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Educational
Opportunities Abound in Greensboro
Retired
Executive Continues to Urge Greensboro to 'Think Big'
New Horizons
Greensboro, long an economic and social pacesetter,
is positioned for an era of fresh business achievements
Below: a bronze
likeness of O. Henry, Greensboro's
best-known writer, sits in downtown Greensboro
 By
Ned Cline
The
Revolutionary War general must have realized it in the spring of 1781, followed
by the Confederate War generals eight decades later in 1865. The realization?
There was a lot of potential leadership among the people in Guilford County.
Almost a century later in the post World War II era, the same assessment came
not from the battlefields but from the state planning offices in Raleigh. It is
something the people of Guilford have known about themselves throughout the
county’s storied history and steady record of progress: they can get things
done when they dig in and work together. Now a new crop of the county’s
visionaries, awakened after a period of dormancy, is stepping up to prove the
rightness of those who have come before.
Guilford County has been on the cutting edge all along. And now the blades are
sharper than ever. Actions are bringing results.
It was on March 15, 1781, that Gen. Nathanael Greene led his outnumbered but not
outgunned troops into the deadly Battle of Guilford Courthouse, which history
has shown to be the critical turning point in the Revolutionary War that brought
this county its freedom. Greene’s troops retreated from battle after two hours
of savage fighting, allowing bedraggled British Maj. Gen. Charles Cornwallis to
claim a hollow victory. But Gen. Greene’s soldiers, many of them Guilford’s
determined resident warriors, had so damaged and demoralized the British troops
that Cornwallis led his weary ragtag unit on to what was ultimate defeat at
Yorktown seven months later.
Guilford pulled itself up from the Battle of Guilford Courthouse to emerge as an
important staging area for the Confederate War effort in 1865 following the
arrival of railroad tracks in 1851 through what is now downtown Greensboro. The
county has been a central transportation hub ever since, making it a prime
distribution location.
Guilford County was created on April 1, 1771, formed out of Orange to the east
and Rowan to the south and west. It was named for the first Earl of Guilford.
Greensboro, as the county seat, was formed in 1808 after developers paid $98 for
42 acres in the center of the county.
From those early days of important history, others interested in economic
stability and planned growth also recognized Guilford’s potential. In 1947,
the managing director of the state planning board said of the county: “In many
respects, Guilford is the leading county in the state. With purposeful planning,
it could very well become a model which other counties would seek to emulate.”
That’s exactly the formulas that Guilford’s current economic, educational
and entrepreneurial spokespeople are weaving together for the region’s future
successes designed to supplement and surpass even the past historical
significance. That’s especially true of those leading such efforts in
Greensboro and High Point, the two major cities in Guilford County.
“Greensboro is at the center of North Carolina’s future,” says Greensboro
College President and outgoing chamber of commerce board chairman Craven
Williams. “The chamber, having already served this community for 125 years,
has developed a bold, focused, innovative and forward thinking plan to prepare
Greensboro for the future.”
 At
the Center of It All
Left: Bright lights and a
clear night provide a sparkling view of downtown Greensboro, the state's
third-largest city
Guilford
County is in the heart of and is a cornerstone for the central part of North
Carolina, known as the Piedmont Triad, that has long been the center of the
state’s manufacturing region, led by textiles and tobacco. Those industries,
of course, are changing like so much else in Guilford, perhaps a cause and
effect relationship.
Guilford is close to the geographic center of the state with a population of
425,000 and growing. It is the only county in the state with two major cities,
those of Greensboro and High Point, which have a combined population in excess
of 310,000. Greensboro is the state’s third largest city; High Point is the
ninth.
The county has other features unique to the state, too, if not the Southeast.
All are stimulants for growth and advancement of the county’s economy and
lifestyles.
Guilford is home to six college and university campuses, plus a thriving
community college. The county lies at the confluence of multiple major
north/south and east/west interstate highways, with more planned. It lies almost
equidistant between not only Raleigh and Charlotte, but also between Washington,
D.C., and Atlanta.
