New SCC structure designed to better serve students

By: Thomas Sherrill, The News Reporter

A student walking onto Southeastern Community College’s campus this fall probably won’t see many changes. But the college will be functioning in a very different way — in a new structure meant to break down bureaucratic silos to better serve students.

Previously the college had two instructional divisions: for-credit curriculum classes and not-for-credit continuing education and workforce development.

The new structure — called the “one-college model” — is meant to bring all instruction and student support under one umbrella, according to Chief Academic Officer Sylvia Cox.

“[Students] can’t put their finger on credit versus non-credit. They just have this goal or mind or this career in mind, so the terms to them are artificial,” said Cox.

“We need to make this a welcoming place to come in the door, out the door, back again, just to say hello,” she said, referring to the reality that community colleges are now called on to help train and retrain workers throughout their careers, not just at the beginning.

“Once a Southeastern Community College student, always a Southeastern Community College student,” said Cox, who was elevated to her executive vice president position following the recent retirements of the vice presidents who oversaw academic affairs and continuing education. The college went from recently having four vice presidents to just two. The other vice president role is filled by Lacie Jacobs, hired in spring 2021 to be chief operating officer. Cox said her experience has prepared her for this new role, previously working as an instructor and overseeing student services. “I feel like I’ve learned so much of the college that it gives me the perspective to pull it together,” Cox explained. “And I know Columbus County, so we’re uniquely designed to serve this county. I always tell people whether you come [to SCC] for an event or you come here for an associate degree, or come here for a class or come here to visit us, we are your community college.”

First of the 58

The idea to shift to the “one-college model” is backed by SCC President Chris English, who helped bridge continuing education and curriculum programs when he worked at the N.C. Community College System office and most recently at Blue Ridge Community College.

“Out of the 58 [community colleges in North Carolina, we’re going to be the first to really implement a one-college model to this extent,” English said.

As an example of the importance of the change, English pointed to how law enforcement training used to be structured at the college. Basic Law Enforcement Training was considered continuing education while criminal justice fell within the curriculum division even though they served students who generally had the same career goals.

“You never knew which hand was talking to the other,” English said.

He gave another example of seeing students in the back twiddling their thumbs in an electrical engineering class and finding out they had already learned the material. But because they had previously taken a continuing education class, they had to take it again for curriculum credit.

English and Cox said that the one-college model will better enable SCC to offer “stackable credentials” — a term for educational programs that build on one another and improve the employability of students even if they don’t complete an entire degree program.

The college’s new structure will also ensure that every student — not just those in traditional academic programs — receives advising and other support services.

“We can’t just look at providing instruction for students. Having an open door is one thing, but if we want students to be successful, we have to do way more than open the door. We have to open the door and provide the support they need,” Cox said.

Implementation

Many of the changes brought about by the new model won’t be felt by students but rather by employees.

“There’s going to be a lot of cross-training,” English said.

Cox and English have met with most of the faculty already to explain the new model, and both said the meetings were productive with instructors from both sides realizing the resources that each side can bring.

English said that, on an instructor level, he feels it allows them more flexibility.

“They’re in control of that to meet business and industry needs or to meet new student needs,” English explained.

Cox and English said that six deans are now in place of the former department head positions.

“When we restructured, we didn’t eliminate jobs; we elevated people to the next level whether it be through a dean position, or a program specialist or an associate dean position that aligned their skill set and their knowledge within that department,” English said.

English said he will know the restructuring is successful if the college increases the number of credentials its students earn. He is confident that the model will grow enrollment in the college and, in turn, grow its funding. “We’re going to be able to offer more in areas we haven’t seen in the past,” English predicted.

Company to create 125 jobs in Logistics Park on Brunswick County line

A rendering of the International Commerce Center, a spec building under construction by Cameron Management Company in the International Logistics Park of North Carolina, an industrial park that overlaps the Columbus-Brunswick County line.

By: Thomas Sherrill, The News Reporte

An industrial park that overlaps the Brunswick-Columbus county line on U.S. 74-76 will have its first tenant — a high-precision component parts company that will invest more than $9.3 million, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday. 

Precision Swiss Products, Inc. will locate its headquarters and manufacturing facility in the International Logistics Park by the end of the year, according to the announcement. The company will be on the Brunswick County side of the park, but Columbus County will share in the property tax proceeds because of an agreement between the two counties. 

Columbus County Economic Development Director Gary Lanier said Tuesday that, while the negotiations were mainly between Precision and economic developers in Brunswick County, Columbus should benefit from the company’s relocation.

“Our friends in Brunswick Industrial Development have been working with this company for well over a year,” Lanier said. “We knew it was getting close to working out.”

According to Cooper’s statement, “Precision Swiss Products is a major producer of small, high precision parts for the aerospace, medical device and semiconductor industries. Made of microscopic metal and plastic, PSP’s parts are used in heart valves, implantables, braking systems, throttles and chamber components.”

“This will be a key first company to go into the park, the first, I hope, of many to follow,” Lanier said.

Gary Lanier, Columbus County Economic Development Director

“I think it shows the potential of the International Logistics Park and the private industrial park across the street,” said Columbus Jobs Foundation Chair Les High, referring to the Mid-Atlantic Industrial Rail Park, located on the north side of U.S. 74-76 in Brunswick County.  “The partnership we have with Brunswick County benefits both in a number of ways, but notably it has the potential to create large-scale employment for both counties.” High is also publisher of The News Reporter.

The agreement with Precision happened in part because Columbus and Brunswick counties finished a “big push,” as Lanier called it, to get water and sewer inter-local agreements signed off by each county’s commissioners.

Lanier said that Precision will move into a 60,000-square-foot building that Cameron Management Group of Wilmington constructed on spec and marketed as the International Commerce Center. The building is under construction with a tentative finish date of November.

“They’re pouring the footings this week,” Lanier said, noting that it took 12–18 months to get steel for the building.

Cooper’s statement says that Precision’s average annual salary for all new positions is $54,025, well above the Columbus County average wage of $35,138.

“The North Carolina Department of Commerce led the state’s efforts to support PSP’s decision to locate to North Carolina. The new jobs will employ highly skilled machinists, shipping and receiving workers, quality control personnel, executive and administrative staff,” Cooper’s statement said.

Columbus County government extended water lines to the International Logistics Park on U.S. 74-76 at the Columbus-Brunswick County line. Photo by Diana Matthews

Lanier said Precision could be a landing point for graduates of Southeastern Community College, specifically in mechatronics, electrical engineering and other such programs.

