SNOW HILL — In an economy that is stumbling along, it’s good news when businesses in a small town are making plans to expand and create jobs.
In Snow Hill, four businesses are doing just that — Tide Tamer, Worth Products, Hardy’s Appliance and Furniture and Greene County Florist.
Through the Community Development Block Grant, or CDBG, program, the four businesses together have been awarded a $250,000 Small Business and Entrepreneurial Assistance grant.
Each business receives $25,000 per new full-time job they create, Town Administrator Dana Hill said.
“I think job creation and an increased tax base are benefits,” Hill said.
The town held a workshop in the fall to explain how the grant works.
“We had a really good crowd at that workshop,” Hill said. But many of the business owners were concerned about being able to create jobs, he said.
The business owners are required to create at least one job within 24 months.
“They would ultimately have to pay (the grant money) back,” Hill said, “if they don’t hold up their end.”
A public hearing on the CDBG grant was held in October, and the town board will be voting on awarding the administration of the grant to Carolina Opportunities tonight at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall.
Here’s what the four businesses plan to do to upgrade their businesses:
Tide Tamer
President Buzz Shackelford said he plans to add a building at the site at 900 U.S. 258 to provide additional space and create at least four jobs.
Tide Tamer Waterfront Products specializes in a variety of boat lifts and docks. A few years ago, the company added to its line the Beach Butler, a residential cargo lift.
Last year, it added the VistaVator, an outdoor residential elevator with a view, created mainly for the elderly or disabled that live in beach-style houses built on pilings.
“It is a code-compliant elevator that people can ride,” Shackelford said. “… It’s about half the price of a conventional elevator and less maintenance.”
The newest product has created a need for more space, he said.
Worth Products
President Ken Letchworth said he’s adding process capabilities to become more efficient and serve the customers better. He will also create four jobs.
The company makes CNC, or computer numerical control (as opposed to manually-controlled), machining and metal fabrication products.
“We make molds, dies, cards and racks for industry,” he said.
Without wanting to give trade secrets away, Letchworth said he will be adding some assembly line equipment to become more efficient.
The company, at 856 U.S. 258, designs and manufactures tooling for industrial manufacturers.
Hardy’s Appliance and Furniture
Owner Carl Hardy said he is expanding his retail space and creating two jobs.
The Hardy’s property, 234 N. Greene St., consists of three historic buildings that once housed a grocery/department store, movie theater and a number of other businesses.
Hardy, who has been in business 38 years, said he has always wanted to utilize the upstairs above his current space, but the cost of renovations and getting the furniture to the second level posed a problem.
With the grant and his own funds and labor, he will be able to renovate upstairs, as well as some areas in the other two buildings, he said.
“We’re going to be able,” Hardy said, “… to put in a freight elevator to expand the space upstairs.”
The early 1900s building once had an elevator, but it was out of code and taken out. The new lift will be installed in the same shaft, he said.
The upstairs renovations will also include putting in electricity, lighting, heating and air-conditioning.
“This (grant) will help quite a bit,” Hardy said. “… It gives us an incentive to complete this project, to take this project on.”
GreeneCountyFlorist
Owner Chelsea Hill plans to have a greenhouse built and add one job.
“I hope to create one job,” she said, “just to produce more inventory.”
Founded by her grandmother, Nancy Edwards, in 1948, the shop at 117 NW Third St. once had a greenhouse. For reasons Hill said she doesn’t know, it was covered and converted into a shed.
She said she’d like to grow her own plants, including flowers and landscaping plants.
“I hope to grow cut flowers,” Hill said, “and try to keep the costs down, and just have a variety of things.”
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.