Visioning Forum Notes 

The items listed below came from the small group sessions conducted as part of the Rockingham County Business and Technology Center Visioning Forum on May 4, 2004.

The Forum was the kick-off event for the Business and Technology Center planning process. Information and input gained from the Forum will help to create the context and direction for the planning process. 

                           Rockingham County’s Economic Future 

Essential Components of a positive and thriving future for RC

  • Culture that supports entrepreneurial spirit

  • Emphasis on local economy going global

  • Pro-active advocates for Rockingham County

  • Thinking of ourselves as a county, not just individual communities

  • Collaborative communities

  • Unity and strong sense of community

  • Educated/trained workforce of critical thinkers

  • Strong tourism industry

  • County residents more involved in government decisions

  • User-friendly government

  • Full employment

  • Optimistic spirit

  • Friendly environment for growth

  • Local government that acts as a conduit for progress, not an obstacle

  • Streamline permitting processes

  • Incentives for local small businesses

  • High speed telecommunications available throughout the county

  • Strong public education system

  • School system teaches entrepreneurship and small business skills

  • Infrastructure well-maintained

  • Underground infrastructure

  • K-12 schools are linked to higher education

  • Increased communication with immigrant communities

 

Rockingham County Assets

  • Rockingham County People

  • Geographic location; access to Greensboro and Danville

  • Good water supply --- three rivers

  • Good road system – future interstate highway

  • Existing infrastructure

  • Experienced workforce

  • Strong work ethic

  • Rockingham Community College

  • Honest, sound county government

  • Telecommunications - fiber DSL, cable, and some wireless

  • Industrial parks and buildings available

  • Strong arts community with talented artists

  • Availability of water activities

  • Rail access for many buildings

  • Proximity to airport

  • Two good hospitals with links to major regional hospitals

  • Dedicated educators

  • Beautiful land

  • Rural charm

  • Great climate

  • Recreational activities available

  • City parks

  • Good Libraries

  • Potential impact and opportunity from Fed X

 

New Directions

  • Embrace technology at a grassroots level

  • Not so much change attitudes as create new ones

  • Use learning from past experiences to find different ways of doing business

  • Create more opportunities for the community to come together

  • Capitalize on historic downtowns with unique shops by staying open later and holding after-hours downtown events

  • Implement more flexible education programs in K-12 schools, more emphasis on technical and new kinds of vocational education --- workforce development

  • Increase collaboration with neighboring counties

  • Provide entrepreneurial education in K-12 schools

  • Create more entertainment opportunities

  • Do more with the lake

  • Retain farms with new agricultural strategies

  • Virtual farmers market

  • Merge town chambers of commerce into a county-wide chamber

  • Merchant Associations organize to promote the whole county

  • Look at golf course possibilities

  • E-Government interactive web site

  • E-Yellow Pages (Think globally and buy locally!)

 

Role of Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses

  • The seed, not the plant – put it in the ground and it grows

  • Successful small business has things grow from it

  • Small businesses can re-invigorate the community

  • Provide intern and apprentice opportunities for students

  • Needs of entrepreneurs and small businesses: financing, training, and support of local government

 

Niche Services and Products

  • Focus on waterways – outfitters will hire 8 -10 teenagers this year

  • New ventures related to the new park

  • Art and Art/Artist related products and services

  • Create Virtual Arts Market

  • Agricultural niches, such as farming hemp

  • Bio-technology and bio-pharming – with direct links to local farmers

  • High-end upholstery and other fabric manufacturing (cheaper textiles have moved, focus on high quality goods)

  • Generic cigarette manufacturing

  • Micro-breweries (plenty of water)

  • Ventures related to the historic old mills

  • Transportation services, such as Medicaid transport

  • Upper Piedmont Research Center – collaboration with and ventures related to it

  • Equestrian center

  • Birder activities

  • Fishing and fishing tournament – take advantage of bass lakes

  • Advertising and marketing will be essential to creating success niches

 