Greensboro is also home to two major enterprises dear to the hearts of sports
fans, both adding major economic boosts to the community and contributing to the
social fabric of the area. Those two are the headquarters of the Atlantic Coast
Conference, a premier national collegiate athletic organization, and the
Chrysler Classic of Greensboro golf tournament (formerly known as the GGO). This
is the 50th anniversary of the ACC and the Greensboro Coliseum will be the site
of the popular ACC tournament next month, March 13-16. The Chrysler Classic of
Greensboro, with a new name and larger draw, moves to Oct. 16-19 this year.
Greensboro also has an important if little known link to the world of high
technology. In a refurbished downtown former bank building, some of the
country’s most advanced Internet connections are available and ready for
networking across the globe. The city is directly tied to the Tier 1 Internet
backbone route through Washington, D.C., which provides universal connectivity
and access to the world. That’s a wireless network asset beyond what most
cities can offer. This network is a major draw for existing and new business
development.
Greensboro, the county’s center for employment and commerce, has held its
position as the third-largest city in the state for generations, partly by
design. Without growing as rapidly as Charlotte and Raleigh, and not wanting to,
it has grown more orderly with fewer anxieties and less congestion. Greensboro
is the 75th largest city in the nation and the Triad region is the 33rd largest
metro area.
The most commonly used nickname for Greensboro has been the “Gate City”
because of its multiple highway links and openness toward social, ethnic,
religious and economic diversity. It has also been called the “Hartford of the
South” because it is home of respected and growing Jefferson Financial,
earlier known as Jefferson Standard Life Insurance and then Jefferson-Pilot
Insurance Co.
“Greensboro has been and still is a major city in this state with a long and
proud tradition and it is a city that is going to be the next up and comer in
North Carolina,” says Greensboro Chamber of Commerce President David Jameson.
Jameson was hired three years ago to rebuild a moribund chamber, a challenge
corporate leaders say he has met. “We sometimes sell ourselves as a passive
community, sell ourselves too short and have become too complacent on our many
benefits,” Jameson adds. “I want to have sizzle in the way we portray
ourselves. We have a lot here that other cities envy. This city has some really
great things going. To cities 100 miles away, Greensboro is a Mecca. This city
was built on entrepreneurial initiative and this private sector involvement is
important to our success, past and future.”
The ‘Next Urban
Empire’
Indeed,
it has been a successful combination of public and private dollars that have
brought Greensboro to its current status. Initially it was the entrepreneurs who
founded what became textile giants in the previous century. Greensboro is home
for Cone Mills, once the world’s largest denim producer, and Burlington
Industries, once the world’s largest textile manufacturer. Profits from and
foundations of those and other major corporations still fuel much of the local
economy.
Foundations created by families of earlier generations (see story page 32) are
bringing new life to the city and county. In the last two years and in the
coming two, a cooperative group of private Greensboro foundations will have
invested more than $45 million into educational and downtown efforts to
revitalize the community. Private companies are investing upwards of another $40
million in housing and downtown commercial enterprises.
In addition to private dollars, public investments in roadway, airport and water
supplies in recent years have totaled more than $1 billion in the county.
Neighboring High Point, just 10 miles south of Greensboro, has equally ambitious
plans for renewal. Groups of aging and vacant downtown buildings in High Point
are being retrofitted for new and modern uses, a trend that started a decade
ago. One former shopping mall in High Point is getting a $20 million private
investment that will convert it into a multi-purpose residential, religious and
retail center. Public records show commercial and residential private
investments in the city totaled more than $300 million in recent times. High
Point Chamber of Commerce President Tom Dayvault calls the actions “innovative
initiatives.”
There are premier business parks that border Greensboro and High Point, Piedmont
Centre in High Point and Rock Creek Park on the eastern edge of Greensboro.
“This is all about jobs and economic opportunity for our people,” says Jim
Melvin, former Greensboro mayor and current head of a private foundation that
has provided millions for educational and community enhancements since the new
century began. “We want to be the best we can be.”
Andy Burke, president of the economic partnership that operates under the name
of Forward Greensboro, calls the community the “next urban empire” in North
Carolina. Like Jameson at the chamber, Burke is also relatively new to
Greensboro and came as part of the determined effort to inject new life into the
community’s business core as aging industries slipped from the forefront.
