Piedmont Local Food
Restaurants have a difficult time procuring, through traditional sources, the fresh food demanded by a new, upscale and quality driven crowd. More health conscious individuals are proving to have the same need. To solve the problem, an innovative food source was needed to fill the demand. Piedmont Local Food looked for an existing, successful Internet-based food exhange and found it in farmersfreshmarket.org. Founded by Foothills Connect in Rutherford County, this program seamlessly links buyers and sellers via the web, opening up an entirely new market for local farmers to connect with local chefs and individuals through buying clubs – a new fresh food paradigm. Piedmont Local Food brings fresh, local food to the tables of restaurants and buying clubs throughout the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina. Not only does it provide delicious, healthful and flavorful food to consumers, but it provides an opportunity for economic advancement in rural communities and supports the Piedmont agrarian tradition. Click here to visit the website
Rural Broadband
Broadband, or high speed Internet, is the new utility of this generation. Required for most modern-era jobs that depend and thrive on information, broadband is as necessary today as was postal service, electricity and phone service in the early days of those innovations. The Rockingham County Business & Technology Center has led the local effort to expand broadband to unserved rural areas of Rockingham County, having contracted to design the most cost effective way to reach these potential rural broadband customers. Using a wireless broadband technology called WiMax, 99% of Rockingham County citizens and businesses can be served. Currently, 8,400 citizens in Rockingham County are without broadband access. Broadband is not just an issue in Rockingham County, though. It has received nationwide attention, and the federal government has developed a national broadband plan and has issued $8 billion in grants to support broadband expansion nationwide. The Business & Technology Center has partnered with Stokes County to apply for a federal broadband grant. Notifications for awards must be extended prior to September 30, 2010. For more information on the need for broadband and how national policy is being developed to address it, please click the link below. Click here to visit the website
Project BizFuel
Started in July 2006, this project began looking at how methane that naturally escapes the Rockingham County landfill could be used for economic development purposes. Funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation, the Appalachian State University Energy Center has developed a report outlining the potential monetary value of the landfill's methane to Rockingham County. After testing several ideas and asking for public input on how the resource should be used, electricity generation is the current use being developed. This project has the potential to create one megawatt of electricity at onset and up to three megawatts of electricity once the currently open landfill cell is closed. The Rockingham County Commissioners have also agreed, by unanimous vote, to funnel the profits from this project back into economic development projects targeted at entrepreneurship and technology, helping fuel business generation in Rockingham County. Project BizFuel now is seeking funding for its development, and many grant applications have been submitted.
Rockingham County Business Coalition
The Rockingham County Business Coalition is a partnership of economic development and business assistance organizations from throughout Rockingham County . Launched in November 2006 and formally announced in July 2007, partners include the City of Eden Business Development Department, City of Reidsville Economic Development Department, Eden Chamber of Commerce, Reidsville Chamber of Commerce, RCC Small Business Center , Rockingham County Business & Technology Center , Rockingham County Partnership for Economic & Tourism Development and Western Rockingham Chamber of Commerce. The Business Coalition wants to ensure a healthy, collaborative and streamlined business climate for businesses of all sizes and entrepreneurs of all types. Click here to visit the website
Rockingham Community Kitchen
The Rockingham Community Kitchen (RCK) offers farmers, caterers and chefs an inexpensive place to create value-added food products. This kitchen is certified by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which allows food produced in it to be sold to the public. Funded by the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, the RCK is a partnership between the Business & Technology Center and Rockingham County Cooperative Extension. Our hope is that this project will help keep farmers farming and help create new food entrepreneurs in Rockingham County. Click here to visit the RCK website
Rockingham County SCORE®
The RCBTC began discussions with SCORE ® of Greensboro in February 2006, and formally launched a branch of the Greensboro Chapter of SCORE ® in July 2006. SCORE ® is a national non-profit organization funded by the Small Business Administration to provide no-cost business counseling services to current and aspiring entrepreneurs. Partnering with SCORE ® allowed the RCBTC to expand its services in these areas by tapping a volunteer base of very talented business professionals. Now with 12 business counselors, SCORE ® continues to grow and add jobs in Rockingham County. If you need help starting your business or making your business more successful, SCORE ® is here to help.