Although their facilities won’t be completed for months, Davie County’s new industry partners now have access to temporary office space thanks to a partnership between the Davie County Economic Development Commission (DCEDC) and Davidson-Davie Community College.
The hallmark of Davie County’s economic development success has long been its spec building program. For more than 20 years, companies have jumped at the chance to purchase or lease a building shell that is ready to be upfitted to their specifications. However, their challenge has been finding a place to conduct interviews, training, or meetings in the meantime.
The solution is the serendipitous result of a conversation between EDC President Terry Bralley and Davidson–Davie Community College President Dr. Darrin Hartness to discuss ways to support the business community. Bralley mentioned the need for temporary office space and Hartness was happy to comply.
The Davidson-Davie Community College Foundation purchased a building in the Kinderton Business Park in Bermuda Run in 2008 that the College leases for meetings, customized training, and the Small Business Center. Since the facility has additional capacity available, the College was more than willing to share.
“We were delighted to partner with Davie County Economic Development to provide space and services as we welcome new business into Davie County,” Hartness said. “Our Davie Education Center at Bermuda Run seemed like the perfect fit for temporary space as new businesses relocate their offices to Davie. We will be providing a place for some initial interviews and meetings with individual employees- a professional environment with individual offices and conference rooms.”
“Our partnership with the business community is so important to us,” added Jenny Varner, executive director of the Foundation and vice president of external affairs for the College. “We are pleased to be able to offer small meeting and classroom space with all of the necessary technology which would otherwise take a company a lot of time and expense to set up on a temporary basis.”
Global chemical company, Scott Bader, was the first to take advantage of the opportunity. The company has held two days of meetings and training at the Davie Education Center, so far, and has additional days scheduled. Palltronics, the maker of the world’s first fully-trackable shipping pallet, plans to utilize the space this spring as it prepares to open its new facility.
Jonathan Stowell, commercial director at Scott Bader, said: “The opportunity to use the DDCC facility has been invaluable for Scott Bader. We have recently announced a $16M investment in Mocksville for a new manufacturing site, however our new site is in its infancy and not ready to host anyone yet. Therefore, we needed a local venue to conduct interviews, training and sales meetings. The support from DDCC in providing a modern facility for us to use, free of charge, has been second to none. Thank you to DCEDC and DDCC for your support. Community support is a big part of our values at Scott Bader, we look forward to repaying your generosity by providing our own support for the local community in the months and years to come.”
Hartness pointed out that the partnership also gives the College’s staff an opportunity to engage with the leadership of new businesses and to share the numerous resources Davidson-Davie Community College has to offer, such as customized training and continuing education for new employees who will need training and skills for specialized business processes. “It may also open doors for our students to apply for great jobs, and each of these businesses will see firsthand the well-qualified workforce available in our community. These new relationships will provide our faculty and staff a glimpse into the changing workforce needs in our region as they align future program offerings at the college. Not only is Davidson-Davie Community College an excellent quality and value for students, we are also flexible and quickly adapt to the ever-changing workforce needs. The future is bright in our community!”
“Life is about continuous improvement and our spec building program just got better!” enthused Bralley. “Thanks to our community college for creating a first and lasting impression on our new Davie County industries. This is another win-win for our most successful program and our county.”
