Thursday, October 15, 2009
What is coming up on the Hickory Hound
All is not Lost - Catawba County Intra-City Visit and Economic Revitalization Conference
Building a Relationship with NC State's Centennial campus
Fixing Hickory - The Appalachian State Partnership
Fixing Hickory - Education Matters and Workforce Development
Fixing Hickory - “What Will Catawba County’s Economic Climate and Demographics Look Like in 2020”?
Fixing Hickory - A Demographics and Marketing Discussion Panel
Hickory City Council Candidates on First talk Show with Hal Row (WHKY 1290) - Coming up on starting on Monday at the 8 o'clock hour. This looks like it will be the only chance to hear the candidates live. Hal Row should be commended for what he does for this community by creating a political dialogue.
1) Monday 10/19/2009 - Jill Patton - Incumbent Ward 6
2) Tuesday 10/20/2009 - Z. Anne Hoyle - Incumbent Ward 4
3) Wednesday 10/21/2009 - Hank Guess - Challenger Ward 4
4) Thursday 10/22/2009 - Harry Hipps - Challenger Ward 6
*** Here is the article from the Hickory Daily Record about these races.
Two contested seats in Hickory race
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Fixing Hickory - A Demographics and Marketing Discussion Panel
Relocation/Marketing Campaign: Increasing Population Growth
Houston Harris, President of Pixelspace
Andy Wells, President, Prism Development
J.D. Ross, Bank of Granite, President of Hickory Young Professionals
Shuford Abernethy, President at Abingdon Senior Housing Services, Inc.
Nancy Yount, Office Manager & Information Services at Catawba County Chamber Of Commerce
Danny Hearn opened this presentation. This subject of relocation and marketing; what are we doing to attract people to the area. Are websites tied in together? How do we Brand the community. What attracts people here?
Danny stated that this issue was literally discussed to death.
It all comes back to the population matter. the City has been asking, "How do we go after retirees?" There is a good debate going on about how we grow our population. There is a certain mindset that the retirees come in and they are the ones that don't particularly like change. They don't like to vote on bond issues or other things that will create growth. Danny stated that he wouldn't be to picky and he wouldn't take that off of the table.
The Chamber gets no money for relocation marketing and Bebe Leitch of the Hickory Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau only gets money from local government to run the convention center and a little money for regional visitor information. There is no money directed towards getting people to move here. This is an enormous void and we are trying to figure out what we do.
Houston Harris was the first member of the panel to speak. Houston stated that most of his company's work is not done locally. There work is done all over the U.S. and frankly they ignore their backyard. They have started to pick up some of that (local) work, because they see the need for it, but he doesn't like putting all of his eggs in one basket.
The trouble that he sees, in serving on l;oval boards and committees, is that they seem to have the same needs and desires, and they are trying to fight that fight with limited resources. Frankly, it makes him mad that we can't get our egos out of the way and sit down and fight the same monster at the same time and bundle our resources so that we can take care of our resources, as opposed to running over here and doing this and running over here and doing that and not really having a plan. Long Term, he would like to see a strategy that has specific goals and the goals should be reasonable and achievable. We shouldn't focus on more than 3 to 5 (goals). We attach some metrics to them (goals), so that we can track them and put the tactics in place so that we can achieve those goals.
We need to track the goals and if we aren't on a path that is getting us towards the goal, then we need to change paths. If the right plan is in place, then the right things will be built into the system so that we can make minor forced corrections without having to turn the boat in a whole other direction. Right now, we are being forced to turn our boat in a whole other direction and enough of us in this room are finally feeling enough pain to do something about it. Pain causes change. We need to move as a whole towards the goal.
Can we agree on what the goal is? I (Houston) heard one of the presentations. How do we keep manufacturing in this area. I feel that we can't. It will be a small subset. How do we fill in the gaps? What are some of the things we can do? If we are going to run around chasing manufacturing, then frankly I don't want to be a part of it. But, if we can have that as a component and diversify and be resilient. We will increase our capacity in multiple areas, not just silos, but interrelate those and connect them, then I believe we will be stronger in the long run.
Andy Wells next addressed the group. He stated that he read a book a numebr of years ago titled the The Path of Least Resistance. It stated that the first thing you do is establish what your current reality is. You can't move towards your goal til you know where you are. He went through this with his company and it has been helpful in going through what we have gone through since the year 2000. He hasn't seen the community do that.
We can't come to grips with where we are at relating to growth. we have lost 21% of our jobs since 2000. There is a correlation between job growth and population growth. Some guy in Raleigh is saying that we are going to gain 16.3% (population). We know from 2000 that they can miss bu 15%, so it is safe to assume that we can miss by 20%. What if they say we are going to gain 16% and we lose 2%. there could be $100 million of public funds spent for growth that may not be coming. You will have spent this money for nothing and then you have to maintain it and you won't be able to afford that, if you lose the population base.
A lot of our money has come from the past. There is a reservoir of capital in this community that we have been living on for the last 10 years. We aren't earning what we are spending. we are consuming what we have saved. Thankfully this was a very thrifty area. people have been able to stay here after losing jobs, because they have savings and reserves.
But, if the public sector pulls $100 million out of the private sector in the next ten years to spend money for infrastructure on growth that doesn't happen, then we are going to be hurt. We have to make a decision about where we are and are we growing or are we not growing?
We need to decide if we are going to spend money on growth or spend money on marketing to try to get some growth. We are in a great position to market this area with Bebe Leitch of the Hickory Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau is a great person to lead this marketing effort in this community.
If we come to grips with the fact that we are not growing, then some of the money that has been spent on infrastructure can be spent on marketing. Andy stated that in his world not much is happening. His company is still doing deals, but they are just moving people around, not bringing new pieces in. they are getting people from somebody else, because apparently they're a little hungrier. That is not fun and that is not long term sustainable. Andy stated that it is his belief that we are not growing and there is no better place than the Catawba Valley to live.
J.D. Ross next made a presentation. He is from Lenoir, went to NC State, and came back to the area to work for the Bank of Granite. He started working there in college and they offered him a job when he graduated. He was offered jobs in Raleigh, but he didn't like those places as much as the Bank of Granite so he came back here. He has bought a house here and plans to be here for a long time. He believes a lot of young people have that mindset.
J.D.'s position with the Hickory Young Professionals is really his first effort at being involved with boards and serving the community. It is something he wants to do more of. The group targets people 21 to 40 years old. He would like to see Young Professionals become the highest demographic of growth over the next 20 years, because they are going to be the ones buying houses, getting jobs, paying taxes, raising families, supporting the school systems, supporting area retail and industry, and everything in Hickory. That is an important thing to target.
What they (HYP) have found out, in talking to young people in schools and universities is that this area has a horrible Brain Drain. People from here go off to college and never come back. If I am planning on going to college, then I am looking for a higher paying job that is not here. College students are looking for a job in Charlotte, Raleigh, or out of state somewhere. If kids aren't planning on going to college, then they would start looking for a job in this area, because that is what this area was. That is changing somewhat now, but we can accelerate that change.
Something their group has talked about is that younger people today will not necessarily move to an area for a job. That has changed somewhat. People don't mind commuting 30 minutes or an hour to a job. They will move to Hickory and work in Charlotte, so they can have everything that Hickory has. This is one of the best places in the state to start a family and raise a family and have all of the amenities we have here, but you are within an hour of Charlotte and Asheville and everything is within reach. Our schools are some of the best around.
Job Growth isn't happening here, but we are poised to see that in the next ten years. That is something that is important to young people starting right now. Something they try to do in recruiting new members is to express that if they are looking for a place to settle, then everything is within reach. We want to get away from the Brain Drain and get people from this area to come back here or attract people from the local area Universities.
Nancy Yount was the next person to address the forum. She discussed the people that are locating to the area. She stated that she has been contacted by people from all over the United States. They call, e-mail, and sometimes they just walk in through the front door. They may be traveling somewhere for a weekend or may be visiting an area in the region.
Young families ask about schools, middle couples want to know about our continuing education, and older couples want to know about area medical (hospitals and doctors). They love the location and seasons. They have friends here. She has a newcomers package and she arranges for people to meet real estate people.
