Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
This is very cool. Press release here:
WHAT: OPENING OF NEW NATURAL PRODUCTS MANUFACTURING FACILITY in Asheville
• Facility is a division of Blue Ridge Food Ventures, an agribusiness incubator and job creation program of AdvantageWest. The facility will allow entrepreneurs to produce, bottle, seal and label natural products, including medicinal herbs and dietary supplements, in the form of tinctures, extracts and creams.
• This is believed to be the FIRST SHARED— — USE FACILITY OF ITS TYPE IN THE US, and will accommodate early-stage small businesses and established companies in the natural products sector. The initiative taps Western North Carolina’s rich biodiversity and agricultural traditions of harvesting and growing herbs and medicinal plants.
• Project partners believe the initiative WILL HELP ESTABLISH WNC AS A LEADER IN THE NATURAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY NATIONALLY. The recognition will help attract new natural products businesses and investment and support development of export opportunities for regional business.
WHERE: BLUE RIDGE FOOD VENTURES, located on the Enka campus of AB Tech, 1461 Sand Hill Rd., just west of Asheville. There will be signage and balloons at the entrance.
• Primary funding comes from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, whose mission is to provide long-term economic and societal benefits to North Carolina through support of biotechnology research, business, education and strategic policy statewide, and the Golden LEAF Foundation, a nonprofit grants-making organization, plus Blue Ridge Food Ventures and Gaia Herbs. Cost for the facility was about $100,000, which included purchasing new equipment and supplies, upgrading the facility, funds to provide technical assistance, training and funding for strategic business planning for companies using the facility. This figure also includes the value of donated equipment.
• The nonprofit Blue Ridge Food Ventures was North Carolina’s first business incubator created to provide services to farmers and food entrepreneurs. AdvantageWest started the initiative in 2005 and to-date, Blue Ridge Food Ventures has helped more than 160 food product-makers, farmers and caterers start and grow their businesses, with reported sales exceeding $3.5 million.
