Appalachian Enterprise

Center is open and

ready for business
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

The Appalachian Enterprise Center is ready to help businesses get a new lease on life.

The renovated center held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, with a number of local university, economic development and government representatives on hand, as well as those in the business community. The center now houses a number of economic development agencies, as well as 17 available business spaces. Though the spaces are for rent, the primary mission is for those who have gone through local entrepreneurship programs to have a foundation from which to build their businesses in the critical early years.

The center is operated by the Committee of 100, and the renovation was the result of a combined effort from a number of sources. The center already housed the Appalachian Regional Development Commission, Service Corps of Retired Executives, the High Country Business Network and the Appalachian State University Energy Center. Having those services already in place is touted as one of the chief assets of the incubator.

Fowler Cooper, chairman of the Watauga County Economic Develop Institute, said the good location would help new businesses, and though it had served as an incubator in the past, it had been "remodeled to meet today's needs."

Jason Triplett, chairman of the Committee of 100, said, "It's an opportunity to really grow entrepreneurship and provide jobs for our county and our region," describing it as "a nerve center for small business."

The incubator already has a few tenants, as the ASU Nursing program is temporarily leasing space until its permanent facilities are ready for occupation. AdvantageWest, the regional economic development agency, will have a presence in the center, and the Appalachian Regional Commission provided funding for the renovation.

Watauga planning director Joe Furman said the center could also house "virtual tenants" through its technological resources and equipment.

Rick Peltz, a federal alternate co-chairman of the Appalachian Regional Commission, said ARC's $190,000 contribution would pay off through networking and growth. "We hope to see 30 jobs and over 60 clients served," Peltz said.

The High Country Business Network also honored Dr. Paul Combs at the event, recognizing his contribution to outreach and entrepreneurial programs. Combs, who is now an economic development consultant, is a former dean of the ASU College of Business, a former chairman of the Watauga County Board of Commissioners and former head of ARDI, and his ideas were credited with building a foundation for such broad local alliances, particularly between ASU and Watauga County.

Combs replied, "I've basically just been doing my job over the years."

The 8,000-square-foot facility has undergone its latest renovation after an up-and-down history. The former Revco Drug Store was purchased by the county along with other property at the current Human Services complex in Boone and was originally developed as a business incubator and economic development center.

Though meeting some success, the site was later rented to a software firm to create jobs.

The county commissioners changed direction a couple of years ago, again embracing the idea of small business creation. ASU and the county teamed up for an ongoing entrepreneurship program to educate potential business owners and give them the tools to succeed. The center will build on those basics by developing volunteer and mentoring networks, as well as the nuts, bolts, fax machines, conference rooms and copiers needed to help launch a successful start-up.

Tenants must submit a business plan, be willing to receive counsel and submit quarterly progress reports, with free resources available to help potential business owners compile their material and plans. For more information on the center, call Don Wood at (828) 264-2732 or e-mail aecwatauga@bellsouth.net.