Shuford Abernethy explained what he does. He originally worked for United Church Homes and Services for 14 years. They have continuing care retirement communities. One is located here in Catawba County, one in Davidson County, and one in Suffolk, Virginia. Continuing care includes nursing homes, assisted living, and independent living. They offer a broad range of services. He worked in marketing the operations in Newton and Thomasville. He kept hearing that these facilities were great, but the people weren't ready for this yet. That was a fairly typical comment.
The average age of move in in continuing care retirement communities, is late 70s and early 80s. There was a market for a younger group, who prefer one level townhome living and need help with exterior maintenance, and Hickory looked like a wonderful place to do this type of development for adults 55 and up. Abingdon Glenn Village was started in the late 90s, property was purchased in 2000.
They were looking for some specifics. Shopping, public transportation routes, inside the city limits, and convenience for driving to things close by so tenants don't have to get out onto main thoroughfares. This eliminates barriers and allows people to stay independently at home longer than they could in a conventional house. He then gave specifics on the amenities that the homes offer.
Shuford called this type of a devlopment an Enhanced Services Townhome Community. These types of developments have developed in Arizona and Florida. It is also called an Active Adult Community by some people. Shuford stated that he didn't have a lot of money for marketing and much of the marketing work came from reading and figuring out what seemed to work and what didn't.
Some of the things they have tried. They started out with a program called File of Life from out of Massachusetts. They went around to church groups, civic groups, and various other organizations to speak about the File of Life Program. A lot of Grass Roots marketing. They used regular news releases. Ran ads in Retirement Magazines. Developed a website. Held monthly open houses. Ran radio ads for a year. Participated as a sponsor on the chamber of Commerce website. Yellow page ads and website. ran ads in the real estate books. The most successful tool has been Mature Living Choices magazine.
85 houses have been built so far out of a projected 93 and 76 of those homes are occupied. Abingdon Glen has a population exceeding 120 people. The average age of move-in is 71. The people have come from 13 states. 58% of the people are from the Hickory Metro, 18% have come from other parts of the state, and 5% of the homes are owned by former Floridians.
The Forum was opened and Danny asked Nancy about how people have found Hickory. She talked about several people utilizing a website called findyourspot.com. She answered a question stating that 25% of the people have some sort of attachment to the area. Last year they spoke to 1,300 to 1,400 people.
There was a lady in the audience who originally was from Pennsylvania. She stated that originally she wanted to move to Charlotte, but she was drawn to Hickory, because of the small town feel, yet we have the same things and opportunities that are available in larger cities.
A statement was made that we should start inputting information to marketing websites, because we are trusting websites to do this. Houston stated that that troubled him, because that is one of hundreds of sites that do this. We don't have activities or a plan in place, we can't input our own information, but we can ask them if they would mind adding this. There is no activity like that taking place and that is not hard to do. It is simply putting a CD together, getting an intern from a local college, and getting them to do this. We just need to start talking and build a relationship. This is not a lot of money we're talking about. Suddenly, we could bump that number one or two points and what would that mean? If we do that to 25 websites, then what does that mean? Suddenly, the bucket starts filling. That is Guerrilla Marketing and that is what I (Houston) would like to see.
Andy stated that what they saw is that it isn't hard to do this stuff. There is just no consensus in the community that we need to do this stuff and who is going to do it. Andy states that his company knows how to get seen. He wants people, when they look for a place to live in the Carolinas, they hit Hickory. We are fractured. We are geasring the thing around legislation or what we did 20n years ago. We aren't focusing on what we need today.
Houston stated that we are being investigated whether we know it or not. We get looked at every day whether we want to be or not. If they are looking are we there to be seen. pieces of us are, but not all of us. We have tried to develop a Metro Portal that attaches silos (Live, Play, Work). Make the process simple.
Alan Jackson, President of the Jackson Group stated that what worries him is that it seems that the successes we are seeing are all happenstance. We are at the mercy of reputation, word of mouth, or whatever connections are out there beyond us. You don't run a business that way. You figure out what you want and you go after them. It is a question of what we want. It doesn't have to be just one group. We can pick and choose a mixture of a bunch of them.
Houston said he describes it as a Creative Persona. An individual and what defines them. Age, income, what they want, and what they care about - There thing. here is a different persona. Once you have the persona, it becomes an individual and it is about what they want and not about what my agenda is. Now we are addressing there needs and not mine. Once we figure out the personas, then we need to figure out which one is going to get us, as a community, to the goal, If we have four personas, then we don't have to weight them equally. We can weight the scales of marketing effort towards that direction. If it turns out to not be viable, then we can change it and refocus.
Nancy answered a question about the Chamber's information packet and what people ask her about and how are they making decisions. She stated that she coordinates with area schools and other entities to change the packet every year. She then talked about some specific cases.
Houston stated that this bothered him. Nancy is doing her job wonderfully, but people have to come to her. Why is this information not on the web? How expensive would it be to put this on the web and have a form to fill out that requests an interview with the various schools in the area that your child may attend?
Bebe Leitch stated that numbers have gone down because of the decrease in travel. Nancy stated that numbers at the Chamber are also down. Much of this is because they are currently closed on the weekend. Bebe stated that a lot of people have found the CVB on the web and she just imagines how much more traffic we would see, if we start focusing on a marketing strategy. Shuford stated that he would like to see an online brochure that focuses on Hickory as a place to live. We see that for furniture, but not as a place to live.
Steve Ivester asked about what we are marketing? Hickory, Catawba County, or the whole Metro region? he sees an advantage in marketing the whole metro. Andy stated that the only name that matters, when marketing the area is Hickory. The other names don't mean anything to the people from out of state. We have had a fractured marketing strategy. We all do these little blips and we need to all get together. Ivester asked if we are talking about the Hickory Metro, then why is it only Hickory and Catawba County here (at this event).
Andy stated that we need to define who our target is. We have talked a lot about retirees, but what he would like to see is educated people with money. And he doesn't care if it is a 25 year old with money potential or a 60 year old with a 401-k. Andy stated that that is what we are getting, because they certainly aren't moving here to get jobs. Houston stated that that also focuses on relocation to live here. He wants start-ups. He wants an environment that is sensitive to small start-up businesses and find the next Google. If we can get better bandwidth and infrastructure and have an incubator and a Brand to get the first year's rent covered. this can take the burden off of their shoulders and the can focus their energy on doing things like writing applications for i-phones. A good application can be sold in the millions and that can be done in a 100 sq foot office.
Barbara Beatty said that Hickory needs to be targeting people in the Southeastern part of the county. She doesn't know how we will do that, but those people are going to Mooresville. How many people that live out towards Vale go to Lincoln County and don't know anything about Catawba County? Houston stated that this is also a perception of value issue. These people look at Mooresville as progressive, changing, and alive; and we're still 1985.
David Moore stated that they've also got a road to (Hwy 150 to Mooresville). Barbara stated that these people can come up Hwy 16 and hit I-40, so it's not that bad. She believes it is a matter of lack of knowledge and information. She suggested, we need to go down there (they are starved for information down there) and talk with them about some things.
Danny Hearn asked if we understod the frustration in all of this. We have the stuff and it's ready to go. Danny said the budget on this is about $50,000 and Houston was going to volunteer his time. David Moore said you have to get business to buy in. they have to understand how they are going to benefit from it. They have to pony up. I (Thom Shell) stated that you have to worry about the people moving here, is their perception that they're going to benefit from it. Not only are we going to benefit from it, but people on the other end, are they going to benefit from it. And if you give them that value, then they will come.
Houston stated that the part of the model he looked at was frustrating, because he was looking at how to get this thing off the ground. He thought about doing it himself and nobody would be able to tell him how to do it, but then he had to figure out how to sustain it after the first two years and then he was going to have to make it an ad based revenue generating site and that cheapens the whole thing and that defeats the purpose. It will start to collapse after two years. That is the only way to get a business to support it, unless their are funds set up front. He believes their has got to be grant money available for this, to sustain this long term.
The Hound believes that this was truly an integral discussion and Alan's Focus Group event the following day was just as important. We have to sell Hickory and get people to look at what Hickory can be, not what it is or has been.
There were very few statements that can be challenged, that were made during this Panel discussion. I think that all of these people are doing their jobs well. I know what Houston Harris brings to the table from the discussions during the Future Economy Council meetings and conversations I have had with him in private. If he tells you this is the thing to do, then I would do it, because this guy has character. He isn't selling you a load. He knows where he is going in life and so does Alan Jackson. These are the creative Generation X leaders of this community and they have great ideas about how to get us headed back in the right direction.
