Angelou-Economics Project Manager Sean Garretson (standing, left) leads a discussion about Alleghany County's economic strengths and challenges Monday during a focus group session. Also pictured are (standing) Alleghany County Chamber of Commerce Director Leanne Murray and (seated, from left) Angelou Research Manager Travis Warziniack and BREMCO Economic Development Director Brian Crutchfield.

Angelou-Economics visits Sparta

Consultants from Angelou-Economics made their first in-depth visit to Alleghany Monday, talking with local leaders to assess the area on the way to developing economic recovery strategies for the county and the rest of the region.

Representatives of the Austin, Texas-based firm held focus group meetings here. About 15 people, representing government, business and other local leadership, attended the Monday morning session, held at Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation's (BREMCO) conference room. Sean Garretson, project manager for Angelou, said the meeting accomplished its two objectives. "Everybody fully understood what the project is about, and we got the information we need. We got a good feel for what the economic leadership in the county would like to focus on."

That meeting featured a "SWOT" analysis - a discussion of the county's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Teams of Angelou reps have been holding similar sessions in seven other counties as well, during a visit by the company to the region all last week and the first part of this week. The visit began with a "kickoff" meeting Feb. 24 in Winston-Salem.

The CEDS Region

The study is a project of the Northwest North Carolina CEDS (Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy) committee, which represents Alleghany, Ashe, Davie, Forsyth, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties.

CEDS received a $400,000 grant award, mostly in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Commerce, last year for economic recovery. The group in turn hired Angelou to assess the region and form a five-year economic recovery plan, for each county individually as well as for the region as a whole.

The grouping of the counties was more political than logical. They follow the Fifth U.S. Congressional district, represented in Congress by Richard Burr, and Burr led the effort to secure the grant funds. With the dissimilarity among the eight counties, Garretson said, it makes sense to consider them individually. "We're going to do a county-by-county economic development plan."

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