“I had (before coming here) viewed Greensboro as a rather genteel southern
community,” Burke says. “It is that, but it is a lot more. We have held on
to that historic tradition by honoring the past and recognizing achievements
that are important to our community. That speaks well of the people who are
here. We are now looking at ourselves as the central core of the crescent
between Charlotte and Raleigh. There is no question that we are going to be the
next urban empire in the state because we are doing the things to make that
happen. We really have an easy product to sell and an incredible amount of
preparation is being done.
“We have the road system, the rail system and air service that are all
attractive to business. When you look at how we are perceived geographically and
demographically, add the investment in the community of private and public
dollars and the fact that we have an available workforce and more than 40,000
college students in the county who are heading for the job market, we’re
primed for economic expansion. All these are major assets for a community. We
are much better positioned than most communities as we measure our success on
how we do in creating jobs.”
Burke includes the multiple plans from private investors, led by foundations, to
downtown development among Greensboro’s long list of assets. “The strength
of any community is dependent on the vitality of its downtown,” he says. “We
are now doing what we need to do to revitalize our downtown through the
leadership of local foundations and volunteers. It is amazing what is happening
here. We are working on the community’s infrastructure, brand image,
technology and education. We’re poised for the 21st Century.”
Paid boosters for Greensboro have independent support for their positions on
what is happening in the city. Among the newest and most successful business
enterprises in Greensboro is decade-old RF Micro Devices, a modernistic company
that makes chips for wireless phones worldwide. David Norbury, just retired as
president of RF Micro, calls Greensboro a place of action rather than words.
“I came to Greensboro from Silicon Valley and what I see happening here is the
good parts of that region without all the mess and congestion,” Norbury says.
“I see a lot of enthusiasm here for making things better with the kind of
economic growth that we want. People here just don’t meet and talk. They take
action. The fact that Greensboro has been able to pull this kind of horsepower
(private companies, foundations and willing volunteers) together in really
impressive.” Norbury is one of the business executives, many of them
relatively new to the area, who are giving volunteer time to enhancing the
overall quality of life and economy in Guilford.
Building a New Economy
While Greensboro seems to be on the cusp of something big with all that is
happening in that city, High Point is doing the same. While private foundations
are the impetus for Greensboro’s new vitality, it is corporate executives in
High Point who are leading the effort in that city. A group of CEOs, known as
High Point Partners, is the backbone of what is happening in that city with
particular efforts at economic growth and educational improvements.
“(Partners) is a good example of how private business and the city can work
together,” says Partners chairman Jim Morgan, a former state legislator.
Economic development leaders in Greensboro and High Point, while still focusing
on their own communities, compete far less now than in the past. Healthy
competition still exists, but cooperation has greatly increased, for the benefit
of both cities and the entire county. The chambers of commerce and economic
development officers meet regularly to discuss mutual concerns and
opportunities. “We are all working for the same things, what is good for the
entire community,” Greensboro’s Jameson says. Burke adds that he and his
colleagues in High Point look at the entire county in recruiting businesses and
expanding job prospects.
One of the county’s biggest economic plums in the last few years has been
securing a regional hub for Federal Express. Despite detractors who have
objected to anticipated noise from FedEx airplanes, the hub plans call for
opening at the regional airport by 2007, representing in excess of a $300
million investment that could add billions to the local economy in jobs and
private investment expansion once it is fully operational. Based on the success
of similar facilities in other parts of the country, the hub is expected to draw
multiple other businesses in coming years to both Guilford and surrounding
counties.
Contrary to the rhetoric of FedEx opponents, the company was not chosen by
Guilford County after being rejected by other counties in the state. FedEx chose
Guilford, not the other way around.
FedEx Express President David J. Bronczek says his company spent considerable
time studying and analyzing airports across the state and willingly made their
preferred location Piedmont Triad International Airport. “We decided PTI could
most effectively meet our needs for providing fast, reliable and time-definite
service to our customers,” Bronczek explains. “The strong points for that
choice were dual existing runways and plans to add a third, efficient access to
interstate highways, availability of a major aircraft maintenance facility and a
strong labor force. FedEx is looking forward to becoming a corporate neighbor of
choice for the Triad community.”
Stanley Frank, retired Greensboro business executive and fulltime civic
volunteer who helped develop the local airport and served as chairman of its
board for 20 years, praises the FedEx decision and calls the future hub a needed
economic stimulus for the entire region. “There were at least six other places
that wanted that facility,” Frank says of the FedEx hub. “The fact that they
chose us is significant. They knew we offered the best facilities. The fact that
they are coming and that other businesses will certainly come because of FedEx
will help make this community outstanding. There will be multiple economic
benefits to this region.”