JD Ross and the Young Professional group also need to be supported. These people have worked hard to get this group off the ground in the last two years. Listen to what he said during this panel discussion. I can tell you that what he said here is very much representative of what the HYP stands for. Successful recruitment of this demo is the key to successful, long-term, viable, and sustainable growth in this area. If Charlotte can host this demo, then by god Hickory can too!!!
I appreciate what Shuford Abernethy brought to the table. We have seen successful marketing to retirees in this area. You can see why, when you listen to his strategy and how well thought out and articulate he espouses his mission. I know people that live in Abingdon Glen and it is a nice community. I believe that if we see that kind of strategy in other demographic areas of this region, then we will move back towards balance and prosperity.
Andy Wells is obviously passionate and he made some excellent points about growth and finance in Hickory. If we don't readdress our priorities, then we are not going to grow and it is going to be terribly hard on those left behind holding the pieces. I fully understand what he is addressing when he talks about the path of least resistance and understanding where you are at and how you got here. I have espoused that same philosophy myself over the last year on this blog.
I really don't understand why this type of marketing strategy hasn't already happened. We are the 138th largest MSA in the United States. We have seen the route that technology and information are leading us to. The amount of money we are talking about is a pittance compared to the benefits this region would receive. $50,000 or $100,000 is nothing when spread amongst the 360,000 people that live in this region. 30-cents a year, per person, for a real investment that has a high likelihood of return. I know that people like Alan and Houston would do a top-notch job. It is time to get it done!!!
Houston Harris, President of Pixelspace
Andy Wells, President, Prism Development
J.D. Ross, Bank of Granite, President of Hickory Young Professionals
Shuford Abernethy, President at Abingdon Senior Housing Services, Inc.
Nancy Yount, Office Manager & Information Services at Catawba County Chamber Of Commerce
Danny Hearn opened this presentation. This subject of relocation and marketing; what are we doing to attract people to the area. Are websites tied in together? How do we Brand the community. What attracts people here?
Danny stated that this issue was literally discussed to death.
It all comes back to the population matter. the City has been asking, "How do we go after retirees?" There is a good debate going on about how we grow our population. There is a certain mindset that the retirees come in and they are the ones that don't particularly like change. They don't like to vote on bond issues or other things that will create growth. Danny stated that he wouldn't be to picky and he wouldn't take that off of the table.
The Chamber gets no money for relocation marketing and Bebe Leitch of the Hickory Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau only gets money from local government to run the convention center and a little money for regional visitor information. There is no money directed towards getting people to move here. This is an enormous void and we are trying to figure out what we do.
Houston Harris was the first member of the panel to speak. Houston stated that most of his company's work is not done locally. There work is done all over the U.S. and frankly they ignore their backyard. They have started to pick up some of that (local) work, because they see the need for it, but he doesn't like putting all of his eggs in one basket.
The trouble that he sees, in serving on l;oval boards and committees, is that they seem to have the same needs and desires, and they are trying to fight that fight with limited resources. Frankly, it makes him mad that we can't get our egos out of the way and sit down and fight the same monster at the same time and bundle our resources so that we can take care of our resources, as opposed to running over here and doing this and running over here and doing that and not really having a plan. Long Term, he would like to see a strategy that has specific goals and the goals should be reasonable and achievable. We shouldn't focus on more than 3 to 5 (goals). We attach some metrics to them (goals), so that we can track them and put the tactics in place so that we can achieve those goals.
We need to track the goals and if we aren't on a path that is getting us towards the goal, then we need to change paths. If the right plan is in place, then the right things will be built into the system so that we can make minor forced corrections without having to turn the boat in a whole other direction. Right now, we are being forced to turn our boat in a whole other direction and enough of us in this room are finally feeling enough pain to do something about it. Pain causes change. We need to move as a whole towards the goal.
Can we agree on what the goal is? I (Houston) heard one of the presentations. How do we keep manufacturing in this area. I feel that we can't. It will be a small subset. How do we fill in the gaps? What are some of the things we can do? If we are going to run around chasing manufacturing, then frankly I don't want to be a part of it. But, if we can have that as a component and diversify and be resilient. We will increase our capacity in multiple areas, not just silos, but interrelate those and connect them, then I believe we will be stronger in the long run.
Andy Wells next addressed the group. He stated that he read a book a numebr of years ago titled the The Path of Least Resistance. It stated that the first thing you do is establish what your current reality is. You can't move towards your goal til you know where you are. He went through this with his company and it has been helpful in going through what we have gone through since the year 2000. He hasn't seen the community do that.
We can't come to grips with where we are at relating to growth. we have lost 21% of our jobs since 2000. There is a correlation between job growth and population growth. Some guy in Raleigh is saying that we are going to gain 16.3% (population). We know from 2000 that they can miss bu 15%, so it is safe to assume that we can miss by 20%. What if they say we are going to gain 16% and we lose 2%. there could be $100 million of public funds spent for growth that may not be coming. You will have spent this money for nothing and then you have to maintain it and you won't be able to afford that, if you lose the population base.
A lot of our money has come from the past. There is a reservoir of capital in this community that we have been living on for the last 10 years. We aren't earning what we are spending. we are consuming what we have saved. Thankfully this was a very thrifty area. people have been able to stay here after losing jobs, because they have savings and reserves.
But, if the public sector pulls $100 million out of the private sector in the next ten years to spend money for infrastructure on growth that doesn't happen, then we are going to be hurt. We have to make a decision about where we are and are we growing or are we not growing?
We need to decide if we are going to spend money on growth or spend money on marketing to try to get some growth. We are in a great position to market this area with Bebe Leitch of the Hickory Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau is a great person to lead this marketing effort in this community.
If we come to grips with the fact that we are not growing, then some of the money that has been spent on infrastructure can be spent on marketing. Andy stated that in his world not much is happening. His company is still doing deals, but they are just moving people around, not bringing new pieces in. they are getting people from somebody else, because apparently they're a little hungrier. That is not fun and that is not long term sustainable. Andy stated that it is his belief that we are not growing and there is no better place than the Catawba Valley to live.
J.D. Ross next made a presentation. He is from Lenoir, went to NC State, and came back to the area to work for the Bank of Granite. He started working there in college and they offered him a job when he graduated. He was offered jobs in Raleigh, but he didn't like those places as much as the Bank of Granite so he came back here. He has bought a house here and plans to be here for a long time. He believes a lot of young people have that mindset.
J.D.'s position with the Hickory Young Professionals is really his first effort at being involved with boards and serving the community. It is something he wants to do more of. The group targets people 21 to 40 years old. He would like to see Young Professionals become the highest demographic of growth over the next 20 years, because they are going to be the ones buying houses, getting jobs, paying taxes, raising families, supporting the school systems, supporting area retail and industry, and everything in Hickory. That is an important thing to target.
What they (HYP) have found out, in talking to young people in schools and universities is that this area has a horrible Brain Drain. People from here go off to college and never come back. If I am planning on going to college, then I am looking for a higher paying job that is not here. College students are looking for a job in Charlotte, Raleigh, or out of state somewhere. If kids aren't planning on going to college, then they would start looking for a job in this area, because that is what this area was. That is changing somewhat now, but we can accelerate that change.
Something their group has talked about is that younger people today will not necessarily move to an area for a job. That has changed somewhat. People don't mind commuting 30 minutes or an hour to a job. They will move to Hickory and work in Charlotte, so they can have everything that Hickory has. This is one of the best places in the state to start a family and raise a family and have all of the amenities we have here, but you are within an hour of Charlotte and Asheville and everything is within reach. Our schools are some of the best around.
Job Growth isn't happening here, but we are poised to see that in the next ten years. That is something that is important to young people starting right now. Something they try to do in recruiting new members is to express that if they are looking for a place to settle, then everything is within reach. We want to get away from the Brain Drain and get people from this area to come back here or attract people from the local area Universities.
Nancy Yount was the next person to address the forum. She discussed the people that are locating to the area. She stated that she has been contacted by people from all over the United States. They call, e-mail, and sometimes they just walk in through the front door. They may be traveling somewhere for a weekend or may be visiting an area in the region.