Rockingham Business & Technology Center

 

Vision and Mission

  • Serve everyone and be representative of the community

  • Technology theme

  • Promote the growth of technology in the county

  • Promote technology-driven economic development

  • Help businesses that provide technology or technology services to thrive

  • Keep the community up-to-date on leading edge and upcoming technologies

  • One-stop shopping

  • Educate and develop a mindset into a productive and forward –thinking organism

  • Be unique to the needs of Rockingham County

  • Not duplicate services

  • User-friendly

 

Functions and Classes/Programs

Functions

  • Help create and sustain a culture that supports, maintains, and grows entrepreneurs and small businesses

  • Clearing-house for business and technology services

  • Economic development

  • Foster technology-driven economic development

  • Support small businesses and entrepreneurship and help them to grow and expand

  • Provide mentoring services to small businesses and entrepreneurs (including those who are aspiring to start businesses)

  • Provide “one-stop shopping” for all forms of small business assistance, permits, licenses, information on capital sources, etc.

  • Provide marketing assistance and services to small businesses

  • Resource and referral to businesses and technology services providers

  • Facilitate dialogue with local government to create regulations and policies that are friendly to small businesses and entrepreneurs

  • Provide cutting edge business and technology services to entrepreneurs, businesses and community organizations

  • Hub for technology community

  • Growing intellectual properties

  • Resource for new and recently located companies

  • Serve as a magnet to create a new industry cluster

  • Education and training center

  • Not to be marketed as a small incubator with free or cheap space

 

Classes/Programs/Services/Facilities

  • Computer labs for training and on-line classes

  • Public Internet access

  • Centralized or decentralized??

  • Help Desk

  • Provide a portfolio of computer and technology services, from basic to advanced

  • Provide virtual opportunities

  • Seminars on specific topics such as computers, software, insurance

  • Interactive Technology

  • Audio-visual real-time video

  • Distance-learning facilities (includes videoconferencing for classes and meetings)

  • Advanced technology support

  • Incubator programs

  • E-Commerce

  • Java script

  • BTC should include, or have in an adjacent facility, a social center, with coffee shop, deli sandwiches, bookstore, outside seating with wireless capability (Research shows that this kind of informal gathering place facilitates interactions and networks that help entrepreneurs and small business people succeed.)

  • Cell tower located there

  • Conference rooms for meetings

  • Library access – NC Live is free (gateway to the combined electronic resources of libraries in NC)

  • E-books

  • Hoover’s On-Line (business information web site)

  • Patio with awning in case of bad weather

  • Part of Wentworth Town Center, along with post office, town hall, courthouse, and jail

  • Video-conferencing for activities including town meetings, depositions, and interviews with prisoners

  • Satellite location for college classes

  • Wireless availability in the center

  • Work with businesses and chambers to create a full county directory – businesses, services, products, --- advertising and opportunities for businesses

  • Update Industrial Guide by including small businesses in it

  • Provide a transaction-specific server

  • E-Discover Rockingham County

 

Key Partners

  • Rockingham Community College

  • RCC Small Business Center

  • Economic Development Partnership

  • JobLink Center

  • Rockingham County School System

  • Chambers of Commerce

  • Small Business Partnership

  • Churches

  • Non-profit organizations

  • Civic groups

  • Communications companies, such as Adelphia Cable, Time-Warner, and Bell South

  • Financial institutions

  • Major companies

  • Local Government and elected officials

  • Business Leaders

  • Federal and State agencies

  • USDA

  • Federal Wildlife Reserve

 

Sustainability

  • Space lease/rental

  • Fee for some services

  • Fee for extended use of facilities

  • In-kind resources and services from RBTC partners

  • Business enterprise tied to the RCTC, such as fulfillment or distribution center

 

Making a Difference

  • Strengthen the economy by promoting technology-driven economic development

  • Help to change the culture of the county to be small business-friendly and technology oriented

 

     Rockingham Still Rocks!