FedEx aside, the Piedmont Triad International Airport is listed among the many
business-friendly assets of the county. Less congested than other major airports
in the state, and somewhat underutilized, its facilities are modern, convenient
and fully capable of handling commercial and individual travel and cargo needs.
Forward Greensboro’s Burke says the fact that FedEx picked Greensboro adds
prestige and credibility to the community. “That’s important. It identifies
us. It speaks volumes for this community.” His colleague Jameson calls the
FedEx hub a “star in our crown,” adding that it will be an essential part of
causing other good things to happen to the area.
Until recently, one of the liabilities for economic growth in Greensboro was
lack of an abundant water supply. But that problem now seems resolved. Recent
rains have filled reservoirs. More importantly, the city has added pipelines
from nearby cities and a major water supply, the Randleman Dam, is nearing
completion. “Given all these recent developments, the city is no longer
handicapped with a water shortage,” city manager Ed Kitchen says. “We will
never be water rich, but I feel comfortable saying we can grow and develop
without any major water concerns. I’m bullish on our future.”
Interestingly, while Greensboro has been short of water, High Point has been
flush with ample water supplies because it has lakes that its sister city lacks.
The new Randleman Dam will also benefit High Point.
Guilford County’s rich history, climate, educational systems (public schools
and universities), tax structure and openness toward diversity have all helped
make the area attractive for families and businesses. Growth has been steady as
well as planned. Changes have evolved slowly, often through consensus that has
been part of the heavy Quaker influences from the early days of the county’s
formation.
The county property rate is 67 cents were $100 valuation. Municipal tax rates in
Greensboro and High Point are both within a fraction of 62 cents.
Strong Support for the
Arts
The fastest growing segment of the county’s economy is the service industry,
followed by transportation and construction. The shift in the job market is one
of the reasons local leaders have been taking a more aggressive approach to
economic development as a means of maintaining and supplanting past levels of
income. The county’s average income, however, is still above the state
average.
Guilford serves as corporate headquarters for eight major companies employing
more than 1,000 each. Tobacco and textile companies are still on that list, but
they are no longer at the top. The county is also home to divisional
headquarters for five companies with more than 1,000 workers each. Eight major
companies in the county employ more workers today than do any apparel or tobacco
companies. Employment leaders today are healthcare, electronics, banking and
technology.
Guilford’s population is diverse, with recent significant increases in Asian
and Hispanic residents, which have provided a boost to the growing construction
industry. Seventy-five percent of the county’s population is Caucasian, 20
percent African-American, although municipal minority percentages are higher.
Fifty-eight percent of the county’s residents are employed fulltime and 50
percent are in prime working ages from 35 to 64. More than two-thirds of the
adults own their homes.
Greensboro’s cost of living was listed as 3.6 points below the national
average in a recent survey (differences of 3 points are considered meaningful).
Guilford also receives high marks for its social capital investments through
strong support for the arts and charitable giving. The county ranks second in
giving and volunteering and ninth in civic leadership in a recent statewide
survey. Guilford ranked sixth among 40 participating communities in faith-based
participation. Greensboro has 932 churches, temples and synagogues. In High
Point, l68 business leaders donated more than $10,000 apiece to the United Way
last year. Family recreation is a high priority in the county, too. Although the
county doesn’t operate its own park system, both Greensboro and High Point
have top-ranked recreational and outdoor activity programs.
Greensboro has 12 separate arts groups and operates 170 parks and special
facilities, covering 3,200 acres of land. The city has 129 neighborhood parks,
seven regional parks, three public gardens, seven swimming pools (three indoor),
three golf courses, 119 tennis courts, 60 miles of walking trails, 11
recreational centers and the city arts program that offers a variety of programs
for children and adults. The city also has a viable arts and community theatre
program in place.
High Point has a 1,550- acre park at Oak Hollow that includes 14 tennis courts
and 10 miles of bridle paths for horseback riding. High Point is home to the
annual popular Shakespeare Festival and Greensboro is home to the nationally
known and respected Eastern Musical Festival each summer.