Young families ask about schools, middle couples want to know about our continuing education, and older couples want to know about area medical (hospitals and doctors). They love the location and seasons. They have friends here. She has a newcomers package and she arranges for people to meet real estate people.
Shuford Abernethy explained what he does. He originally worked for United Church Homes and Services for 14 years. They have continuing care retirement communities. One is located here in Catawba County, one in Davidson County, and one in Suffolk, Virginia. Continuing care includes nursing homes, assisted living, and independent living. They offer a broad range of services. He worked in marketing the operations in Newton and Thomasville. He kept hearing that these facilities were great, but the people weren't ready for this yet. That was a fairly typical comment.
The average age of move in in continuing care retirement communities, is late 70s and early 80s. There was a market for a younger group, who prefer one level townhome living and need help with exterior maintenance, and Hickory looked like a wonderful place to do this type of development for adults 55 and up. Abingdon Glenn Village was started in the late 90s, property was purchased in 2000.
They were looking for some specifics. Shopping, public transportation routes, inside the city limits, and convenience for driving to things close by so tenants don't have to get out onto main thoroughfares. This eliminates barriers and allows people to stay independently at home longer than they could in a conventional house. He then gave specifics on the amenities that the homes offer.
Shuford called this type of a devlopment an Enhanced Services Townhome Community. These types of developments have developed in Arizona and Florida. It is also called an Active Adult Community by some people. Shuford stated that he didn't have a lot of money for marketing and much of the marketing work came from reading and figuring out what seemed to work and what didn't.
Some of the things they have tried. They started out with a program called File of Life from out of Massachusetts. They went around to church groups, civic groups, and various other organizations to speak about the File of Life Program. A lot of Grass Roots marketing. They used regular news releases. Ran ads in Retirement Magazines. Developed a website. Held monthly open houses. Ran radio ads for a year. Participated as a sponsor on the chamber of Commerce website. Yellow page ads and website. ran ads in the real estate books. The most successful tool has been Mature Living Choices magazine.
85 houses have been built so far out of a projected 93 and 76 of those homes are occupied. Abingdon Glen has a population exceeding 120 people. The average age of move-in is 71. The people have come from 13 states. 58% of the people are from the Hickory Metro, 18% have come from other parts of the state, and 5% of the homes are owned by former Floridians.
The Forum was opened and Danny asked Nancy about how people have found Hickory. She talked about several people utilizing a website called findyourspot.com. She answered a question stating that 25% of the people have some sort of attachment to the area. Last year they spoke to 1,300 to 1,400 people.
There was a lady in the audience who originally was from Pennsylvania. She stated that originally she wanted to move to Charlotte, but she was drawn to Hickory, because of the small town feel, yet we have the same things and opportunities that are available in larger cities.
A statement was made that we should start inputting information to marketing websites, because we are trusting websites to do this. Houston stated that that troubled him, because that is one of hundreds of sites that do this. We don't have activities or a plan in place, we can't input our own information, but we can ask them if they would mind adding this. There is no activity like that taking place and that is not hard to do. It is simply putting a CD together, getting an intern from a local college, and getting them to do this. We just need to start talking and build a relationship. This is not a lot of money we're talking about. Suddenly, we could bump that number one or two points and what would that mean? If we do that to 25 websites, then what does that mean? Suddenly, the bucket starts filling. That is Guerrilla Marketing and that is what I (Houston) would like to see.
Andy stated that what they saw is that it isn't hard to do this stuff. There is just no consensus in the community that we need to do this stuff and who is going to do it. Andy states that his company knows how to get seen. He wants people, when they look for a place to live in the Carolinas, they hit Hickory. We are fractured. We are geasring the thing around legislation or what we did 20n years ago. We aren't focusing on what we need today.
Houston stated that we are being investigated whether we know it or not. We get looked at every day whether we want to be or not. If they are looking are we there to be seen. pieces of us are, but not all of us. We have tried to develop a Metro Portal that attaches silos (Live, Play, Work). Make the process simple.
Alan Jackson, President of the Jackson Group stated that what worries him is that it seems that the successes we are seeing are all happenstance. We are at the mercy of reputation, word of mouth, or whatever connections are out there beyond us. You don't run a business that way. You figure out what you want and you go after them. It is a question of what we want. It doesn't have to be just one group. We can pick and choose a mixture of a bunch of them.
Houston said he describes it as a Creative Persona. An individual and what defines them. Age, income, what they want, and what they care about - There thing. here is a different persona. Once you have the persona, it becomes an individual and it is about what they want and not about what my agenda is. Now we are addressing there needs and not mine. Once we figure out the personas, then we need to figure out which one is going to get us, as a community, to the goal, If we have four personas, then we don't have to weight them equally. We can weight the scales of marketing effort towards that direction. If it turns out to not be viable, then we can change it and refocus.
Nancy answered a question about the Chamber's information packet and what people ask her about and how are they making decisions. She stated that she coordinates with area schools and other entities to change the packet every year. She then talked about some specific cases.
Houston stated that this bothered him. Nancy is doing her job wonderfully, but people have to come to her. Why is this information not on the web? How expensive would it be to put this on the web and have a form to fill out that requests an interview with the various schools in the area that your child may attend?
Bebe Leitch stated that numbers have gone down because of the decrease in travel. Nancy stated that numbers at the Chamber are also down. Much of this is because they are currently closed on the weekend. Bebe stated that a lot of people have found the CVB on the web and she just imagines how much more traffic we would see, if we start focusing on a marketing strategy. Shuford stated that he would like to see an online brochure that focuses on Hickory as a place to live. We see that for furniture, but not as a place to live.
Steve Ivester asked about what we are marketing? Hickory, Catawba County, or the whole Metro region? he sees an advantage in marketing the whole metro. Andy stated that the only name that matters, when marketing the area is Hickory. The other names don't mean anything to the people from out of state. We have had a fractured marketing strategy. We all do these little blips and we need to all get together. Ivester asked if we are talking about the Hickory Metro, then why is it only Hickory and Catawba County here (at this event).
Andy stated that we need to define who our target is. We have talked a lot about retirees, but what he would like to see is educated people with money. And he doesn't care if it is a 25 year old with money potential or a 60 year old with a 401-k. Andy stated that that is what we are getting, because they certainly aren't moving here to get jobs. Houston stated that that also focuses on relocation to live here. He wants start-ups. He wants an environment that is sensitive to small start-up businesses and find the next Google. If we can get better bandwidth and infrastructure and have an incubator and a Brand to get the first year's rent covered. this can take the burden off of their shoulders and the can focus their energy on doing things like writing applications for i-phones. A good application can be sold in the millions and that can be done in a 100 sq foot office.
Barbara Beatty said that Hickory needs to be targeting people in the Southeastern part of the county. She doesn't know how we will do that, but those people are going to Mooresville. How many people that live out towards Vale go to Lincoln County and don't know anything about Catawba County? Houston stated that this is also a perception of value issue. These people look at Mooresville as progressive, changing, and alive; and we're still 1985.
David Moore stated that they've also got a road to (Hwy 150 to Mooresville). Barbara stated that these people can come up Hwy 16 and hit I-40, so it's not that bad. She believes it is a matter of lack of knowledge and information. She suggested, we need to go down there (they are starved for information down there) and talk with them about some things.
Danny Hearn asked if we understod the frustration in all of this. We have the stuff and it's ready to go. Danny said the budget on this is about $50,000 and Houston was going to volunteer his time. David Moore said you have to get business to buy in. they have to understand how they are going to benefit from it. They have to pony up. I (Thom Shell) stated that you have to worry about the people moving here, is their perception that they're going to benefit from it. Not only are we going to benefit from it, but people on the other end, are they going to benefit from it. And if you give them that value, then they will come.
Houston stated that the part of the model he looked at was frustrating, because he was looking at how to get this thing off the ground. He thought about doing it himself and nobody would be able to tell him how to do it, but then he had to figure out how to sustain it after the first two years and then he was going to have to make it an ad based revenue generating site and that cheapens the whole thing and that defeats the purpose. It will start to collapse after two years. That is the only way to get a business to support it, unless their are funds set up front. He believes their has got to be grant money available for this, to sustain this long term.
