Archived News

Town helps HVO seek state grant

The Town of Waynesville plans to step in for Haywood Vocational Opportunities in procuring state money to help with an estimated $2 million expansion at the old Wellco site in Hazelwood.

HVO must create at least 40 jobs in exchange for the town’s efforts in obtaining a $480,000 grant from the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center. HVO cannot apply for the grant directly since it is only open to local governments and governmental agencies.

HVO CEO George Marshall predicts that the company will well exceed the 40-job requirement with 75 new full-time positions within two years of beginning operations at the newly-renovated facility. HVO hopes to have the factory, which formerly was a shoe plant, up and running by January 2010. Wellco recently announced it is moving out of Haywood County and plans to relocate the Hazelwood production line at a newer plant Tennessee.

Haywood Vocational Opportunities, a private, not-for-profit corporation, manufactures and assembles medical supplies. It also provides vocational training and employment to adults with disadvantages and disabilities.

Waynesville Mayor Gavin Brown said the town chose to work with HVO because of the social and economic benefits the company provides to the community.

“It benefits us by creating jobs for people that the traditional marketplace doesn’t do,” Brown said.

This is not the first time HVO and the Town of Waynesville have partnered up. In 2005, the town helped HVO acquire a grant from the Rural Economic Development Center for expanding a water line.

So far, HVO has obtained a $300,000 grant from The Golden LEAF Foundation. The company is seeking yet more grant assistance from other foundations.

HVO currently employs 321 on a full-time basis and serves over 250 individuals in its employment and training programs annually.

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.