The county is also known across the nation and around the world because of its
influence on the political scene and governmental policies as well as its
diversity. Greensboro businesswoman Bonnie McElveen-Hunter is United States
ambassador to Finland and High Point businessman Phil Phillips (former NCCBI
chairman) is ambassador to the Eastern Caribbean. Internationally known High
Point African-American businessman Robert Brown was the highest-ranking minority
in the Richard Nixon administration and Greensboro native Erskine Bowles served
President Bill Clinton as head of the Small Business Administration and White
House Chief of Staff.
Given the county’s history, present renewal of interest in making things
better socially and economically, Guilford leaders seem genuinely upbeat and
primed for a future that will supplement the past quite well. Interest in
building on the past and making things better socially and economically for the
region has certainly reached a crescendo in the last two years.
“The future looks bright,” says High Point economic developer Loren Hill.
 Educational
Opportunities Abound in Greensboro
Left: Each year the Greensboro Coliseum hosts one of
the nation's
most prominent athletic events -- the ACC basketball tournament
If successful communities are built on strong educational programs and quality
healthcare facilities, then Guilford County is on a rock-solid foundation.
When it comes to advantages and opportunities for academic advancement, higher
and lower, as well as top-flight health facilities, Guilford is about as good as
it gets. The county, as well as its neighbors, is well served with ample and
above average quality educational and medical care advantages.
Those two cornerstones offer Guilford’s industrial recruiters and economic
developers a definite heads-up in their successful efforts to move the county
into the forefront in North Carolina in the new century.
Guilford offers its residents and potential employers services and opportunities
that stretch beyond what is available in many places. Furthermore, the county
offers quality as well as quantity.
The public school system is improving, both through innovative programs in the
classrooms and modern physical facilities.
There are six colleges and universities within the county, all within 10 miles
of each other, as well as one of the more respected community colleges in the
state. That’s in addition to five other higher education institutions within
an hour’s drive, including two medical schools.
Greensboro is also home to the nation’s only residential Jewish high school,
American Hebrew Academy, which opened last year.
The Moses Cone Health System, based in Greensboro and this year celebrating its
golden anniversary, is the largest medical center in a three-county region and
is steadily adding advanced healthcare facilities and programs. The High Point
Regional Health System, which partners with Cone, also has established itself as
one of the state’s best and most progressive medical centers.
Add these academic and medical care opportunities to the fact that Guilford also
is home for one of the nation’s most respected leadership training facilities
— the Center for Creative Leadership — and you’ve got in Guilford what few
counties can offer its present or future individual or corporate citizens.
Guilford’s public schools, merged a decade ago into a single administrative
unit that combined two cities and the county system, serve 63,500 students,
among the highest in the state. In this case, bigger seems to mean better.
Student test scores are up and the dropout rate is down. School campus
disruptions are falling and safety factors are climbing. Independent studies
have shown that a specialized, privately funded academic program in public
schools that teaches respect and civility as well as critical thinking skills
has helped raise test scores and increase security.
The number of Guilford public school students enrolled in advanced placement
courses has increased from 2,400 to 6,000 in the last two years. With the influx
of foreign students (90 countries and 80 languages) new emphasis is being put on
additional language courses, particularly Spanish.
Guilford schools have added two new facilities, on time and under budget, in the
last year. More than $250 million in construction projects are under way or
recently completed, thanks to a successful bond referendum.
UNCG, long a flagship campus in the state’s public university system, has
become even more of a community partner under the leadership of Chancellor
Patricia Sullivan. She pledged in accepting the job to maintain the school’s
traditional excellence in fields of business, education and science while
expanding the institution’s research strengths and making the campus a more
viable and visible part of the total community. She has kept her word, becoming
personally involved in a series of community efforts and opening the campus to
more citizen involvement.
“We want to add programs without backing away from our traditional strengths,
become the Triad’s leading research university and increase our community
connections,” Sullivan says in explaining her goals for the coming decade.
UNCG works cooperatively with sister institution N.C. A&T University, whose
assets include a strong engineering school, and with the local community college
as well as the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce in pursuit of improved community
economic and academic programs.
In addition to UNCG and A&T as public universities, Greensboro is home to
private colleges Bennett, Greensboro and Guilford, the latter of which is the
third oldest coeducational college in the nation, founded by Quakers. High Point
is home to High Point University.