The Hound believes that this was truly an integral discussion and Alan's Focus Group event the following day was just as important. We have to sell Hickory and get people to look at what Hickory can be, not what it is or has been.
There were very few statements that can be challenged, that were made during this Panel discussion. I think that all of these people are doing their jobs well. I know what Houston Harris brings to the table from the discussions during the Future Economy Council meetings and conversations I have had with him in private. If he tells you this is the thing to do, then I would do it, because this guy has character. He isn't selling you a load. He knows where he is going in life and so does Alan Jackson. These are the creative Generation X leaders of this community and they have great ideas about how to get us headed back in the right direction.
JD Ross and the Young Professional group also need to be supported. These people have worked hard to get this group off the ground in the last two years. Listen to what he said during this panel discussion. I can tell you that what he said here is very much representative of what the HYP stands for. Successful recruitment of this demo is the key to successful, long-term, viable, and sustainable growth in this area. If Charlotte can host this demo, then by god Hickory can too!!!
I appreciate what Shuford Abernethy brought to the table. We have seen successful marketing to retirees in this area. You can see why, when you listen to his strategy and how well thought out and articulate he espouses his mission. I know people that live in Abingdon Glen and it is a nice community. I believe that if we see that kind of strategy in other demographic areas of this region, then we will move back towards balance and prosperity.
Andy Wells is obviously passionate and he made some excellent points about growth and finance in Hickory. If we don't readdress our priorities, then we are not going to grow and it is going to be terribly hard on those left behind holding the pieces. I fully understand what he is addressing when he talks about the path of least resistance and understanding where you are at and how you got here. I have espoused that same philosophy myself over the last year on this blog.
I really don't understand why this type of marketing strategy hasn't already happened. We are the 138th largest MSA in the United States. We have seen the route that technology and information are leading us to. The amount of money we are talking about is a pittance compared to the benefits this region would receive. $50,000 or $100,000 is nothing when spread amongst the 360,000 people that live in this region. 30-cents a year, per person, for a real investment that has a high likelihood of return. I know that people like Alan and Houston would do a top-notch job. It is time to get it done!!!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Fixing Hickory - “What Will Catawba County’s Economic Climate and Demographics Look Like in 2020”?
Presentation by Taylor Dellinger of the Western Piedmont Council of Government during the Intra-City on 10/1/2009.
This is not the Hickory Economic Perspective. This is a look at the future. What do we want to see in the year 2020. Taylor went over projections that have been laid out by the state, local planners, and the Department of Commerce. They are projections for the purpose of planning and discussion.
Taylor mentioned a Quote from John Glenn -
Taylor states that what he is showing is not data, which are the present and the past. These are projections. These are possible outcomes, not the outcome. Based on the status quo and demographers see going on with population, employment, education, or industry, this is the best guess for today. They can be wrong. State projections for population, done in 1990, look like they will be 15% to 20% off. These are guesses.
Population for the year 2010, shows an estimate from the State that Catawba County will have a population of 159,000. Taylor believes that estimate will be a little high. The census for the year 2020, shows a Catawba County population estimate of 180,175. That would be growth of 16%. The number is based on birth rates, death rates, and in migration.
The Unifour (Hickory MSA) population numbers show an estimate of 361,000 for 2010 and the projection for 2020 would take us to 410,000. This number includes Catawba, Alexander, Burke, and Caldwell Counties.
Catawba County should have the highest growth rate of any of the counties in the Metro area, through the year 2020. The State shows a growth rate of 1.3% per year between 2008 and 2020. Population projections, for the state, are expected to be around 1.8%. A lot of this will depend on in migration - people moving into the area. In the 1990's we saw rapid population growth, spurred by job growth. Without job growth, the population growth will be less. The two are clearly related.
The fastest growing part of the state is the Piedmont Crescent between Charlotte and Raleigh. There has also been rapid growth in Wilmington and somewhat in Asheville. The largest metro areas have been growing rapidly. Catawba County has been growing rapidly compared to the rest our MSA.
Where is the growth likely to occur? Most of the housing growth appears to be located along the Catawba River, because of quality of life issues. Local Planners (WPCOG) use Track Analysis Zones, where land is divided up along roads and calculations of current population numbers and employment numbers are factored in. Then the planning staffs of the 28 local governments, in the region, are asked about their expectations of what they expect to happen in the future (such as 2035), in terms of housing growth and employment growth.
Southeast Catawba County looks to have the greatest opportunity for growth. Taylor surmises that this is because of the opening of four lane Highway 16 to Charlotte, which will be finished right along Anderson Mountain Road. Another factor includes the proximity to Lake Norman. After Hwy 16 is opened, it will only take approximately 35-40 minutes to get to uptown Charlotte or 20 to 25 minutes to Charlotte's outer loop. That opens up an opportunity for people to live in this area of Catawba County and work in Mecklenburg County.
There are many jobs that are starting to locate along the 321 corridor, near the Target Distribution Center. We also expect to see employment growth develop around the Eco-Complex. Housing growth associated with these developments is expected to take place around the Mountain View area. Housing Growth will not take place around the southern part of the county, because it is mainly zoned business, industrial, and commercial.
Population Density is currently (2007) around Hickory, Newton, and Conover. The future shows that growth will mainly take place in Northeast Hickory, Mountain View, and Newton.
Age Demographic distribution shows that the 65+ age demographic is growing more rapidly than any other population sector in the metro. Baby Boomers are getting older and more retirees are moving into the area. What we really need to see is balance.
Taylor's charts showed that the fastest growing ethnic population was Hispanics from 2000 to 2007. The State is showing that from 2008 to 2013 this trend will continue.
Job distribution numbers show that in 1990, 56% of jobs were in Manufacturing, 20% services. As of 2009, Manufacturing was down to 28%, services 47%. We are transitioning to a service based economy. manufacturing will still be important to the area. 2016 estimates show manufacturing at 21% and service sector jobs at 53%. All of this follows the national trend. Right now we have 143,000 jobs in our region and projections show 155,000 to 157,000 jobs, in the region, by 2016.
Possible Jobs and Industries of the future were talked about and Taylor said that he encourages everyone to look at the WPCOG report titled Western Piedmont Industrial Growth Analysis Update 2009.
Taylor next talked about where future employment will occur. In 2007, jobs were located near the strong retail service hub related to Valley Hills Mall and Wal-Mart in Hickory. There is also a little growth along Hwy 321, Hwy 127, and Conover-Claremont. Future employment growth will occur in Southeast Catawba County and it looks to be service related. Hwy 70 and Fairgrove Church Road look like they will continue growing for the foreseeable future. Many people in this region of the county are currently working out of their homes.
The Hickory Hound has delved into all of these issues going back to last year:
This Ain't Podunkville Anymore
There are many factors at play in these tumultuous times, but I have learned during my life, that most of the time your life is predestined by the decisions that you make. You may find this totally irrelevant, but 20 years ago and then 10 years ago, I made decisions to make Hickory my home for life so that I could be near my family and the comfort of the familiar surroundings it afforded. You know, a lot of people tell me that that was a mistake and honestly it probably was, but I am here and I want things to get better. Hickory has to start laying out a game plan towards prosperity or there will be none.
What you cannot see, because I don't have access to Taylor's maps so I can post them, is that there is Economic and Population growth happening down Grace Chapel Road, out towards St. Stephens and Springs road, in Mountain View and South of there, east through Conover, Claremont, and Catawba, and out towards Sherrill's Ford and in the Southeastern part of the county. What one can also see is the Big Black Hole of growth in the Proper boundaries of the City of Hickory. Why is that?
Hickory has to be the driver of the region, but what we are seeing is that commercially only the Valley Hills Mall-WalMart area and a little slice of Viewmont are growing within Hickory Proper. We need to see other parts of Hickory become viable again or we will continue to see the "Black Hole" implosion in the City of Hickory that has been going on for years.
You can't ignore these entry points into Hickory that show blight and are increasingly becoming saturated with what looks to be gang activity. It will eventually completely destroy this city.
When one comes into Hickory at the junction of Hwy 321 and Hwy 70, then one sees rundown areas accessibly in view. When a person travels down Lenoir-Rhyne Boulevard towards Lenoir-Rhyne University and views Highland Avenue, then once again their vision is submersed in blight. Isn't it time that we see some action on this issue? Do we really need to hear why we can't fix these areas? Is it that we can't or is it that we won't? Because if we don't start dealing with these issues, they will soon begin dealing with us!!!