“These are not entry-level jobs; these are high-tech, high paying manufacturing jobs,” Lanier said.

Lanier thanked the Columbus County Board of Commissioners and County Manager Eddie Madden for their support, explaining that he gave them updates during closed sessions in recent months.

“It’s very clear to me they are focused on doing whatever is necessary to attract good quality jobs like these,” Lanier said.

As far as incentives, Lanier said most of them come from the Brunswick side of the agreement and he couldn’t speak on them, explaining that the state-level incentives were more important. Lanier said that soon an incentive package will go in front of the Columbus County Commissioners after it is approved first by the Brunswick County Commissioners.

Cooper’s statement said the expansion is facilitated in part by a Job Development Investment Grant approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee earlier Tuesday. 

“Over the course of the 10-year term of the grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by more than $301 million. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the 125 new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $1,779,000 spread over 10 years,” the governor’s statement explained.

Columbus County’s Tier 1 economic distress ranking means that the Job Development Investment Grant precludes Precision from making a contribution into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account.

The Lumber is one of five ‘Wild and Scenic’ rivers in North Carolina

Editor’s note. This is the third of a three-part series on the Lumber River and its potential as an eco-tourism destination.

Dickson McLean is a long-time paddler on the river and a member of the Lumber River Conservancy board. Photos by Les High

Even though the Lumber River is one of only five rivers in North Carolina designated as “Wild and Scenic” by Congress, the meandering waterway sees limited use except for locals who were raised on it.

The Lumber River runs 115 miles from its headwaters at Drowning Creek near Southern Pines to the South Carolina line, where it merges with the Little Pee Dee River near Nichols, S.C. Eighty-one miles of the river are designated as Wild and Scenic. Like many coastal rivers, little of it runs in a straight line; instead, the river is one switchback after another.

It’s a tannin-stained river with a rich, dark-brown tone; yet, the color of the water belies how clean it is thanks in part to its mostly sandy bottom and limited development along its corridor.

An easy morning at the Lumber River State Park campsite at Orrum.

Almost 18,000 acres that adjoin the river are owned or preserved by the State of North Carolina and the Lumber River Conservancy, a non-profit group founded by the late Lumberton businessman Carr Gibson and the late attorney Dickson McLean III. About 4,000 acres are attributed to the volunteer group’s efforts. The Lumber River Conservancy, founded in 1991, is one of the oldest in North Carolina.

The Lumber River State Park adjoins the river in several sections. There is a campground, a boat launch and a picnic area at Chalk Banks near Wagram in Scotland County. The river then runs through the ancient tribal grounds of the Lumbee Tribe near Pembroke, under I-95 at Lumberton, on to Boardman at U.S. 74, then forms the border between Columbus and Robeson counties until it reaches the state line. The Lumber River State Park’s headquarters are at Princess Ann Landing near Orrum in Robeson County, not far from U.S. 74.

An easy float down river

Princess Ann Landing is where I met Dickson McLean IV, a Wilmington attorney who plays a leading role in the Lumber River Conservancy; Joseph White, the conservancy’s director and a professor of biology at UNC Pembroke; Lumber River State Park Superintendent Lane Garner, and Park Ranger Zachary Lunn.

UNC Pembroke Biologist and Lumber River Conservancy Director Joseph White with Park Ranger Zachary Lunn

On this day, March 27, a group of four dads and their sons from Trail Life troop 1533 in the Raleigh-Durham area spent the night at the Princess Ann Landing campsite and are ready for a day of paddling.

It reminds McLean of his time as a boy when he and his father, his brother Robert and friend Neil Lee, who later become park superintendent, would take five-day canoe trips as Sea Scouts from Lumberton to Georgetown, S.C., the terminus of the Lumber, Waccamaw, Little Pee Dee and Pee Dee rivers at Winyah Bay.

At dusk, they would look for sandbars on which to pitch tents and camp.

McLean remembers waking up one night to the sound of lapping water, and later feeling a sensation of wetness creeping into his sleeping bag. Little did the group know that they were close enough to the ocean to experience tides. To make matters worse, two of the three canoes had floated away. Dickson and Robert grabbed flashlights, and by some miracle, found one canoe downstream, then the other one.

Preparing to launch from the Orrum boat landing.

•••

The river had a steady flow from heavy rains earlier in the spring and winter. A week ago, the river would have been dangerous to paddle, Garner says.

“It still flows like it did a thousand years ago,” he adds.

Paddlers should always call ahead for river conditions, Garner cautions.

The park staff has the occasional call for lost paddlers and drownings. The river is mostly free of downed trees, thanks to a North Carolina snagging program that cleared the river after hurricanes Matthew and Florence.

Still, paddlers must be aware of underwater hazards and be careful not to get sidetracked or lost in oxbows, which are old river beds bypassed by the main channel over time.

Garner says the upper part of the river was designated as North Carolina’s first recreational water trail in 1978 and the lower part was designated as a canoe trail in 1981.

“Having the national and state designation of being naturally wild and scenic is pretty awesome,” Garner says. “It’s the only blackwater river in North Carolina that has that designation. This river draws a small number of paddlers who just want to mark this river off their checklist. It also has a rich history and plenty of recreation opportunities. It’s peaceful and beautiful.”

Lumber River history

American Indians are believed to have settled the river about 20,000 years ago. Four hundred and twenty-nine archaeological sites have been recorded in Robeson County, according to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System website. Early artifacts include a dug-out canoe estimated to be 1,025 years old.

A contrast in water heights.

The river got its name because of extensive logging operations that created a large-scale economy for settlers. In the early days of the nascent timber industry, logs would be floated to Georgetown, a distance of roughly 75 miles. Men who tended the rafts of logs are said to have walked or ridden horses back to the area if the water flow was too strong to paddle against.

Boardman, located on the river where U.S. 74 crosses at the Columbus-Robeson line, was home to the Butters Lumber Company, creating one of the region’s most thriving communities. Logging trams ran throughout the region leading to the lumber mills. The 20-some mile railbed to Fair Bluff is still visible in many sections.

•••

Today’s 11-mile paddle is easy; there’s enough flow to keep the boats moving on their own. The morning coolness gives way to a warmer day with a bit of wind. The trees are just beginning to turn green and a few redbuds and dogwoods are showing some color.

Interesting bird life is common along the river. This is a Prothonotary Warbler.

It’s a quiet paddle except for our talking. We scare the same group of wood ducks off the water a half dozen times. There’s little sign of civilization save for one area where there are a few shacks and an abandoned school bus left to rust long ago. There’s an RV and trailer campground a few miles upstream from Princess Ann off Macedonia Church Road in Columbus County.

