Wilkes EDC held its Annual Meeting at Piccione Vineyards on Tuesday, August 26, with over 150 registered guests in attendance. We are grateful to our event sponsors for helping make the evening possible: Frontier Natural Gas, Surry Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation, ECS Southeast (Engineering Consulting Services), Spectrum Hospitality LLC, Wilkes TDA, and NC Carolina Core.
We also extend thanks to our partners who contributed to the evening: The Scarlet Hen for catering, Pixels On Paper Photography for capturing the evening (see gallery above), Samuel Taylor (Classical Guitarist) for live music, Kardia Sounds for providing sound support with speakers and microphone setup, and Williams Crafted LLC for assembling the awards presented to our recognized businesses and entrepreneurs.
The program began with an invocation by Ron Wilcox, COO of Samaritan’s Purse. EDC President LeeAnn Nixon welcomed guests and recognized event sponsors, dignitaries, the EDC Board of Directors, and our LEAP Forward Investors. Guests then enjoyed an engaging Carolina Core update presented with trivia by Loren Hill, Regional Economic Development Director for the Piedmont Triad Partnership.
Bill Roberts, Manager of Economic Development at Duke Energy, assisted in recognizing the Downtown Boro’s Small Business Grant recipients, which took place in the Fall 2024 and was fully sponsored by the Duke Energy Foundation for $25,000. Vice President Robin Hamby and Marketing Manager Francisco Martinez recognized the Spring 2025 Entrepreneur Grant recipients while also thanking our LEAP Forward Investors, the Small Business Center of Wilkes Community College, and Select Steel Buildings for sponsoring this grant cycle. Francisco shared that a combined total of $40,800 was awarded through both grant cycles, the largest amount granted in one year since the program’s launch in 2015.
LeeAnn provided program impact updates, including a timeline of Wilkes Industrial Park’s economic development and growth. Please see the map and timeline below for more details on the Park’s progress since 2021.
The progress at Wilkes Industrial Park was followed by recognition of six major project announcements: Hidden Brook Sporting Club, Retail Solutions Group, Regal Oaks Builders LLC, Herbal Ingenuity, Provalus, and C’est La Vin. Together, these projects represent the creation of 186 jobs and more than $12.7 million in investment in Wilkes County.
A highlight of the evening was the introduction of the Terry Bumgarner Outstanding Service Award, presented by the Board of Directors and staff. Dale Isom, Executive Board Director and Wilkesboro Mayor, shared that this new award honors individuals who make significant contributions to economic development in Wilkes. It is established in memory of Terry Bumgarner, who passed away earlier this year after dedicating 12 years of service to Wilkes EDC as Past Chair, Executive Committee Member, and LEAP Forward Investor. The inaugural award was presented to his family, with his wife, Evelyn Bumgarner, accepting on their behalf.
Wilkes EDC Chair Amy Blair, of Howard Hanna / Blair Properties, LLC, closed the program by thanking and recognizing our event sponsors.
Finally, we are pleased to share that Wilkes EDC’s 2025 Annual Report is now available in flipbook format. Please see below for more details on our award recipients, program impacts, marketing efforts, community capacity building, and area growth.