Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce is going the extra mile to help area businesses and citizens benefit from the mammoth N.C. Research Campus going up downtown.
A week from today, the chamber will host an information session for small businesses on “How to Connect to the North Carolina Research Campus.” It will include opening remarks from Lynne Scott Safrit and a project update.
It’s easy to understand why someone would want to make that connection. During another session sponsored by the chamber last week, an official close to the project estimated it will generate about 2,200 jobs in just its first two and a half years of business — scientific jobs, support staff and other workers. That news came from Tom Sanctis, director of construction operations for Castle & Cooke.
Next week’s session, to be held in the Old Cabarrus Bank Building in the Village, is aimed at new and existing businesses and will give pointers on doing business with the campus and gaining access to leaders of the project. For more information or to register, call the chamber at 704-0782-2000, ext. 26.
Some businesses have already found their connection. The Charlotte Observer reported recently that two Charlotte entrepreneurs are in the early stages of planning services their company, Intelligent Buildings, can provide at the Research Campus. “Workers there might be able to use touch-screens to have lunch delivered to their desks; visitors can use them to find out about the tenants; and researchers can use the network to share data securely,” according to the report.
The chamber’s doing a good job, and its leaders are to be commended. Still, you get the feeling the most aggressive entrepreneurs are not sitting around waiting for a seminar.