Moses Cone Hospital was created in 1911, seven years after the High Point
hospital was opened, through a trust from the Cone family that founded Cone
Mills, although the first patient wasn’t accepted until 1953. In those 50
years, however, the hospital has evolved into an expansive and respected medical
facility with a national reputation for quality care.
What started as a 51-bed facility with limited staff and equipment is now the
leading employer in Guilford County with more than 7,000 employees, 820
physicians, 2,165 nurses and a satellite hospital in Rockingham County. The Cone
Health System opened the state’s first Women’s Hospital in 1990 and merged
with Wesley Long Hospital in Greensboro in 1997. More recently, it has purchased
a physicians’ practice and opened an extended care facility and home
healthcare program.
In addition to providing medical care and an enormous economic boost to the
Guilford region, the Cone Health System charitable foundation has become one of
the region’s most prolific philanthropic organizations. The Cone organization
provided grants of $46 million to health-related, educational and social service
programs in 2001.
The High Point Regional Health System last year opened a $28 million heart
center and increased its medical staff by some 300. It now employs almost 2,000
trained workers, including 250 physicians representing more than 30 medical
specialties.
Guilford’s well-established specialty school, Guilford Technical Community
College, has long afforded citizens and employers in the region with
opportunities for work skills and training aside from the four-year schools in
the county. Opened in 1958, and now the fourth largest in the state, GTCC has
8,000 fulltime students, with more than 42,000 students taking at least one
course, and offers degrees in some 70 academic areas. More than 75 percent of
the GTCC students hold either full- or part-time jobs. The school has campuses
in downtown Greensboro and High Point in addition to the main campus in
Jamestown, located between the other two cities. Another campus in the eastern
part of the county is planned.
Among GTCC’s strengths is a strong aviation instructional program and one of
the most extensive and efficient workforce preparedness programs in the state.
The school has a history of working with local companies, public schools and
colleges in providing needed and essential academic training programs to help
fill the local job market in changing times.
Greensboro’s Center for Creative Leadership, founded 33 years ago with private
money, has become internationally known and respected for its skilled training
programs for corporate, military and educational leaders. The Center, which
still operates as a non-profit, educational institution, has a singular mission
to advance the understanding, practice and development of leadership for the
benefit of a worldwide society.
The Center offers leadership training skills to some 20,000 managers, executives
and educators representing more than 3,000 organizations and corporations every
year. The Center offers programs in North America, Europe and Asia and has
campuses in Colorado Springs, San Diego, Brussels and Singapore in addition to
Greensboro’s headquarters.
In creating the Center in 1970, founder H. Smith Richardson Sr. of the Vicks
Chemical Co. said his goal was to help business executives with skills and
training on how to continue to provide consistent useful, innovative services
through economic ups and downs. He wanted, he said, creative leadership to carry
through future generations.
“What is needed,” Richardson said in starting the Center, “is creative
leadership.” That, he said, would be essential to sustain business stability
and production over decades and generations.
Richardson’s goal has proved successful. It is a goal, in fact, that seems to
be the foundation of what is now happening in Guilford County in areas of
education, healthcare and corporate expansion. — Ned Cline
Retired
Executive Continues to Urge Greensboro to 'Think Big'
Whoever said that one man could not make a difference in his community never met
William Hemphill. A retired Greensboro corporate financial executive still influential in his 80s,
Hemphill has always been known as a multi-faceted businessman: a visionary
straight shooter with just the proper amount of tact for consensus building. He
has carried that mantel from his corporate office forward to civic and
philanthropic endeavors. He’s the man who singlehandedly laid the right words on members of a
charitable board on which he serves a few years ago to make a positive and
lasting impact on Greensboro and Guilford County.
Don’t be content with the status quo and don’t expect someone else to
shoulder all the community’s burdens, Hemphill told members of the Cemala
Foundation, made up mostly of Cone textile family relatives. Instead, he said in
effect, follow the lead of your ancestors by working diligently, showing vision
and wisdom and seeking to accomplish far greater things collectively than
individually. The Cone textile family started the Cemala Foundation, one of
several in Guilford County engaging in new and innovative actions designed to
boost quality of life and economic enhancements.