Lunch is a couple of hours downriver on a small patch of sandy land owned by the conservancy.

A high piece of land owned by the Conservancy is a good spot to have lunch. Despite spending the morning on the river, it’s hard to take your eyes off of.

Nature calls and we stretch our legs and backs. Lunn asks Garner to demonstrate his ability to call warblers, small birds that are common along the river.

Garner is a “phisher,” which is the art of attracting birds with a repetitive, raspy call. As we eat lunch, Garner impresses our small troupe as he leans back and starts phishing.

Within a matter of seconds, three curious if not slightly agitated warblers are perched in a small tree above him.

Garner, the warbler whisperer, flashes a smile as if to acknowledge that he’s pretty good at this.

The only motorized craft of the day, a jon boat, comes by with three people. They politely slow to minimize the wake, then take off toward Fair Bluff.

We can begin to hear traffic headed to Myrtle Beach on N.C. 904 when a small, dark cloud approaches and the bottom falls out for about 10 minutes. McLean and I don raincoats but the other guys paddle through it. The sun is back out quickly.

Information about the Lumber River Conservancy can be found at lumberriverconservancy.org.

We know we’re near the end of our three-hour paddle when we see the Fair Bluff River Walk. We pull up to the North Carolina Wildlife Commission boat landing in Fair Bluff, dump the water from the canoes, and load them on the carrier that will take them back to Princess Ann for a trip on another day.

Travel times and lengths of Lumber River paddling segments. For more information call 910-628-4564 or email lumber.river@ncparks.gov.

New Small Business Center head combines passions to support entrepreneurs

By: Thomas Sherrill, The News Reporter

Years after graduating from Southeastern Community College, Pamela Young Jacobs returned to campus this month in a position designed to help small businesses thrive. 

“I started my journey at SCC years ago as a student. It feels great to be back on campus. The environment is so conducive to the personal success of our students and campus community,” Jacobs said. “I love the fact that I have the opportunity to build a legacy at SCC in helping students and small businesses succeed. I am so honored and proud to be a member of the Rams family.”

“SCC is excited to have Ms. Jacobs join the staff as the new Director of the Small Business Center. The center is a great resource for our community,” said SCC spokesperson Haylee Damato.

Jacobs, who is chair of the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe and a former county school board candidate, has worked in small business and economic development most of her life in Columbus County.

Pamela Young Jacobs, Director of the Small Business Center at SCC

“I began my journey into the small business world around 13 years old. My father owned a small landscaping business and my job was to keep payroll by hand on a very large ledger. I learned the importance of hard work, early mornings, managing projects, hiring employees and a strong work ethic,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs said her dad only had an eighth-grade education, so she became an integral part of the company’s growth.

“Over the years his business grew from a small landscaping company to a multimillion-dollar corporation and the first 8(a) company in the area,” Jacobs said. “His reputation for good work was impeccable.”

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 8(a) companies are small businesses with at least 51% ownership and control by “socially and economically disadvantaged individuals” that qualify for assistance from a business development program within the Small Business Administration.

Pamela Young Jacobs’ proudest business achievements came after her father died in 2001, when she won her first contract — a five-year, $10 million contract at Charleston Air Force Base — followed by winning an economic development award for helping other small businesses succeed.

“Everything I learned from business conception to expansion came full circle on that day, and it became my goal to help others achieve the success that our company was afforded,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs earned an associate degree in business and finance from SCC and a bachelor’s from UNC Pembroke. In addition to serving in various roles on the Waccamaw Siouan Tribal Council, Jacobs has been a high school coach and an advisory council member for East Columbus High School. She worked multiple years in healthcare and youth services. Jacobs most recently served as director of health information technology at Signet Healthcare and the owner of Songbird Enterprise.

When the small business director position at SCC became available, Jacobs saw a way to go back to her roots in more ways than one. 

“There are two passions in my life, the success of students and the success of small businesses. When the position at Southeastern presented itself, I felt that it was the perfect fit for who I am and the perfect opportunity to help others succeed,” Jacobs said. “I realized that this was an opportunity to not only put my degrees to work but the knowledge that I have acquired throughout my life.”

Jacobs, who started in her new position May 3, said she’s excited to build bridges to the community.

“Small business owners are some of the most hard-working individuals you will find because their livelihoods are based upon the success of their company. My goal is to help our small business owners achieve that success,” Jacobs said.

She explained that her short-term goals include reconnecting with businesses “because the college has not had a full-time director in some time.

“COVID-19 has taken a toll on so many individuals. My goal is to contact our small businesses, do an assessment and share what the Small Business Center can do to offer recovery assistance. Along with our core webinars that the college offers, I plan to offer customized seminars according to specific business needs,” Jacobs said.

New terminal, hangar to help Columbus airport catch up with competitors

By: Thomas Sherrill, The News Reporter

The roughly half-century-old terminal building at Columbus County Municipal Airport could be making way for a modern, bigger building constructed using federal funds.

A new hangar is also in the works after the Columbus County Board of Commissioners approved airport improvements using $3.2 million of the $10.7 million earmarked for county government by the American Rescue Plan.

County Manager Eddie Madden said a strategic planning team made up of staff members from different county departments developed a list of unmet capital projects that didn’t have a dedicated funding stream. 

“The airport projects, in particular, have been on the county’s capital improvement list for some time,” Madden said. “Furthermore, the terminal building project and the corporate hangar project seem to meet the requirements for the ARP program and would be a good use of the funds. Otherwise, the two airport projects would be many years down the road from being constructed.”

Phil Edwards is director of Columbus County Municipal Airport.

For airport director Phil Edwards, the projects are a long time coming, although he remains cautious about the funds arriving.  

“We have been planning this for several years, and hopefully we can get the money to do it,” Edwards said. “You never know how that goes.”

Madden said he’s been notified that the county should receive the first half of the $10.7 million  “before the end of May” and that “the remaining amount will be received within one year.”

Playing catch-up

The county has designated that $2 million of the designated airport funds would be for a new terminal building. Edwards says the current terminal, which he believes was originally built in the late ’60s or early ’70s, doesn’t meet modern state standards for an airport such as Columbus.

“We’ve had leaking problems and water problems inside with the plumbing,” Edwards said. “It needs to be bigger.”

A new hangar, Edwards said, would be a corporate hangar, which he believes can help attract new businesses.

“And if you’re not keeping a big corporate plane, you can keep several smaller planes in there, so there’s a benefit both ways,” Edwards said. 

As a gateway to Columbus County, Edwards believes in the airport’s use as an economic driver.