This is not the Hickory Economic Perspective. This is a look at the future. What do we want to see in the year 2020. Taylor went over projections that have been laid out by the state, local planners, and the Department of Commerce. They are projections for the purpose of planning and discussion.
Taylor mentioned a Quote from John Glenn -
People are afraid of the future, of the unknown. If a man faces up to it, and takes the dare of the future, he can have some control over his destiny. That’s an exciting idea to me, better than waiting with everybody else to see what’s going to happen.from Charles Kettering -
“My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there”John Buchan -
We can pay our debt to the past by putting the future in debt to ourselves.Abraham Lincoln -
The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.Tennessee Williams -
“The future is called 'perhaps,' which is the only possible thing to call the future. And the important thing is not to allow that to scare you.”Taylor states that decisions that are made today can effect the community 5, 10, or 15 years down the road. Think about decisions made 5 or 10 years ago and how they are having an effect on what we see today. Think about the decisions to be made in the next year or two and how they may effect the community 5, 10, or 15 years down the road.
Taylor states that what he is showing is not data, which are the present and the past. These are projections. These are possible outcomes, not the outcome. Based on the status quo and demographers see going on with population, employment, education, or industry, this is the best guess for today. They can be wrong. State projections for population, done in 1990, look like they will be 15% to 20% off. These are guesses.
Population for the year 2010, shows an estimate from the State that Catawba County will have a population of 159,000. Taylor believes that estimate will be a little high. The census for the year 2020, shows a Catawba County population estimate of 180,175. That would be growth of 16%. The number is based on birth rates, death rates, and in migration.
The Unifour (Hickory MSA) population numbers show an estimate of 361,000 for 2010 and the projection for 2020 would take us to 410,000. This number includes Catawba, Alexander, Burke, and Caldwell Counties.
Catawba County should have the highest growth rate of any of the counties in the Metro area, through the year 2020. The State shows a growth rate of 1.3% per year between 2008 and 2020. Population projections, for the state, are expected to be around 1.8%. A lot of this will depend on in migration - people moving into the area. In the 1990's we saw rapid population growth, spurred by job growth. Without job growth, the population growth will be less. The two are clearly related.
The fastest growing part of the state is the Piedmont Crescent between Charlotte and Raleigh. There has also been rapid growth in Wilmington and somewhat in Asheville. The largest metro areas have been growing rapidly. Catawba County has been growing rapidly compared to the rest our MSA.
Where is the growth likely to occur? Most of the housing growth appears to be located along the Catawba River, because of quality of life issues. Local Planners (WPCOG) use Track Analysis Zones, where land is divided up along roads and calculations of current population numbers and employment numbers are factored in. Then the planning staffs of the 28 local governments, in the region, are asked about their expectations of what they expect to happen in the future (such as 2035), in terms of housing growth and employment growth.
Southeast Catawba County looks to have the greatest opportunity for growth. Taylor surmises that this is because of the opening of four lane Highway 16 to Charlotte, which will be finished right along Anderson Mountain Road. Another factor includes the proximity to Lake Norman. After Hwy 16 is opened, it will only take approximately 35-40 minutes to get to uptown Charlotte or 20 to 25 minutes to Charlotte's outer loop. That opens up an opportunity for people to live in this area of Catawba County and work in Mecklenburg County.
There are many jobs that are starting to locate along the 321 corridor, near the Target Distribution Center. We also expect to see employment growth develop around the Eco-Complex. Housing growth associated with these developments is expected to take place around the Mountain View area. Housing Growth will not take place around the southern part of the county, because it is mainly zoned business, industrial, and commercial.
Population Density is currently (2007) around Hickory, Newton, and Conover. The future shows that growth will mainly take place in Northeast Hickory, Mountain View, and Newton.
Age Demographic distribution shows that the 65+ age demographic is growing more rapidly than any other population sector in the metro. Baby Boomers are getting older and more retirees are moving into the area. What we really need to see is balance.
Taylor's charts showed that the fastest growing ethnic population was Hispanics from 2000 to 2007. The State is showing that from 2008 to 2013 this trend will continue.
Job distribution numbers show that in 1990, 56% of jobs were in Manufacturing, 20% services. As of 2009, Manufacturing was down to 28%, services 47%. We are transitioning to a service based economy. manufacturing will still be important to the area. 2016 estimates show manufacturing at 21% and service sector jobs at 53%. All of this follows the national trend. Right now we have 143,000 jobs in our region and projections show 155,000 to 157,000 jobs, in the region, by 2016.
Possible Jobs and Industries of the future were talked about and Taylor said that he encourages everyone to look at the WPCOG report titled Western Piedmont Industrial Growth Analysis Update 2009.
Taylor next talked about where future employment will occur. In 2007, jobs were located near the strong retail service hub related to Valley Hills Mall and Wal-Mart in Hickory. There is also a little growth along Hwy 321, Hwy 127, and Conover-Claremont. Future employment growth will occur in Southeast Catawba County and it looks to be service related. Hwy 70 and Fairgrove Church Road look like they will continue growing for the foreseeable future. Many people in this region of the county are currently working out of their homes.
The Hickory Hound has delved into all of these issues going back to last year:
This Ain't Podunkville Anymore
There are many factors at play in these tumultuous times, but I have learned during my life, that most of the time your life is predestined by the decisions that you make. You may find this totally irrelevant, but 20 years ago and then 10 years ago, I made decisions to make Hickory my home for life so that I could be near my family and the comfort of the familiar surroundings it afforded. You know, a lot of people tell me that that was a mistake and honestly it probably was, but I am here and I want things to get better. Hickory has to start laying out a game plan towards prosperity or there will be none.
What you cannot see, because I don't have access to Taylor's maps so I can post them, is that there is Economic and Population growth happening down Grace Chapel Road, out towards St. Stephens and Springs road, in Mountain View and South of there, east through Conover, Claremont, and Catawba, and out towards Sherrill's Ford and in the Southeastern part of the county. What one can also see is the Big Black Hole of growth in the Proper boundaries of the City of Hickory. Why is that?
Hickory has to be the driver of the region, but what we are seeing is that commercially only the Valley Hills Mall-WalMart area and a little slice of Viewmont are growing within Hickory Proper. We need to see other parts of Hickory become viable again or we will continue to see the "Black Hole" implosion in the City of Hickory that has been going on for years.
You can't ignore these entry points into Hickory that show blight and are increasingly becoming saturated with what looks to be gang activity. It will eventually completely destroy this city.
When one comes into Hickory at the junction of Hwy 321 and Hwy 70, then one sees rundown areas accessibly in view. When a person travels down Lenoir-Rhyne Boulevard towards Lenoir-Rhyne University and views Highland Avenue, then once again their vision is submersed in blight. Isn't it time that we see some action on this issue? Do we really need to hear why we can't fix these areas? Is it that we can't or is it that we won't? Because if we don't start dealing with these issues, they will soon begin dealing with us!!!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Fixing Hickory - Education Matters and Workforce Development
Dr. Garrett Hinshaw began his presentation by talking about Education Matters. He stated that it's about changing our future twenty years from now, when we have a prepared workforce that is attractive to the diversity of industry that we need to bring into Catawba County.
We have to have systematic changes in our today, so that we can provide options so that individuals have an opportunity to succeed. That is what Education Matters is about. This will help our economy transition. This is something that we can focus on.
The components of education matter is assessing the workforce by doing quantitative and qualitative analysis of industries in this area. Next, they talked about partnerships in the community between business, government, and education. Critical thinking and problem solving are key components of 21st century job skills. The goal is to have graduates that are ready to work, employable, have a good work ethic, and they understand the dynamics of what it takes to be successful here in Catawba County.
Tracy Hall, of the Champions of Education, next addressed the group. She has worked in the Hickory Public Schools. This is a partnership between education, business, and government. This is about changing the culture in our community that states dropping out of school is no longer an option. Students who graduate will have a future rate portfolio that will indicate that students have 21st Century skills that are in demanded in the workplace. Attendance records, writing samples, and community service work are included. Students will be tested on national career readiness certification skills. Following the first year, they will have a report that will assess where they are in the project.