Hemphill delivered his words via videotape because he was out of town when the
foundation board met. His message was originally intended for only Cemala
Foundation board members, but has resonated with multiple other foundation
boards in Greensboro and been accepted as a springboard for what will hopefully
be decades of good works for the benefit of average citizens and businesses.
Much of Greensboro’s progress over the past 100 years is credited to a series
of entrepreneurs in the textile, insurance and construction industries whose
successes have spawned a series of philanthropic foundations. Until recently,
however, most foundations marched to independent drummers with limited
communication or cooperation among them. And the city seemed to be running in
place, or worse, losing its economic grip.
That’s a critical chord that Hemphill tapped. Despite so many good things in
the city and county in the past, Hemphill spoke of recent leadership slippage
and too much lethargy in the present. He admonished the Cemala board to look at
what was needed in the future, recognize coming changes in the local economic
mix, stop what he called “nickel and dime” actions and to “think
bigger.” Furthermore, he said, Cemala members should consider joining forces
with other foundations with similar interests.
“I just thought stronger actions were needed,” Hemphill says of his message.
“We couldn’t just maintain the status quo.”
From that low-key challenge to Cemala Foundation members, much has occurred
since early in 2000. A series of local charitable foundations have pooled
resources, and created short and long-range lists of plans and programs for the
benefit of local residents and businesses. In addition, these foundations have
invested millions in academic and social capital efforts, and enlisted the aid
of hundreds of volunteers in projects ranging from brand imaging to housing and
from schools to entrepreneurial initiatives.
Among the goals is to expose and use the rich resources of the city to produce a
vision for the future. “We want other (cities) to come here and see how
we’re doing it,” says Mac Sims, a local minority businessman and volunteer
in renewal efforts.
The foundations have staked their reputations as well as their financial capital
on the success of their expansive plans and goals. Their efforts and pledges of
community betterment have been unequaled in Greensboro’s past, but hopefully
with be a sign of future times. The entire effort is being carried out under the
name of a new organization known as Action Greensboro.
Action Greensboro, supported by resources from of seven local foundations and
community volunteers, has pledged $37 million in private dollars — most of it
already raised — for use in Greensboro’s downtown revitalization and related
endeavors.
Former mayor Jim Melvin, president of the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, is leading
the Action Greensboro effort. The Bryan Foundation has been a leader in recent
years at providing private resources for local schools and leadership training,
contributing more than $6 million. The Cemala Foundation has also contributed
almost $2 million for early childhood educational programs in Guilford. Local
corporate leaders have also recently pledged $2 million for specific educational
programs.
Action Greensboro’s primary initial efforts are focused on downtown
Greensboro, where a new minor league baseball stadium, a concert hall and
neighborhood park are planned. All are targeted to be within a few blocks of the
city’s existing thriving cultural arts center, public library and children’s
museum. Other venues will follow.
The group’s efforts have also included major funding for a successful small
business incubator, the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship, with a grant from
the Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation. The Nussbaum Center, after some unsteady
early years, has become a significant force in the success of start-up companies
under the able guidance of Tom May, a quiet but business-savvy former AT&T
official. Seventy-five percent of new businesses created in the last decade were
started with 25 or fewer employees. The incubator is seen as a major asset in
helping the local economy emerge from dependence on textiles and tobacco
manufacturing.
One of the Nussbaum Center success stories is John Lomax, a local contractor who
started his business there in 1996 and now runs a company whose revenues exceed
$17 million a year. He was named the North Carolina Small Businessman of the
Year last year.
The Center, named for former Greensboro Mayor Vic Nussbaum, whose vision helped
create it, has space for 55 small companies today and will expand to space for
70 in two more years. The facility, housed in a former textile building, is set
up to attract, advise and house the early development of new companies and
entrepreneurs who need low overhead and business guidance. Clients include women
and minority companies. The Center partners with local colleges, local
governments and economic development leaders to design its programs.
“We’re doing an adequate job, but still not good enough,” May says. “We
are taking the right steps and are proud of our successes, but not content to
rest on them. We want to improve.”
That philosophy pretty well sums up the whole intent of Action Greensboro
efforts, both in financial resources and volunteer assistance. The end result,
as Hemphill challenged, is to get better, do more, work cooperatively and
improve lives and economic conditions in the county. — Ned
Cline
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