The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation annual study released in January credits Columbus County Municipal with $167.09 million in annual economic output, $31.42 million in personal income and $20.511 million in state and local taxes, accounting for 515 jobs. Those figures were some of the highest economic outputs for a general aviation airport in the state.

Edwards believes the upgrades will help Columbus keep up with neighboring counties, pointing to recent airport projects in Lumberton, Elizabethtown, Duplin County and Brunswick County.

“If you look around, we’re playing catch-up at our airport,” Edwards said.

The county airport has seen some improvements in recent years, Edwards said, which could help give it a boost, noting recent land purchases to clear one end of the runway and plans to do so at the other, making it safer for planes to land and take off.

Emergency prep

Madden brought airport experience when he left his role at Elizabethtown town manager earlier this year to become Columbus County manager. In his former position, Madden helped establish a new terminal at Curtis L. Brown Jr. Field, the airport in Elizabethtown. 

“I do respect Eddie’s input and his recommendations at the airport,” Edwards said. He did a great job at Elizabethtown, and I’ve known him for several years. He is interested in this economic development.” 

Both Madden and Edwards said that the upgrades will not only benefit economic development but will also better prepare the county for emergencies. 

“During a hurricane or natural disaster, the airport is used a lot,” Edwards said, explaining that during Hurricane Florence in 2018, the airport was the only way supplies could be delivered due to roads being flooded.

The numbers

Another revenue stream helped by the improvements is fuel sales, Edwards said.

According to budget data, the county expects an end-of-fiscal-year boost in airport revenues. 

The county had reported $167,485 in fuel sales as of Feb. 11, when 2020-21 budget data were put together. For the remainder of the fiscal year, from Feb. 12 to June 30, the county projects estimated fuel sales will be $279,277, meaning a total of $446,762. 

In 2019-20, the Columbus County Airport reported $405,610 in fuel sales.

The county expects tie-down rentals (when pilots rent spaces to store planes) to be down slightly from $42,424 in 2019-20 to $38,500 in 2020-21.

On the other side of the budget, the county expects $644,979 in 2020-21 airport expenditures, up from the $620,804 in 2019-20. Most of those costs are for fuel.

Columbus Career and College Academy Graduation

Seventy-five students graduated from Columbus Career and College Academy in the West Columbus High School auditorium Tuesday night. Jennifer Collins recognized awards and honors for each student. Rod Lykens gave the commencement address, while Christian Norton gave the student commencement address. CCCA Principal Jeremiah Johnson presented diplomas to each graduate with the assistance of school counselor Kayla Gooden and math teacher Nicky Hobbs.

SCC graduation ceremony sends graduates to next stage in life

Southeastern Community College held its spring commencement exercises Friday morning in front of the A-Building on the college’s campus. Friends and family members were able to drive in front of the stage to watch more than 140 graduates walk across to receive their degrees.

2021 SCC graduation ceremony

Columbus spared worst of tourism pandemic drop off

By: Thomas Sherrill, The News Reporter

Construction travel and campgrounds helped Columbus County fare better than many other locations in North Carolina in terms of visitor spending in 2020, Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Tourism President Jennifer Holcomb said last week.

Visitor spending in the state dropped 32% last year, according to the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics. Columbus County’s impact numbers won’t be fully known until August, but Holcomb said the county was affected far less than many areas. 

“We fared much better than many places in the state, especially because the majority of our occupancy is not leisure travel-related,” Holcomb said.

According to preliminary figures released by the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, visitors to the state generated $3 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2020, a 26.6% decrease from the year before, and direct tourism payroll decreased 24.5% to $6.4 billion.

The most affected times in Columbus County during 2020 were early in the pandemic, going from March to June, Holcomb said.

“It affected us at the beginning of the summer season, but not to the degree that major destinations have felt,” Holcomb said. “Because of our remote area, some of our properties did very well, like our campgrounds, which are a fabulous way to get away from crowds and COVID-19.”

Holcomb said that Columbus County has natural assets, such as sailing and kayaking, that are popular during a pandemic. 

“Our rural nature lends itself very well to recruiting the weekenders and vacationers,” Holcomb explained.

Construction travel also helped the numbers, with Holcomb mentioning the BB&T office construction and NCDOT projects, which continued during 2020.

Tourism dollars are beneficial for Columbus because, as Holcomb stated, visitors don’t burden local tax-funded resources.

“We love relocators and retirees, but those revenue generators put a drain on our resources. Tourists come; spend their money and leave. We’re proud of those dollars. Those dollars are used to support the economy, retail and service businesses,” Holcomb said.

Construction travel and campgrounds helped Columbus County fare better than many other locations in North Carolina in terms of visitor spending in 2020.

County government to buy more BB&T property, this time at Courthouse Square

Crews removed the BB&T sign from the bank’s Courthouse Square branch March 30. The branch consolidated with BB&T’s other local operations into a new facility on J.K. Powell Boulevard. Photo by Justin Smith

By: The News Reporter

In a unanimous vote Monday night May 3, the Columbus County Commissioners approved a second purchase from BB&T in recent months, this time obtaining the former Courthouse Square branch as well as the adjacent land owned by Don and Deborah Viets.

The sales were for a combined $660,000 — $600,000 to BB&T and $60,000 for the Viets property.

“I think it’s a purchase of some property that could be very vital to the county, being adjacent to the [Historic] Courthouse in the circle that some of the business is being done in,” Board Chair Ricky Bullard said after the meeting. “The building has a lot of potential for county offices, especially the drive-through.”

Bullard said that the county water department could potentially use the drive-through for customers paying their bills. 

After the vote, County Manager Eddie Madden said that the county is in the process of evaluating the property, but has an idea on how to use it.

“It’ll be used for county purposes. We will likely move some county offices to the facility,” Madden said.

According to county land records, BB&T owns six small tracts of land in the block, all under one acre each. The largest tract contains the former BB&T building itself. The combined tax value for the six lots — including the building — is $723,000. 

The Viets property, an adjacent vacant commercial lot that is also less than an acre, has a tax value of $103,100, according to county records. 

Monday’s board agenda did not include the purchase. The commissioners’ vote came at the end of the meeting following a closed session. 

Less than a month ago, on April 5, the board approved purchasing the 10.49-acre North Whiteville BB&T campus for $1.25 million. Madden previously said that the county plans to put some offices there, and perhaps a county garage. Economic Development Director Gary Lanier said in March that the county could potentially use a portion of the North Campus as a business incubator. 

