Business Incubator celebrates 10th anniversary
Published 9:57 am Wednesday, June 3, 2015
By Walter J. Francis
walter.francis@tidewaternews.com
FRANKLIN
Franklin-Southampton Economic Development Inc. celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Franklin Business Incubator on May 22.
These original board members of the Franklin Business Incubator who were present at the celebration. From left, Benny Burgess, councilman who read the proclamation announcing the naming of the board room as the Charlie Wrenn Board Room — he is also current board member; and, the original Board members: Lauren Harper, who serves as the present chair for the FBI Advisory Board; Charlie Wrenn, former member of Franklin City Council and first chair of the FBI Advisory Board, for whom the board room is named; Ann Williams; Bill Peak; Kathy Worrell; Teresa Beale; and Carolyn Crowder. Original Board members who were not able to be present for the event include: Warren Beale, Elliott Cobb, the late E.R.M. “Mac” Coker and “Bucky” Taylor. Anita Felts joined that board as the Southampton County Board of Supervisors representative in 2006 when Franklin Southampton Economic Development Inc. was formed and assumed the management of the Franklin Business Incubator. — SUBMITTED
“We chose this opportunity to recognize the original Franklin Business Incubator Advisory Board by naming a board room after them,” said Nancy Parrish, the small business development manager for the Incubator. “We named the Charlie Wrenn Board Room in honor of that original board, who invested so much of their time and energy helping to bring this economic development project to fruition with their vision, their feasibility study and their willingness to serve as board members and mentors to those businesses located in the Franklin Business Incubator.”
Designed to foster economic development and encourage new businesses to settle in the area, the plans for the Incubator emerged after the flooding caused by Hurricane Floyd in 1999.
Opened in May 2005, and housed in a historic, unfinished four-story building, the Incubator creates an opportunity for young start-ups and emerging businesses to bring their ideas to fruition by providing affordable office space and support staff. Since the Incubator opened its doors, it has hosted more than 50 businesses.
In 2008, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development Economic Stimulus Recovery Grant provided more than $686,000 dollars for the Incubator to finish the construction of the building, increasing the number of available office spaces from 17 to 52. Additional grant money allowed for outfitting the new conference rooms and workrooms with state-of-the-art furnishings.
Today the Franklin Business Incubator is home to 24 small business, creating 144 full-time jobs and more than 48 part-time jobs.
The Incubator is running a 10th anniversary special. Any business that submits an application to the Incubator by June 30 will be eligible to receive their first two months at the Incubator rent free. All standard requirements for acceptance into the program must be met.
For more information, contact Nancy Parrish at 562-1958 or email at nparrish@franklinsouthamptonva.com.
