Future Economy Council Meeting #17 - (August 20, 2010)

Future Economy Council Business address - Danny Hearn spoke about the fact that someone will help to submit a grant to the Golden Leaf Foundation in hopes of developing an Entrepreneur Center such as the one in Dublin, Ohio. Tom Shays will help with this. Dr. Jane Everson addressed the mini Emerging-Issues forum that will take place as a one day event on November 10, 2010 (7:30am-2:30pm).



Danny and Scott Millar (and there counterparts in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, and Watauga counties) helped to develop an agenda that has a lot of input from both business and industry. There will be a showcase of 16 businesses that have done something innovative in partnership with one of our local Higher Educational Institutions. Andrew Hargadon will be a keynote speaker. He is a business professor dealing in innovation from the University of California at Davis. Registration will begin on September 1, 2010 - the registration is limited to 400 people.

Lenoir-Rhyne will hold a creativity forum on September 8, 2010 at 7:00pm involving Creative Communities at Work Transforming Local and Regional Economies.


VisionAire Aviation Presentation (The VisionAire Vantage - Aerospace Industry beginning a future in Catawba County). The inset link is a more detailed full length article I authored after previously meeting with the VisionAire team at their office for three hours. I hope that you will read it. In my opinion, this aircraft is a golden opportunity to move our community towards innovative technology. This would be a significant step towards our desire to brand this area as a community of ingenuity and innovation. The initiation of the design and manufacturing processes would bring instantaneous scientific notoriety to the area. We would definitely be taken seriously as a community on the move towards the cutting edge of future technologies.

Mr. Jim Rice and Mr. David Okenfuss gave a 30 minute presentation. This presentation was a pared down version of what you will have read in the article above. After the presentation, Mr. Rice took questions from the group.

Patty Thompson asked about the FCC's certification? Jim addressed the steps involved to obtain FAA Certification. Involving building aircraft and having them tested and broken down. Steve Ivester asked about the past failures of the company including the Ames, Iowa plant, a wing-drop issue, and a landing gear issue? Paraphrasing, Ivester asked why now, why should this be expected to work now? I hope that you will listen to Mr. Rice's full detailed explanation of these issues.



Mr. Rice addressed how the aircraft's structural issues were dealt with and resolved.
He then spoke of the timing of Investments. This all occurred during the fluctuations of the High Tech Bubble Economy. Many of investors dried up during this period, because they had lost liquidity due to their losses involving the dot.com bubble. The company had to take alternative measures to procure capital, which they were doing during 2001. He tells a personal story about what happened on September 11, 2001, as he was in a conference room and the Airliners flew into the World Trade Center. Not one investor has ever sued over their investments.

He addressed the bankruptcy that the company was forced into. Tom Shays asked about whether the company was still privately held? Mr. Rice stated that he was currently the only shareholder and asked about the 30 month build cycle? Mr. Rice addressed how the intellectual property would and needed to be secured. He spoke of his vision about the trauches of capital that would be guaranteed at certain milestones. He states that this was a mistake he learned the last time. It is just too hard to obtain capital as the process goes along.

Eco-Complex presentation by Jacky Eubanks the Catawba County (North Carolina)Planning Director.



Jackie addressed the future vision of the 321 corridor and the role that it will play in the culture of our local area. He mentioned the successful milestones reached thus far entailing Lincoln County's industrial park, Google, Apple, Appalachian State, and the Eco-Complex.

He talked about past initiatives over the last couple of decades. He talked about how the challenges of these plans and recommendation is that we need to dig a little deeper. Try to take these initiatives and put measurable guidelines and timelines that will enable the community to be more business friendly. He spoke in-depth about the infrastructure needs that will be designed and developed.

Jacky spoke of the need for mixed-use development to reduce sprawl. Opportunity sites will require flexibility and more choices. He spoke of how the government is working to help preserve farmland. The transportation needs and design that will help with Industrial development. He went into the development of an interchange at Rocky Ford Road. To gain a secondary outlet that will help move traffic around the Eco-Complex more efficiently.

Jacky spoke about the challenges of the municipalities in delivering infrastructure and trying to develop aggreements that will prevent overlapping and the ensure that jurisdictions are working in Harmony.



Jacky next talked about the properties in the area that have cultural significance and the desire to promote travel and tourism to the area. He also talked about natural resources and the Carolina Thread Trail. He talked about the volunteer agricultural preservation program that has been developing. He spoke of the desire to develop these opportunities.

Maps were shown with nodes that will try to densify certain areas and reduce sprawl through Mixed-Use Development. The key is to have infrastructure in place to take advantage of future possibilities. He spoke of the synergies that are meant to take advantage the current positive trends and keep that momentum going. He next went into an overview of the Eco-Complex specifics and the green economy. He also briefly talked about Apple.

Eco-Complex Questions and Development
I (Thom Shell) asked about mixed-use development cooperation involving multiple entities. Steve Ivester asked about access roads and industrial development possibilities involving the 321 corridor.

Terry announced that the next meeting will take place on September 16, 2010. Danny announced the Health Forum at the SALT Block that will take place on September 1, 2010.