BB&T moved into its new 100,000-square-foot facility along J.K. Powell Boulevard last month, closing all its other local locations in North Whiteville,  Courthouse Square and along South Madison Street.

COVID-19 cases in tax office

Two confirmed COVID-19 cases among staffers in the Columbus County Tax Administration Office has led to 10 total staffers being quarantined Madden said during the meeting. 

“Some functions of the office could be temporarily affected but the director and staff are making the necessary adjustments to keep the office functioning,” Madden told the board.

Madden said he found out that the positive cases were confirmed Monday afternoon.

Elsewhere in the meeting, the board voted 6-1 to limit commissioner comments at the end of regular meetings to three minutes each, with Commissioners Giles “Buddy” Byrd voting against.

The motion said that the move would align the commissioners’ comments with those of the general public, which are restricted to three minutes. 

In his opposition, Byrd said that members of the public often only speak about one subject but commissioners might have more items that they need to discuss. 

“I oppose it, but that’s OK. I can be one of seven,” Byrd said.

County Attorney Amanda Prince kept time during commissioners’ comments later in the meeting.

New BB&T facility wins regional award

A customer enters the new BB&T on J.K. Powell Boulevard in Whiteville. Staff photo by Justin Smith

By: The News Reporter

The Cape Fear chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) honored BB&T’s new facility in Whiteville last week with its Economic and Community Enhancement Award.

The awards given in various categories are meant to “recognize excellence and leadership in commercial real estate” in the region, according to a news release. 

“Having occupied aging facilities in Whiteville since the 1960s, BB&T now Truist reached a crossroads on renovating their existing space or starting over,” CREW noted. “Realizing the best solution was to build a new facility, Truist broke ground on a 101,000 square foot facility along J.K. Powell Boulevard. With over 500 employees in the Whiteville community, the bank wanted its new workplace to support and be an integral part of the Whiteville community.”

The news release noted that the BB&T building features “state of the art work areas, broader health service amenities with fresh food options and a health clinic and fitness center on site, critical to attracting and retaining teammates.”

BB&T’s Phil Marion and Evan Gore were on hand Thursday at the Wilmington Convention Center to accept the award. 

Hiring event at SCC

More than 30 employers from a variety of industry sectors are participating in a hiring event today (Tuesday) at Southeastern Community College. Job seekers are invited to meet with  business representatives until 7 p.m. in T-Building. The event is sponsored by the NCWorks Career Center, Southeastern Community College and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. 

Job seekers should be prepared to fill out applications and participate in short on-site interviews.

Columbus County Manager Eddie Madden talks with a representative from Atlantic Packaging.

Frankye Boone-Newkirk of Allied Home Healthcare talks with Pamela Young Jacobs, director of the Small Business Center at Southeastern Community College.

Representatives from the N.C. Department of Public Safety staff their booth.

Fair Bluff tries again for grant to convert destroyed downtown into riverside park

Engineer Bill Lester designed this layout for the 21.7-acre park with input from Fair Bluff residents and assistance from council members Kathy Ashley and Clarice Faison.

By: Diana Matthews, The News Reporter

Fair Bluff residents and visitors could be playing pickleball, shooting baskets, exercising their dogs and listening to music in what was formerly the river town’s business district if a state grant comes through to build a park envisioned by town leaders.

Fair Bluff’s town council unanimously approved plans April 5 for a 21.7-acre park, then voted to submit those plans to the state with a grant application.

Amenities

One side of the design, prepared by engineer Bill Lester of LKC Engineering in Aberdeen, incorporates picnic shelters, gathering places and an openair pavilion/farmers’ market between the Lumber River and Main Street. There will still be riverwalk and boat ramp access. The park will butt up against a to-be-constructed new business district, Lester said.

Along the other side of the railroad tracks, Lester included spaces for active recreation,

including softball, volleyball, tennis, bocce, horseshoes, skating, camping, jogging and walking. The plan has two separate dog play areas: one for small dogs and another for dogs of all sizes. Lester designed the park’s amenities to accommodate community members’ suggestions. Council members Kathy Ashley and Clarice Faison worked closely with Lester since last fall to help form the plan.

Columbus County Cooperative Extension Director Dalton Dockery attended last week’s meeting and said afterward that he believes the proposed farmers’ market “will help the Fair Bluff economy and be a drawing card for local farmers to become more involved.” He said Extension may be able to help organize the market.

‘A long way to go’

Armed with the detailed drawings, the town will once again ask the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) for money to purchase and demolish about 40 flooddamaged properties to make way for the park.

A year ago Fair Bluff asked PARTF for $497,000. The state agency said the town needed to include a plan showing how it would reuse the space and how it would budget the grant money. Lester’s plan supplies both those requirements, Town Consultant Al Leonard said.

Leonard summarized council members’ hopes this way: “Fair Bluff’s recovery is going to take many, many more years. Acquiring the properties is only the first step toward creating a riverside park where downtown now stands. We have a long way to go, but we’ll go nowhere until we get ownership of those properties.”

The town will have Raleigh consultant David Hartigan complete the grant application and send it, along with the park plan, to PARTF in May. The state agency will announce its decision in October. If the town receives the $500,000 it is now asking for, it will match it using money previously allocated by the General Assembly for hurricane recovery.

Lester said it would be unfair to estimate completion time for the park project since funding will occur in phases, and some phases could take up to 24 months to complete. Environmental clearance, abatement and demolition would precede construction phases.

Part of overall recovery plan

“The hardest step in anything is the first step,” Leonard said. The next step will be up to state decision-makers.

The parkland project is part of a long-term hurricane recovery program, with $6 million already allocated by the General Assembly thanks to the 2019 Disaster Recovery Act.

Rep. Brenden Jones, Sen. Danny Britt and Sen. Bill Rabon all played a role in getting the $6 million for Fair Bluff appropriated by the legislature, Leonard said.

The 2019 recovery package included sums for canal dredging, street paving, other infrastructure, professional services, equipment and vehicles along with property acquisition in other areas of town.

Leonard said the legislators included $500,000 for parkland acquisition, and that is the sum Fair Bluff will use to match the PARTF grant if approved. Until then, that portion of the town’s recovery money “is sitting in the state treasury in Raleigh,” Leonard said.

All members of the council were present in person for the meeting. The agenda also included accountant Wade Greene’s presentation of the 20192020 audit, a report on occupancy and cash flow at River Bluff Pointe Apartments and routine monthly financial and police reports. Information about those items will appear in an upcoming edition of The News Reporter.