Catawba County Government and Municipalities will continue to promote parental involvement in schools, create economic incentive agreements, help review portfolios to make sure that "Education Matters" has all of the parts and pieces they need, encourage High School diplomas, and continue financial support.
The benefit to employers is that they will have a better prepared workforce with National Certification, better workforce advancement, more loyal-productive employees, and reduce employee turnover. She further went in the three levels of certification that employers can qualify for (Gold-Silver-Bronze).
What can employers do? Help students visualize their future and make them more aware of the opportunities available in the area. Help by mentoring students and participants - like leadership 2000, sponsor scholarships for teachers. Businesses can come out for career days in the schools, share job experiences and expectations at all levels, and hire graduates. Let students come to the work site to see what you do, so they can have an idea where they might fit in to see if it is a place they might feel comfortable working. This will help students see that they have a path and opportunity here in Catawba County. Ms. Hall showed businesses that have signed up.
This can help students that don't have a voice (mentor) or guidance to keep them in a path, while also keeping kids who need job experience.
Joyce Watson next addressed the conference. She is the Human Resources Development Director at CVCC. She talked about the Career Readiness Certification. She talked about the Key Train and Work Keys program. We have a documented workforce of 834 people that have proven that they can do applied math, locate information, and read for information. That is accessible to employers. The program was started in 2006.
Shurtape Industries was instrumental in making this happen. 236 Shurtape employees have been certified and now Hickory Springs is participating in the program. If these employees fail this program then remediation is available, if needed. She then showed the qualification levels of this program - (Gold-Silver-Bronze).
Mrs. Watson then went into some of the specifics of the test. The work keys test takes about 45 minutes for each test. They test two times a month on Saturdays at the end of the month and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the middle of the month. They also test independently with companies. The test is very strict and can't be let out of their site. These tests help companies identify employees ability to "do things" and/or "do other things" - Trainability. This helps companies assess where employees may need remediation.
There is a charge to this test. So far, they have been able, with the help of the Workforce Development Board and a $2,000 gift from Wal-Mart, to not have very many people at all have to pay. If you make over $416/a week there is a charge. This is a voluntary program. This is used as a pre-employment profiling measure so that employees can see what they need. This is sometimes employer driven. We need to have a "Proven" workforce and this is a nationally recognized portable credential.
Dr. Hinshaw stated that we are trying to dust off tools. This is not CVCC driven or local schools driven, Catawba County Government driven, or Business driven. It is a partnership. "They (Leaders) are trying to figure out what do we have access to? to help change the economic conditions of our area and insulate Catawba County from allowing this (economically) to happen to us again. Who wants to sit though and go through what we have gone through since the year 2000 again? Not me."
When there aren't any jobs out there, it is frustrating for us (CVCC). Students wonder, "Are they going to be able to get a job when they get out?" We (area leaders) have to take some very risky types of actions in order to move this system forward. This is not something that is going to happen by itself. If you want to stay the same, then keep doing what we have been doing. We have to open our minds up to the opportunities that are presenting themselves and not arbitrarily say no this will never work. You're not going to tell me how to do this. Give it a try and figure out what we can do with this to catapult us forward. This can set us apart. This will give us a unique selling point that can attract businesses.
Dr. Hinshaw stated that when they did the Quantitative and Qualitative analysis, about a year ago, the key component is that business executives told him what skillsets they needed and these skillsets are going to be integrated into the public schools. When they implement there Graduate guarantee in 2012, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are going to be at the top of the list. Teammanship and working with group projects, working with real world projects, bringing it into the classroom, that is what we have to have. We can't rely on textbooks to solve our issues. Environment and technology are changing so fast. This (education) is a continuum that never stops.
*** Companies can apply for grants to help pay for the Work Keys Training.
*** The cost is $30 per person and $150 for a proctor. They can only test 30 people at a time. they have to have 2 proctors, if they go over 30 test takers.
The Hickory Hound has traded E-mail correspondence with Lamar Mitchell and I now feel comfortable that we better and more fully understand one another's positions. He understands that he was not the focus of what I was addressing and now I understand more fully the focus of his mission.
I think that everyone can see that all of these functions are important to move our workforce, community, and culture forward into the future. This can't be a crutch for Hickory's current industries and business to prop themselves up on for statistical reflection. This is about changing the paradigm of our entire area's culture of intellect and thus Quality of Life. Everyone has a role to play.
Dr. Hinshaw said some excellent things during this presentation. No one can argue with any point that he made. I think CVCC is in excellent hands with someone that moves us in a direction of excellence and this moves us closer to a goal of excellence without casting off those who are caught in the vises of the old paradigm and lack of educational expectations of Old Hickory. It was what he said, and not the way he said it, that made me feel that if Hinshaw is leading the way, then we are going somewhere.
We have to have systematic changes in our today, so that we can provide options so that individuals have an opportunity to succeed. That is what Education Matters is about. This will help our economy transition. This is something that we can focus on.
The components of education matter is assessing the workforce by doing quantitative and qualitative analysis of industries in this area. Next, they talked about partnerships in the community between business, government, and education. Critical thinking and problem solving are key components of 21st century job skills. The goal is to have graduates that are ready to work, employable, have a good work ethic, and they understand the dynamics of what it takes to be successful here in Catawba County.
Tracy Hall, of the Champions of Education, next addressed the group. She has worked in the Hickory Public Schools. This is a partnership between education, business, and government. This is about changing the culture in our community that states dropping out of school is no longer an option. Students who graduate will have a future rate portfolio that will indicate that students have 21st Century skills that are in demanded in the workplace. Attendance records, writing samples, and community service work are included. Students will be tested on national career readiness certification skills. Following the first year, they will have a report that will assess where they are in the project.
Catawba County Government and Municipalities will continue to promote parental involvement in schools, create economic incentive agreements, help review portfolios to make sure that "Education Matters" has all of the parts and pieces they need, encourage High School diplomas, and continue financial support.
The benefit to employers is that they will have a better prepared workforce with National Certification, better workforce advancement, more loyal-productive employees, and reduce employee turnover. She further went in the three levels of certification that employers can qualify for (Gold-Silver-Bronze).
What can employers do? Help students visualize their future and make them more aware of the opportunities available in the area. Help by mentoring students and participants - like leadership 2000, sponsor scholarships for teachers. Businesses can come out for career days in the schools, share job experiences and expectations at all levels, and hire graduates. Let students come to the work site to see what you do, so they can have an idea where they might fit in to see if it is a place they might feel comfortable working. This will help students see that they have a path and opportunity here in Catawba County. Ms. Hall showed businesses that have signed up.
This can help students that don't have a voice (mentor) or guidance to keep them in a path, while also keeping kids who need job experience.
Joyce Watson next addressed the conference. She is the Human Resources Development Director at CVCC. She talked about the Career Readiness Certification. She talked about the Key Train and Work Keys program. We have a documented workforce of 834 people that have proven that they can do applied math, locate information, and read for information. That is accessible to employers. The program was started in 2006.
Shurtape Industries was instrumental in making this happen. 236 Shurtape employees have been certified and now Hickory Springs is participating in the program. If these employees fail this program then remediation is available, if needed. She then showed the qualification levels of this program - (Gold-Silver-Bronze).
Mrs. Watson then went into some of the specifics of the test. The work keys test takes about 45 minutes for each test. They test two times a month on Saturdays at the end of the month and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the middle of the month. They also test independently with companies. The test is very strict and can't be let out of their site. These tests help companies identify employees ability to "do things" and/or "do other things" - Trainability. This helps companies assess where employees may need remediation.
There is a charge to this test. So far, they have been able, with the help of the Workforce Development Board and a $2,000 gift from Wal-Mart, to not have very many people at all have to pay. If you make over $416/a week there is a charge. This is a voluntary program. This is used as a pre-employment profiling measure so that employees can see what they need. This is sometimes employer driven. We need to have a "Proven" workforce and this is a nationally recognized portable credential.
Dr. Hinshaw stated that we are trying to dust off tools. This is not CVCC driven or local schools driven, Catawba County Government driven, or Business driven. It is a partnership. "They (Leaders) are trying to figure out what do we have access to? to help change the economic conditions of our area and insulate Catawba County from allowing this (economically) to happen to us again. Who wants to sit though and go through what we have gone through since the year 2000 again? Not me."
