Marshall's tour highlights Sanford businesses, RISE program
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall spent Wednesday touring area businesses and then participating in a Small Business Roundtable at Central Carolina Community College.
Marshall came to town to discuss the Rural RISE NC initiative, which helps put resources into the hands of business creators early on. As she walked downtown, she stopped at several of the businesses to talk about the successes and challenges with their owners. Many of the business owners she spoke with are graduates of the Sanford Area Growth Alliance's RISE program, which is done in partnership with CCCC's Small Business Center.
Marshall's entrance to the city was marked with a lunch at Mrs. Lacy's Magnolia House and a chance to meet with owner Faye Shultz.
The walking tour included a visit to High Cotton Couture and a short discussion of the business with owner Maggie Cranford, who opened the business after completing the first cohort of the local RISE program.
From there, it was on to Family Grounds Coffee and meeting with owner David Heimbecker and a lesson in how to make one of the signature coffees.
Marshall's next stop was a brief visit to the Sanford Antique Mall, which is considered the largest in the Sandhills. There she talked with owner/operators Jane Bane and Jenks Youngblood, who told Marshall about the 75 dealer spaces and more than 18,000 square feet of antiques and collectibles at the business.
Across the street, Marshall had the chance to visit the historic Sanford Depot and check on the progress of renovations. In 2022, Sanford City Council committed $703,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act to renovate the building. The North Carolina General Assembly then earmarked $500,000 in State Capital Infrastructure Funds, and another $100,000 has been raised through private donations.
Marshall also got a chance to see the construction going on at the Pilgrim's Sanford Agricultural Marketplace and then had the chance to tour the Temple Theatre, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
From there, it was on to the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center, where area business owners and representatives of local government entities had the chance to hear her speak about the Rural RISE NC Initiative and share their experiences and ask questions.
Before she spoke, CCCC President Lisa Chapman, Mayor Rebecca Wyhof Salmon and Lee County Commission Chair Kirk Smith spoke briefly.
'I met lots of great people while we were walking around,' Marshall said as she thanked Chapman for hosting the panel. 'We got to see some great businesses earlier today.'
Marshall is no stranger to Sanford and Lee County, having represented the area in the North Carolina Legislature. She spoke about the RISE program and the business climate for those who are opening small businesses.
'Since 2020, we've called this the new era of entrepreneurship,' she said. 'Our entrepreneurial spirit is why North Carolina has been ranked best in the country. Not everyone is sharing in that good news across North Carolina.'
Marshall said a survey of businesses had more than 4,000 answers and by the end of 2021, had led to the development of a new program.
'We called it Rural RISE,' she said. 'It's not a copycat. This RISE stands for Resources for Innovators, Startups and Entrepreneurs. We started with one county. Our test pilot was in Western North Carolina. We then branched out to 14 counties, and now, we have 93 counties enrolled in this database.'
Marshall said all of the 78 counties deemed rural by the state are in the database and have items available to business creators.
Marshall said when she became Secretary of State in 1997, there were about 30,000 new businesses created in North Carolina.
'Fast forward to 2021, it was 178,000 new businesses that were formed that year,' Marshall said. 'There has been some moderation over the past three years, but it still equates to 63% growth since 2019. In 2021, new business creation outpaced every other year on record. They have doubled from 2017. In 2024, there were more than 162,000 new business creations in this state.'
Marshall noted that all 100 North Carolina counties have noted double-digit growth over the past several years.
'What is really awesome is that some of the most rapid growth came in more economically distressed Tier 1 counties,' she said. 'For example, Scotland County grew by 138%. Berties County grew by 123%. Of the 13 counties that grew by more than 100%, 10 of them were Tier 1 — our poorest counties.'
Marshall said that Lee County grew by 68%, which is higher than the statewide average of 63%. Marshall also noted that since taking office in 1997, her agency has filed paperwork for more than 2 million businesses.
'That is 2 million dreams, countless jobs created, expectations for the community and incredible growth for the North Carolina economy of the past couple of decades. These are dreams that build families and communities.'
Marshall said that in an effort to get resources to people that needed them, her office launched Rural RISE. She said her offices serves as the primary communications channel to new businesses.
'We're the very first to know,' Marshall said. 'We know the entrepreneur that woke up this morning and said, 'Today's the day I'm going to do it.' Then they want to file today. All of you who have been through the RISE program know that isn't the first step. There's a whole lot of planning and thinking that go into it.'
For more about the program, visit https://www.sosnc.gov/rural_rise.
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