Soil additives company to plant roots in county; sale in industrial park finalized last week

By: Thomas Sherrill, The News Reporter

Gary Lanier, director of the Columbus County Economic Development Commission, talks to Jay Memula, right, of Jay Technologies about the future layout of a facility where soils will be mixed with specialty additives in the agri-business and horticulture industry. At left is Les High, chair of the Columbus Jobs Foundation, which owns the industrial park.

Raleigh-based agricultural businessman Sadanand “Jay” Memula has purchased a 30-acre tract of land in the Southeastern Regional Industrial Park with a multi-year plan to build a center for the manufacture of soil additives for horticultural products. 

“It means jobs,” Columbus County Economic Development Director Gary Lanier said, adding that the company is a good fit with the local agricultural heritage and existing economy. 

“This is the first sale of property for a new business we’ve had at the park since 2013, when MaxPro window tinting bought the Committee of 100 shell building,” said Columbus Jobs Foundation Chair Les High, who is also The News Reporter’s publisher. “With Memula’s unique business plan based on extensive experience, High said, “we believe the company is poised for growth.” 

For Memula, the decision to go into business in Columbus County was a long time coming.

“The line was always a moving target,” Memula said, who recounts his conversations with Lanier going back several years. “I was contacting the different regions because of proximity to Wilmington and Charleston [S.C.]”

“It’s similar to many economic development projects, that they just sometimes take time for everything to come together,” Lanier said. 

The purchase is part of a long-term plan that includes an operational facility at the old Fair Bluff Armory. In Fair Bluff, Jay Technologies is manufacturing bacteria-killing materials that go into hand sanitizers and cleaning agents.

“He really needed a building he could start up in, and we were able to find out the armory building in Fair Bluff was on a state surplus list and help get him in contact with the right folks to be able to purchase that building,” Lanier said. The Fair Bluff space gives Memula both office and lab space.

Eventually, the plan is to have research and development at the future Southeastern Regional Industrial Park facility, then move into manufacturing “in two to three years,” Memula said.

The sale of the 30-acre tract finalized last week, Memula said. Financial details of the property sale were not immediately available.

“We are trying to clear the land first, probably in the next six months,” Memula said.

Memula said he will make his agricultural soil additives to sell directly to large farmers. Lanier called Memula one of the smartest men he’s ever met and noted his extensive background in horticulture.

“If he starts a business up and starts to get some good traction, there’s no telling how far he can take a business,” Lanier said.

Initially, Memula plans on adding at least 10–12 jobs in Fair Bluff, then hiring additional workers once in a completed Industrial Park facility.

“As far as jobs, we have to review all the details,” Memula said.

“Hopefully he’ll get to be a big success, because the more product he can sell, the more people he’s going to need to hire,” Lanier said.

Memula could have chosen to establish Jay Technologies in Chatham County, where he owns land, Lanier said. But the economic developer credited his long-term relationship with Memula as the reason for landing the project in Columbus County. 

Lanier said he will need to talk with the county commissioners about potentially providing an incentive package for Jay Technologies once more details about the company’s local investment are clear. 

“I know our Economic Development Commission board has recommended that we move forward with an incentive package,” Lanier said. 

“Incentives are always things that people are looking at, because it’s a big investment to establish a business and buy buildings and renovate buildings,” Lanier said. If neighboring states and counties offer incentives and Columbus County doesn’t do the same, he said, it makes economic development tough.

The Columbus County Commissioners are “extremely supportive” of economic development and job creation, Lanier said.

“They’ve told me many times, ‘We need the jobs; do what it takes,’” Lanier said.

ATMC high-speed internet available east of Tabor City

By: The News Reporter

The Tabor City area expansion is the latest phase of ATMC’s “Faster Columbus” project.

ATMC continues its expansion of high-speed internet in Columbus County, announcing Tuesday that the service is now available in the New Life community east of Tabor City. In addition to internet with speeds of up to 1 Gigabit, residents there can also purchase telephone service, digital cable TV, home security and automation services from ATMC. 

The Tabor City area expansion is the latest phase of ATMC’s “Faster Columbus” project, partially funded by a $7.9 million dollar grant awarded in December of 2019 through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) ReConnect Broadband Program. 

As part of the project, ATMC is contributing an additional $7.9 million dollars in matching funds for a total project cost of $15.8 million. Upon completion of the project, ATMC will be able to provide high-speed internet service to more than 4,000 addresses in the rural Columbus County communities of Hallsboro, Lake Waccamaw and Bolton and in areas north of Tabor City and Whiteville. Construction is currently underway in the Hallsboro area with additional areas starting in the coming weeks. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.

“This USDA ReConnect Grant project is allowing us to expand our network to bring Columbus County’s fastest internet service to more people who desperately need it,” said Keith Holden, ATMC’s CEO and general manager. “Our commitment to serving Columbus County is real, and we can’t wait to show more people why our FOCUS fiber optics is Columbus County’s best internet service.”

Decade in Columbus

ATMC has served residents and businesses in Columbus County for more than a decade. In 2010, ATMC received a $12 million grant through the USDA to bring high-speed internet to over 2,600 residents and businesses in Nakina and Old Dock. Last July, the company announced the completion of a project made possible through a $1 million grant won in the 2019 NC GREAT Grant Program, which made high-speed internet available to 1,200 households in the Beaverdam community. And in the last few weeks, ATMC announced that service was being made available to businesses and residents in Fair Bluff.

In December, ATMC won additional grant funding through a supplementary round of the NC GREAT grant program, which will allow the expansion of high-speed internet service into the Boardman and Cerro Gordo communities, areas along Smyrna Road near Whiteville, and additional areas near East Arcadia, Riegelwood, Northwest and Sandy Creek. Upon completion of these projects, since 2011, ATMC will have invested more than $40 million in broadband projects that will improve and expand high-speed internet service in Columbus County.

Tabor City is the first area to have service available as part of ATMC’s USDA ReConnect project. As construction in these additional phases is completed, service will be made available. More information about ATMC’s progress to bring high-speed internet to Columbus County is available at www.fastercolumbus.com. Residents and businesses located in the first phases of Tabor City can sign up for services from ATMC service by calling 910-754-4311.

Pipe manufacturer to create 44 jobs in Fair Bluff

By: The News Reporter
The town of Fair Bluff is getting an economic boost as Gov. Roy Cooper announced Thursday that Texas-based polyethylene pipe maker Pipeline Plastics will spend $4.6 million in a production center that will employ 44 workers. The plant will be located in the former Ply Gem plant on U.S. 76. 

Pipeline Plastics will spend $4.6 million in a production center that will employ 44 workers. The plant will be located in the former Ply Gem plant on U.S. 76. 

