From NCEast Alliance

Vince Lombardi once said, “Individual commitment to a group effort —  that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” It is that mindset that drives the NCEast Alliance in its role to brand and market eastern North Carolina and address capacity needs to accelerate the creation of jobs and investment in the region.

Beaufort County has become the latest county joining forces to partner with the Alliance, deciding to up its participation and have a full relationship with the Alliance on workforce and economic development activities. The county had previously been working with Alliance Vice President for Client & Workforce on its efforts to become a certified WorkReady Community which is leveraging the success of the ACT Career Readiness Certificate to ensure employers can find qualified talent.

“Beaufort County Board of Commissioners is pleased to expand the County’s regional approach to economic development by participating in the NCEast Alliance in addition to our on-going collaboration with the Northeast Alliance. This new relationship will enhance interaction and strengthen ties with our neighbors to the west bringing new opportunities for growth,” said Randell Woodruff, Beaufort County manager.

Beaufort County is home to the bustling small city of Washington plus quaint towns like historic Bath (the oldest continuous settlement in the state) and Belhaven which host visitors pursuing the serenity and tranquility that can be found along the Pamlico River which becomes the Pamlico Sound, the second largest estuary in the United States. The county offers many miles of beautiful waterfront and benefits from a growing ecotourism industry and a diverse manufacturing base.

Industry leaders like VT Hackney, the leading manufacturer and creator of the beverage truck; Potash Corp, a phosphate mining operation in Aurora; Flanders Filters, an innovator in the development and manufacture of high efficiency particulate (HEPA) filters serving the biopharmaceutical, health care, automotive, and aviation industries and Carver Machine Works, a NADCAP certified machine shop, and several others call Beaufort County home. The county offers industrial parks on 4-lane highways US264 and US17 plus other sites and buildings across the County.

Beaufort County also recently announced the hiring of a new leader for their local economic development efforts. Martyn Johnson, formerly with the NC Department of Commerce USA & European Operations for 24.5 years, will take over the economic development activities on Sept. 16.

“On behalf of the Beaufort Committee of 100, we welcome Martyn Johnson as Director for Economic Development for our county. His many years of experience with the N.C. Department of Commerce will be extremely valuable to continue the efforts to create and preserve jobs in the county while growing investment and tax base. The Committee of 100 looks forward to working with Martyn to accomplish these goals. I am certain he will continue to receive the community-wide support required to be successful,” said Jim Chesnutt, chairman of the Beaufort County Committee of 100 and CEO of National Spinning.

Johnson is a Certified Economic Developer with degrees in Economic Geography, City Planning and Business Administration and has 34 years of economic development experience. He has worked with both US and European companies from a variety of industries such as motor vehicle, aerospace, electronics, household appliance, metal working, plastics, military, agriculture, biotechnology & life sciences. “I am extremely excited about the opportunity working for Beaufort County offers me. Working with all the various communities, organizations and economic development allies I hope to pro-actively pursue projects for Beaufort County” said Johnson.

The Alliance staff recently met with Johnson to bring him up to speed on its activities so that he can hit the ground running with knowledge of Alliance development activities. “We welcome Beaufort County as a part of our organization and Martyn Johnson as a member of our regional economic development team,” Said John D. Chaffee, President & CEO of the NCEast Alliance.

“Martyn brings a wealth of experience in the field of economic development. He is a great team player and we believe he will make a valuable contribution to our respective organizations and the region as a whole,” Chaffee added. “We are excited about getting Martyn fully engaged in our regional marketing efforts.”

The NCEast Alliance is a regional, not-for-profit, economic development corporation serving approximately 1 million residents within several small metropolitan and micropolitan areas from the fringe of the Research Triangle to the Atlantic Coast. The Alliance provides community capacity building and assists companies with site location and expansion evaluations. For more information on the NCEast Alliance, visit us at http://www.nceast.org/or visit one of our workforce development sites (NCEast WorkReady Communities at www.ncworkready.org or STEM East atwww.stemeast.org).