Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/15265
NCDBA Opens Doors for Businesses by STEPHANIE CRIDER About 15 months ago, the North Carolina Business Association embarked on a mission to increase the number of Department of Defense (DoD) contracts that are won in North Carolina. “We do that by providing networking opportunities for folks in that industry, or who want to be in that industry or want to work with folks in that industry,” said Joy Thrash, executive director of the North Carolina Defense Business Association (NCDBA). “We provide networking events for them to come together and build relationships so that they can team up for contracts or be vendors for someone going after a contract and provide a service for them.” With several military installations in the state, the NCDBA is focused on more than just the impact that BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) will have in Fayetteville. The organization’s focus is on reaching out to businesses throughout North Carolina. So far, the growth has been steady. “Out of 100 counties, 98 had a business in them in 2009 that won a DoD contract,” said Thrash. “Our focus is around bases, but a company doesn’t have to be at one of those locations to win a contract. We have more than 250 members — we just recently reached our 250 mark, so we have gone from 0 to 250 members in about 15 months.” An example of their stellar success includes a recent event in Fuquay-Varina, N.C., called breakfast with a prime. “That is where we have a prime contractor come and present information, COMMUNITY NEWS COMMUNITY NEWS Transit System Receives Grant to Improve Access a STAFF REPORT The City of Fayetteville has received a $200,000 grant to improve access to Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) services. Sidewalks, curb cuts and wheelchair ramps at seven locations will be added. The funding is a New Freedom Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration. The City is contributing a local match of $40,000. This is a federal award funneled through the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO). Existing bus stops on routes 5 and 14, along Ramsey Street and Sycamore Dairy Road, respectively, will be affected. Focus areas include senior housing and group homes for individuals with disabilities, the VA Hospital, Department of Social Services, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Methodist University and shopping centers. These locations contain a large percentage of disabled people who need better access to transit. Those sections of the city connect to local FAST routes, but currently riders do not have sidewalks or shoulders for walking or wheelchair use. Additionally, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding in the amount of $32,000 has also been awarded to FAST. ARRA funding is allocated by the federal government for use on infrastructure improvements. This funding will be used to construct a sidewalk on Walter Reed Road. The Engineering & Infrastructure Department, which oversees sidewalks, has been working from a plan approved by City Council. The plan is based on need and available funding. “City staff has aggressively sought funding to make improvements to transit accessibility,” City Manager Dale Iman said. “Our citizens, especially those with physical disabilities, will now be able to reach bus stops more safely and quickly. I’m certain this will create opportunities for new riders and improve the transit riding experience for Fayetteville residents.” City Adds Miles of Sidewalks The City of Fayetteville is working on adding more than four miles of sidewalks primarily along Reilly Road, Ramsey Street and Cliffdale Road. Freedom Trail on Bragg Boulevard is also included. The projects address gap areas in existing sidewalks. Over the years, sidewalks were installed through the development of properties. The adjacent properties remained without sidewalks, leaving gaps. 8 UCW AUGUST 25-31, 2010 A sidewalk has been added on Cliffdale Road in the area of Wendy’s at Cliffdale Plaza and Cliffdale Recreation Center. Other gap sections to receive a sidewalk are along Reilly Road, near Ascot Drive, Cissna Drive, Morganton Road, Dandridge Drive and Fillyaw Road. Cliffdale Road will see more sidewalks near Cliffdale Court and from Reilly Road to Seventy-First School Road. Ramsey Street is slated for projects in the vicinities of Eastwood Avenue to Sunrise Circle, Jones Street, Williston Street, Cochran Avenue and Facility Drive. Sidewalk upgrades, along Bragg Boulevard from Freedom Memorial Park to Walter Street, are being performed as part of the Freedom Trail Project. Intersection improvements, including handicap ramps and crosswalks, will be constructed at the intersection of Bragg Boulevard and Walter Street. The sidewalks provide improved ADA accessibility and pedestrian movement. Projects are being funded by grant money from the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. The city is also funding projects with additional money. Employers Sought for Job Fair The Cumberland County Department of Social Services Work First Program and the Workforce Development Center, along with other community partners, are seeking employers to participate in an upcoming job fair on Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Crown Expo Center on East Mountain Drive. The Work First Program, in partnership with Fayetteville Technical Community College, City of Fayetteville Community Development, Beasley Broadcast Group, Fayetteville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce, Hardee’s, Fayetteville PWC and the Workforce Development Center, are proud to be presenting the 12th Annual “Fall Into Work” Job Fair, which is free and open to the public. The event provides a great opportunity for employers to fi nd new employees as well as advertise their businesses. Last year’s job fair at the Crown featured 98 employers and drew more than 4,500 job seekers. The booth space is free and is equipped with wireless Internet access. For more information and to sign up for a table, call Robert Relyea at 677- 2222 or Bill Kiser at 677-2177. Please respond by or before Sept. 24 as space will fi ll up quickly. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM and we allow other companies to present information on their company,” said Thrash. “Then we invite about 50-60 attendees. We limit it because we want it to be a good networking event and not one that the room is so full you can’t move around and circulate in the room.” That particular event was a shining example of networking at its best. In Thrash’s 10 plus years of networking experience she says that she is constantly amazed at the synergy created at NCDBA events. “It was a spectacular event — it was networking at its best because you just never know how you are going to make a contact,” said Thrash. “There was a gentleman from Wrightstville Beach, N.C., who joined after the meeting because he said that he had made two contacts for his business in Wrightsville Beach at an event in Fuquay held by an association headquartered in Fayetteville,” she continued. By working with local Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development Associations, the NCDBA has been able to increase opportunities for businesses throughout the state and help make connections between companies and people that will have an impact on local economies for decades to come. For more information or to contact the NCDBA, visit www. ncdba.com STEPHANIE CRIDER, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com.