“I think it shows that Columbus County is an excellent destination” for companies that distribute manufacturing products for the southeastern U.S. and globally, said Joe Melvin, marketing director of North Carolina’s Southeast, a regional economic development marketing organization that helped attract Pipeline Plastics. 

“To get a company into that vacant facility in Fair Bluff, which has been hit so hard by hurricanes and economic stagnation, I think it’ll be a really nice shot in the arm to that community,” said Steve Yost, president of North Carolina’s Southeast. 

The Ply Gem plant has been closed since 2019, when parent company Cornerstone Building Brands announced it was moving production out of state.

Pipeline Plastics’ operation “will put some good jobs back into that community, bring people in who will buy gas, get a bite to eat and bring some cash flow into the town from the salaries,” said Columbus County Economic Development Director Gary Lanier. 

Expansion plans 

Along with the 44 jobs announced Thursday, Lanier said Pipeline Plastics will potentially hire more workers once the company installs additional extrusion lines. Cooper said that once the new jobs are in place, the area will benefit from a “nearly 1.6 million payroll impact in the community, each and every year.

“North Carolina’s appeal as a center for manufacturing continues to attract companies from many different industries,” Cooper said. “Our focus on building a well-trained workforce, combined with North Carolina’s outstanding transportation networks and East Coast market access, offers companies like Pipeline Plastics the right ingredients for success.”

The high-performance polyethylene pipe that Pipeline Plastics produces can be used for a variety of purposes, according to its website, “including drinking water, irrigation, mining, industrial, sewer and oil and gas gathering and distribution.”

“We are excited to bring our culture, reputation, and methodology as one of the safest, most sustainable and most efficient companies in the industry,” said Mike Leathers, president and chief operating officer of Pipeline Plastics after Cooper’s announcement. “This facility will not only create jobs and careers for this location but be a significant multiplier for the local economy, from jobs to suppliers and transportation.”

Railroad was a draw

Work to upfit the plant will begin this week, according to Lanier. He said that raw materials will be brought in on train cars through R.J. Corman Railroad Company and CSX Transportation, and the center will create pipes up to 65 inches wide.

“We are very pleased to be a partner of North Carolina’s Southeast, Columbus County Economic Development Commission and Pipeline Plastics,” said Todd Bivins, spokesperson for R.J. Corman. “When R. J. Corman restored railroad operations in the region in 2016, we expressed our commitment to providing exceptional rail service as a competitive freight transportation solution. It is rewarding to see how that commitment is a contributing factor to economic growth, particularly for this community today.”

The plant will run 24 hours a day, with 16 rail cars of raw materials arriving each week.

Melvin said the process of bringing in Pipeline Plastics started in October through a virtual meeting.

“The value proposition was so strong they came in within two weeks,” Melvin said. he explained that the former Ply Gem facility satisfied Pipeline Plastics’ very specific building requirements.

“The Columbus County Economic Development Commission [and] the town of Fair Bluff worked to put together an incentive project to modify a building to meet their needs,” Melvin said. 

The project will receive a One North Carolina Fund performance-based grant worth $125,000, plus technical assistance from Duke Energy, and Lanier said that work is underway on a building reuse and restoration grant to offset some improvements to the facility. Lanier estimated the uplift costs to eventually exceed $900,000. Additionally, Southeastern Community College will provide workforce training, Melvin said.

“The OneNC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and to create jobs. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment,” the Cooper announcement said.

Two announcements in a week

The news of Pipeline Plastics follows the economic development announcement of Contract Lumber, which opened a new facility that will soon be manufacturing floor joists and trusses alongside R.J. Corman Railroad on Georgia Pacific Road.

“We hoped to have several strong announcements as the pandemic eased and the economy picked up steam, so it’s good to see it happening with the second new jobs announcement in a week,” said Les High, chair of the Columbus County Jobs Foundation and publisher of The News Reporter. “The Ply Gem plant was a natural fit for a pipe manufacturing company, and our team put together a strong proposal. Like Contract Lumber, [Pipeline Plastics] will be a heavy user of R.J. Corman Railroad, which is another win. It’s an even greater bonus that this will help Fair Bluff.”

Yost said this is a reflection of an increase in manufacturing activity within the region.

“This type of company [is] wanting to be deeper in the market, where there is higher, stronger economic growth or projected growth,” Yost said. “That’s our mission, marketing this region nationally, globally.” 

Lanier said he knows many people who used to work at the Ply Gem plant are interested in working there again. These former workers, Lanier said, now drive upwards of 45 minutes one way for work elsewhere.

“They’re super friendly people and it’s a great place to live,” Lanier said of Fair Bluff.

New Hope Appliance opens for business

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Tourism hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for New Hope Appliance on Feb. 25. The store is located behind the Time Saver gas station in New Hope, south of Whiteville.

Cook Out coming to Whiteville

By: Ivey Schofield, The News Reporter

Cook Out, with its burgers, hot dogs, barbeque and shakes, is moving into the former KFC building on J.K. Powell Boulevard, according to Whiteville Planning Director Robert Lewis.

Lewis received the site plans on Monday afternoon. “They have some comments to correct, but we are starting the process of plans review,” he said. 

Cook Out, founded in 1989 in Greensboro, has locations across the South, including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Mississippi and Maryland, according to its website. There are over 100 locations in North Carolina, with three “coming soon” in Tarboro, Pembroke and Knightdale.

Its website does not list Whiteville, but plans are underway with Summey Engineering Associates, an Asheboro consulting and land planning agency, according to Lewis.

Cook Out will move into 615 N. JK Powell Blvd., according to Lewis. KFC vacated the facility after constructing a new building next door at the intersection of J.K. Powell Boulevard and Washington Street. 

Cook Out and Summey Engineering Associates did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday morning. See NRcolumbus.com and Friday’s edition of The News Reporter for additional coverage as available.

Whiteville council certifies apartment petition

By: Ivey Schofield, The News Reporter

The Whiteville City Council on Tuesday certified the annexation and rezoning petition for the potential apartment complex near Tractor Supply Company.

“This is just a formality, per general statute,” said Planning Director Robert Lewis.

The plot of land totals 6.33 acres on Love Mill Road, but the council will consider annexing 3.67 acres of that total after the public hearing scheduled for April 13.

In addition, the council appointed Vickie Pait as the alternate delegate for the Cape Fear Council of Governments, replacing Robert Leder.

“I would like to thank those of you who showed their confidence in me and voted for me to be Robert Leder’s replacement,” Pait said, referring to her nomination at the last regular meeting. “I know I will not ask as many questions as Robert Leder did, but I will try.”

