The Haywood Economic Development Council is committed to being the primary advocate of attracting, retaining, and building business in the county; dedicated to serving businesses of all sizes to build economic growth. The Council is the connection between business and government, business and business, and business and the workforce. The Council is an arm of the Haywood Chamber of Commerce. These two leading organizations are dedicated to business growth and prosperity. Working as one, powerfully bonded and strategically aligned, the EDC and Chamber collaborate with partners throughout the county and Western North Carolina.
Finding the right location to grow or expand your business is both an art and a science. A blend of the right business climate, suitable facilities and sites, desirable quality of life, and the support needed to create dreams—and fortunes! Haywood County offers a diverse mix of businesses, talented workforce, and water quality that none can match! Nestled in the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains of Western North Carolina offering four distinct seasons, businesses enjoy a wide variety of recreation, arts, music shopping, dining, and climate so there is something for everyone, every minute, and every day.
Opportunity Zones were created by federal legislation Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to stimulate growth in communities across America by providing a tax incentive for private investors to make long-term investments in low-income communities. An area must have a poverty rate of 20% or greater and/or a median household income that is less than 80% of the area’s median income. Haywood County’s Opportunity Zone is a unique in that it encompasses rural areas from the Haywood/Buncombe County line to Downtown Canton and south down Highway 110.
The Opportunity Zone can be another economic development tool for the town and the county to attract major investors where they might have never have been able to before.
We have seen activity in this area since the first of the year. Haywood County has made it more attractive with extending incentives in the Opportunity Zone to possibly 2029
Entrepreneurs and small businesses are the engines of job creation in the United States and are an essential component of economic growth. Entrepreneurs create new businesses, and new businesses in turn create jobs, intensify competition and often increase productivity through technological innovation. Communities that foster entrepreneurship and small business development have stronger economies and are more resilient. The EDC works to provide the optimal climate for entrepreneurial ventures to succeed.
Health and medical care is the second largest industry cluster in Haywood County and offers a comprehensive array of services and specializations. Two major medical facilities provide the majority of medical services in Haywood County. Haywood Regional Medical Center – a Duke Lifepoint Hospital and Mission Health Systems both offer advanced, compassionate, specialized and safe health care for Haywood and surrounding counties.
Manufacturing opportunities have been the backbone of the Western North Carolina economy since the early 1900’s. Western North Carolina has joined North Carolina in pursuit of an aggressive pro- growth, pro-business agenda that is creating more jobs and opportunities for Western North Carolina. The stimulus to this turnaround has been the ability to shift away from labor-intensive, low-skilled manufacturing into advanced, skills based production.
Haywood County—situated in the heart of Western North Carolina, surrounded by the ridges of the ancient Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains—is comprised of 546 scenic square miles of spectacular country, with beautiful Appalachian mountains and valleys dotting the landscape. Thirteen of its mountain peaks soar to elevations of at least 6,000 feet, making it one of the highest counties—with a mean elevation of 3,600 feet—east of the Rockies.
© Copyright 2023 Haywood County Chamber of Commerce. All Rights Reserved.
© Copyright 2024. Haywood County Chamber of Commerce.
All Rights Reserved.