When there aren't any jobs out there, it is frustrating for us (CVCC). Students wonder, "Are they going to be able to get a job when they get out?" We (area leaders) have to take some very risky types of actions in order to move this system forward. This is not something that is going to happen by itself. If you want to stay the same, then keep doing what we have been doing. We have to open our minds up to the opportunities that are presenting themselves and not arbitrarily say no this will never work. You're not going to tell me how to do this. Give it a try and figure out what we can do with this to catapult us forward. This can set us apart. This will give us a unique selling point that can attract businesses.
Dr. Hinshaw stated that when they did the Quantitative and Qualitative analysis, about a year ago, the key component is that business executives told him what skillsets they needed and these skillsets are going to be integrated into the public schools. When they implement there Graduate guarantee in 2012, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are going to be at the top of the list. Teammanship and working with group projects, working with real world projects, bringing it into the classroom, that is what we have to have. We can't rely on textbooks to solve our issues. Environment and technology are changing so fast. This (education) is a continuum that never stops.
*** Companies can apply for grants to help pay for the Work Keys Training.
*** The cost is $30 per person and $150 for a proctor. They can only test 30 people at a time. they have to have 2 proctors, if they go over 30 test takers.
The Hickory Hound has traded E-mail correspondence with Lamar Mitchell and I now feel comfortable that we better and more fully understand one another's positions. He understands that he was not the focus of what I was addressing and now I understand more fully the focus of his mission.
I think that everyone can see that all of these functions are important to move our workforce, community, and culture forward into the future. This can't be a crutch for Hickory's current industries and business to prop themselves up on for statistical reflection. This is about changing the paradigm of our entire area's culture of intellect and thus Quality of Life. Everyone has a role to play.
Dr. Hinshaw said some excellent things during this presentation. No one can argue with any point that he made. I think CVCC is in excellent hands with someone that moves us in a direction of excellence and this moves us closer to a goal of excellence without casting off those who are caught in the vises of the old paradigm and lack of educational expectations of Old Hickory. It was what he said, and not the way he said it, that made me feel that if Hinshaw is leading the way, then we are going somewhere.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Opinions Matter - 15,000 Unique Visitors
This week we went over the 15,000 unique visitors mark on this blog. We have seen a lot of growth and I have been happy with the progress that we have made and I look forward to this site continuing to grow.
I would like to address the issue of the opinions that I share with the viewers of this blog. This blog is meant to be a blog of advocacy. I study issues and then I try to state my opinion on those issue and bring understanding as to how I interpret those issues.
When someone disagrees with me, then I do want them to let me know. Sometimes I am vitriolic and/or sardonic when I see things happening that totally go against the grain of justice and what is right or best for this community, especially when I feel that it is a myopic or self-serving view or action. But, if one feels that I am misinterpreting an issue or action then my e-mail is readily available or many of you see me in public and can address me there. I am always willing to listen. No one can legitimately state that I am not willing to meet with them and listen to their grievance toward me.
One word that I constantly hear is the word Credibility. The definition of Credibility is the capability of being believed. I can assure you that I do my homework on the issues that are addressed on this blog. I don't just make the stuff up that goes on here. I spend 30 to 40 hours a week on this. I meet with people constantly that help me to shape the direction of the issues we address. This has been a truly educational and life changing experience for myself and the game changers that help me with this project.
Since I have started this blog, I have had many people thank me for what this blog represents, but I have also had some people thoroughly chastise me and rail against some of the issues and context of what we propose and write about. Sometimes I believe our local media outlets have had there content and coverage of issues unduly influenced by such pressures. People cry about our local paper, but such constraints are the reason that we don't see relevant content and ideas addressed there. They are tired of having there toes stomped on by people who won't even tolerate constructive criticism.
That is the reason why I have been wary of accepting any money for advertising on this blog from local sources. I don't want the possibility of anyone telling me that they would yank financial support, because I addressed such and such in a manner that they don't like or an associated party doesn't like.
You see, I have never been a part of the club and frankly I am not looking to join in with any social groups here in this town, unless they are open and accepting of people who come from diverse backgrounds and have diverse ideas and opinions. I am thoroughly ashamed of the caste system that I have seen on display in many parts of this city. It is my opinion, that this caste system has played a major role in the economic implosion that we have been experiencing and until the status quo goes and we start moving away from the old ways, then I feel that we are going to continue spinning our wheels, instead of moving towards the progress that we all claim to want to see.
Creativity is fostered from people who have differing points of view and if one cannot function and communicate with others who have differing opinions and come from different backgrounds, then one will never be able to grow mentally or spiritually. If you want change, then put your money (and/or influence) where your mouth is!!!
***By the way, several parties are aggressively pursuing a means to have a Town Hall meeting in which all of the candidates for the upcoming election will be invited to speak with the public about where they stand on the city's issues and what they propose to do should they be elected to Hickory's City Council in the upcoming Election. We will be informing people early next week if this is a go or not. Remember that this upcoming week each candidate will be on First talk with Hal Row on WHKY at 8am. His show comes on at 7:05am on Monday through Friday.
***I will be working further on the Hickory Revitalization Conference I attended last week. Next up will be Champions of Education - Education Matters and the Address by Dr. Garrett Hinshaw about what CVCC is doing to help change the culture in this area.
I would like to address the issue of the opinions that I share with the viewers of this blog. This blog is meant to be a blog of advocacy. I study issues and then I try to state my opinion on those issue and bring understanding as to how I interpret those issues.
When someone disagrees with me, then I do want them to let me know. Sometimes I am vitriolic and/or sardonic when I see things happening that totally go against the grain of justice and what is right or best for this community, especially when I feel that it is a myopic or self-serving view or action. But, if one feels that I am misinterpreting an issue or action then my e-mail is readily available or many of you see me in public and can address me there. I am always willing to listen. No one can legitimately state that I am not willing to meet with them and listen to their grievance toward me.
One word that I constantly hear is the word Credibility. The definition of Credibility is the capability of being believed. I can assure you that I do my homework on the issues that are addressed on this blog. I don't just make the stuff up that goes on here. I spend 30 to 40 hours a week on this. I meet with people constantly that help me to shape the direction of the issues we address. This has been a truly educational and life changing experience for myself and the game changers that help me with this project.
Since I have started this blog, I have had many people thank me for what this blog represents, but I have also had some people thoroughly chastise me and rail against some of the issues and context of what we propose and write about. Sometimes I believe our local media outlets have had there content and coverage of issues unduly influenced by such pressures. People cry about our local paper, but such constraints are the reason that we don't see relevant content and ideas addressed there. They are tired of having there toes stomped on by people who won't even tolerate constructive criticism.
That is the reason why I have been wary of accepting any money for advertising on this blog from local sources. I don't want the possibility of anyone telling me that they would yank financial support, because I addressed such and such in a manner that they don't like or an associated party doesn't like.
You see, I have never been a part of the club and frankly I am not looking to join in with any social groups here in this town, unless they are open and accepting of people who come from diverse backgrounds and have diverse ideas and opinions. I am thoroughly ashamed of the caste system that I have seen on display in many parts of this city. It is my opinion, that this caste system has played a major role in the economic implosion that we have been experiencing and until the status quo goes and we start moving away from the old ways, then I feel that we are going to continue spinning our wheels, instead of moving towards the progress that we all claim to want to see.
Creativity is fostered from people who have differing points of view and if one cannot function and communicate with others who have differing opinions and come from different backgrounds, then one will never be able to grow mentally or spiritually. If you want change, then put your money (and/or influence) where your mouth is!!!
***By the way, several parties are aggressively pursuing a means to have a Town Hall meeting in which all of the candidates for the upcoming election will be invited to speak with the public about where they stand on the city's issues and what they propose to do should they be elected to Hickory's City Council in the upcoming Election. We will be informing people early next week if this is a go or not. Remember that this upcoming week each candidate will be on First talk with Hal Row on WHKY at 8am. His show comes on at 7:05am on Monday through Friday.
***I will be working further on the Hickory Revitalization Conference I attended last week. Next up will be Champions of Education - Education Matters and the Address by Dr. Garrett Hinshaw about what CVCC is doing to help change the culture in this area.
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