City Manager Darren Currie also informed the council that the city will be receiving $1.55 million of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan from Congress. There will be two allocations of this money, with the first in 60-90 days.

“Of course, we’re going to need to decide how that’s going to be spent,” Currie said, asking the council to ponder their priorities.

In other news, the council went into a 30-minute closed session to discuss property acquisition with no action taken.

TMC high-speed internet available in Fair Bluff, service to expand in months ahead

By: ATMC

ATMC announced Wednesday that high-speed internet is now available in the first three phases of its Fair Bluff ‘Faster Columbus’ project. Residents and businesses located on Rough and Ready Road, Andrew Jackson Hwy SE and Hinson’s Crossroads near Fair Bluff and Cerro Gordo will now have access to high-speed internet with speeds of up to 1 Gigabit as well as digital cable TV, and home security and automation services from ATMC.

The project was made possible through a $1.1 million grant ATMC received in August of 2020 through the N.C. GREAT Rural Broadband Expansion Program made possible by Gov. Roy Cooper’s office and administered through the N.C. Department of Information Technology (NCDIT). As part of the project, ATMC is contributing an additional $600,000 dollar in matching funds to complete the project. Upon completion of the project, ATMC will be able to serve more than 1,000 addresses in the Columbus County community of Fair Bluff.

“ATMC is excited to now offer fiber optic high-speed internet to residents and businesses in Fair Bluff. These folks have been without fast, reliable internet for too long, and we are grateful to be able to expand our services to even more areas of Columbus County,” said Keith Holden, ATMC’s CEO and general manager. “I also want to thank Representative Brenden Jones and Senator Danny Britt, as well as the NCDIT and Governor Roy Cooper’s Office for their on-going efforts to address North Carolina’s critical need for better rural broadband.”

Previous projects

ATMC has served residents and businesses in Columbus County for more than a decade. In 2010, ATMC received a $12 million grant through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to bring high speed internet to over 2,600 residents and businesses in Nakina and Old Dock. Last July, the company announced the completion of a project made possible through a $1 million grant won in the 2019 NC GREAT Grant Program which made high-speed internet available to 1,200 households in the Beaverdam community. ATMC also received a $7.9

ATMC CEO and General Manager Keith Holden delivers remarks during a groundbreaking ceremony in December 2019.

million dollar grant in 2019 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect Broadband Program which will allow the company to serve more than 4,000 homes in rural areas near Tabor City, Hallsboro, Lake Waccamaw, Bolton, and areas north of Whiteville. Construction on the ReConnect project is underway, and service will be available in areas of Tabor City and Hallsboro by late spring.

Upon completion of these projects, since 2011, ATMC will have invested more than $40 million in broadband projects that will improve and expand high-speed internet service in Columbus County. To support its growing Columbus County customer base, ATMC opened a customer care center in Whiteville behind the Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation location on N.C. 130.

Looking ahead

These three phases were the first of 11 total phases to become available in ATMC’s Fair Bluff ‘Faster Columbus’ project. Work is underway on additional phases and service availability in all phases is estimated to be complete in the next 10-12 weeks. As construction in these additional phases is completed, ATMC will make service available. In addition to the Fair Bluff community, in December, ATMC won an additional grant through a supplementary round of the N.C. GREAT grant program which will allow the expansion of high-speed internet service into the Boardman and Cerro Gordo Communities, areas along Smyrna Road near Whiteville, and additional areas near East Arcadia, Riegelwood, Northwest and Sandy Creek.

For more information on where ATMC is building fiber optic high-speed internet in Columbus County, visit www.FasterColumbus.com. Residents and businesses located in the first phases of Fair Bluff can sign up for services from ATMC service by calling, 910-754-4311. 

County government extending water lines; industrial park to get service

By: Thomas Sherrill, The News Reporter

An industrial park and property owners in various parts of Columbus County are one step closer to getting county water after commissioners voted during their March 1 meeting to accept two construction bids totaling $1.67 million. 

According to the meeting materials, Ralph Hodge Construction of Wilson was the lowest of nine bidders for both projects. 

Columbus County government is extending water lines to the International Logistics Park on U.S. 74-76 at the Columbus-Brunswick County line. Photo by Diana Matthews

Hodge’s bid specifically for the International Logistics Park along the Columbus-Brunswick border on U.S. 74-76 was $353,896 while his bid for the six remaining water lines to be installed was $1,323,095.20.

The lowest bid for the six rural water lines was $43,000 under budget while the International Logistics Park water line was 10% over budget but was still acceptable, according to Green Engineering of Wilson, who is the engineer of the project.

The $1.3 million portion of the project includes water line extensions on Frank Norris Road, Seven Creeks Highway, Clarendon-Chadbourn Road, Otto Nance Road, Lynn Hill Road and North Lakes Road.

Columbus County Economic Development Director Gary Lanier said that the 16-inch line for the International Logistics Park will support the first building that is to be constructed there. Lanier told the board that park officials are still waiting on a firm commitment from someone to move into that building, but he said the county needs to move forward with the water lines either way.

The county solicited the bids after commissioners voted in September 2020 to move forward with the projects. 

Sandyfield, Bolton

After approval of the water line extensions, Commissioner Giles “Buddy” Byrd said he’s been contacted by the town of Sandyfield, which wants to buy water from Columbus County instead of Bladen County. Byrd said currently Sandyfield buys water from the town of East Arcadia.

Byrd also said that the town of Bolton contacted him wanting an interconnect to tie them in “for safety reasons” during emergencies in case their pump or well doesn’t function. 

“Speaking with Mr. Gary [Lanier], it could be very beneficial to the county as well as very beneficial to Bolton as they can possibly put in for a grant and we could possibly put in for a grant,” Byrd said.

Commissioner Lavern Coleman said he’s been “hollering for water” for the Prosper area for years and wants to see if they can tie it in and said he wants to get petitions for that area.

Commissioner Jerome McMillian added in his requests for water extensions to Silver Spoon Road, Bullard Road and Joe Piver Road, saying they weren’t included in the bidding process. Edwards said the roads bid out were ones where people signed up and paid a $150 deposit, which is required.

Amanda Davis from the county utilities office said that they have received a small number of waterline applications from those three roads so far.

Board Chair Ricky Bullard asked Davis about complaints he’s received about water department people not answering the phones. Davis said that they have been busy and said that some customers take up to 30 minutes to help, including taking credit card information over the phone. Bullard said he felt like the people in the water department office could do a better job of answering the phones.