Anson Economic Development Corporation

Anson Economic Development Corporation welcomes Brook Ainsworth to our team. As Business Services Consultant, Brook will be working with our local entrepreneurs and our existing industry. Brook is a lifelong Ansonian, and a graduate of Anson High School and Wingate Univerity. An entrepreneur herself, she started and operated her own business in Uptown Wadesboro for several years and worked with the United Way on several fundraising campaigns. She brings a wealth of practical experience navigating business start-ups and will offer a unique perspective to our existing industry.  You can contact her at Brook@AnsonEDC.com. LinkedIn Profile    

Over the past week, we have begun rolling out a change in our corporate identity. The majority of people likely will not even notice, but those with a keen eye for detail might see we have replaced “Partnership” with “Corporation” on our website and social media accounts.  Technically, this is not a name change. We have been Anson Economic Development Corporation since 1975, and all of our official business transactions have been conducted under that name for nearly fifty years. In 2016, however, we entered into an agreement with Anson County and hired our first full-time executive director. At the time, it seemed like a good idea to highlight this new arrangement by calling the organization “Partnership” as a public-facing identity and creating a separate advisory board with broader government and quasi-government representation. While this unofficial identity has helped positively position the organization in the public eye, the discrepancy in what we call ourselves and our legal...

The nature of work has undergone significant changes over the past few decades, driven by advancements in technology, globalization, and shifting economic conditions. The workplace of today looks vastly different from that of even a generation ago, with new technologies, communication tools, and work arrangements transforming the way we work. One of the most significant changes has been the rise of the gig economy, where workers take on short-term contracts or freelance work rather than being employed by a single company. This trend has been driven by a variety of factors, including the desire for greater flexibility, the growth of online platforms connecting workers with clients, and the increasing availability of work that can be done remotely. While the gig economy has created new opportunities for some workers, it has also raised concerns about job security and access to benefits like health insurance and retirement savings. Another change has been the increasing importance of tech...

AnsonEDP Executive Director John Marek traveled to Chapel Hill yesterday along with management and staff of the Speckled Paw Coffee chain to attend Business North Carolina's 2022 Small Business of the Year awards luncheon. Mt. Gilead's Speckled Paw was one of four small businesses from across the state to be recognized by the publication, the others being Core Technology Molding of Greensboro, Firsthand Foods of Durham, and Seaview Crab of Wilmington.  Specked Paw was lauded for its unique approach to creating “community through coffee” and the integration of an extensive community newsletter into its business model. Marek writes a weekly column for that publication.  Although based in Mt. Gilead in Montgomery County, Speckled Paw operates two stores in Anson County and one in Richmond County. The Wadesboro store was an anchor tenant for the REV Uptown coworking space and business incubator operated jointly by AnsonEDP and the Anson County Chamber of Commerce.  "All the c...

SPCC’s Small Business Center is accepting applications for the second cohort of its Level Up program.  Level Up is a growth-oriented business development program designed to help existing businesses develop a plan for growth. The program will run from Jan 5 – Apr 20 and consist of a total of 11 sessions. The sessions will include peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing from guest speakers, and coaching with the Level Up consultants.  Full program details are available at https://spcc.edu/small-business-center/level-up/. To download a PDF flier at https://www.ncsbc.net/DocumentMaster.aspx?doc=6551 The program is offered by South Piedmont Community College’s Small Business Center. It is fully supported and will be no cost to businesses accepted. The inaugural cohort graduated this past June and all participants said they would recommend the program to other business owners. 

Ashley Carter, president of Lobal-Wakol North America, was named the Energizing Anson award winner for 2022 at the Anson County Industry Appreciation Luncheon on September 9th. Ashley worked with AnsonEDP to move the North American headquarters of the German floor care and adhesive products company to Wadesboro in 2019 and has been a strong advocate and tireless volunteer for the community since.  The luncheon, which was the first held in person since the start of COVID, was held at the terminal building of the Anson County Airport. 

A new restaurant, the Ansonia Soup Company, will soon be opening in Uptown Wadesboro. The locally-owned business will offer a variety of soups, salads, and pasta dishes featuring locally and regionally sourced ingredients. The venture is the brainchild of Chef Monica Ann, who has appeared twice on Food Network's "Chopped" cooking contest and was a private chef and caterer in Chicago for 12 years.  The restaurant will open in the old Velvet Creations space on South Greene Street, likely in October, pending renovations and inspections.