circuit boards and electronic products, wood beams for home building, and machined parts for cabinets in previously abandoned buildings. A biopharmaceutical company will soon be the fifth company to join the group.

"The Building Re-use and Restoration Program is one of the best programs I've encountered," Wood emphasized. "I wish there were other programs that are as attuned to the needs of rural communities as this one is."

About Caldwell EDC

The Caldwell EDC (caldwelledc.org) serves to encourage job creation, retention and investment and establish Caldwell County as a desirable destination for business, industry, retirement and tourism.

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