Person County Awarded Upward of $900,000 for Site Development Through Golden LEAF SITE Program

June 2, 2022

At the June 2, 2022, meeting of the Golden LEAF Board of Directors, awards were announced for the second round of SITE Program funding, including $973,750 to Person County to complete due diligence and to clear and grade a 26-acre parcel in the county-owned North Park site.

“The Golden LEAF Board of Directors provided $10 million this fiscal-year to support the long-term economic advancement of our rural and economically distressed communities through our SITE Program,” said Scott T. Hamilton, Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer. "Golden LEAF is pleased to support this project that will help ready the North Park site for industry growth and the creation of quality jobs in Person County.”

A press release issued by Golden LEAF offered background on the origin and focus of the program, as stated below.

The SITE Program supports communities in identifying potential sites for economic development and provides funds to enable completion of due diligence on sites already identified or to extend public utilities to or conduct rough grading and clearing of sites for which due diligence has been completed. The three phases of the SITE Program are Identification, Due Diligence, and Development.

“The need for industrial sites, especially in rural areas, was a gap identified in our strategic planning process,” said Don Flow, Golden LEAF Board Chair. “As we have seen, ready sites are no longer a luxury but a necessity to move at the speed of business. The second round of SITE Program projects will help prepare North Carolina for these economic growth opportunities.”

Upon learning of the news of the award, Person County EDC Chairman Phillip Allen commented, “EDC Member and Board of Commissioners’ Chairman Gordon Powell was recently quoted as saying that all those tasked with serving the citizens’ best interests are working together to diligently pursue all avenues of growth for Person County. The development of the North Park site is a part of that of that strategy. This is a county-owned property already zoned as industrial and having all infrastructure adjacent. We have locally advanced the site to the point of being permitted, and this SITE Program funding from Golden LEAF will allow us to have a site to present for prospects that is cleared, graded, and ready to go.”

Sherry Wilborn, Person County Economic Development Director, submitted the application for the early-March 2022 program deadline.

“Timelines and preparedness mean everything for manufacturing projects today. When a site is brought to the point of having extensive due diligence performed, even to the point of a cleared and graded site, that tells a company that risk has been eliminated, project timelines have been shortened, and the community has already demonstrated a commitment to their success. I am grateful to the Golden LEAF Foundation, its Board of Directors, and Staff for understanding and acting on the importance of supporting site development to keep rural counties competitive in recruitment of new jobs and investment,” said Wilborn.

Plans for the North Park site, located off North Park Drive in Roxboro, include a developable area of 250,000 square feet to accommodate new or expanding manufacturing operations.

To learn more about the Golden LEAF Foundation and its programs, visit www.goldenleaf.org.

Person County is a part of the Research Triangle Region of North Carolina, with proximity to the Piedmont Triad Region, and is a border county to Virginia. Person County Economic Development serves as the primary contact for business and industry seeking to locate or expand in Person County. Contact us today for available buildings, sites, or other information. www.personcountyedc.com