Mold Remediation in Greensboro, NC

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — A major development could be on the horizon for the currently vacant former American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning (D-Greensboro) came to the FOX8 Studios on Friday and disclosed that the unused Greensboro Influx Care Facility could be used for victims of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.

“The federal government has a contract to use that influx care center,” Manning said. “It was a former boarding school, and it was to be used for unaccompanied minors, but thanks to the Biden administration’s new border policy, there’s been a drop in the number of unaccompanied minors coming here. That facility has not been used and it’s sitting and available, but it’s going to a variety of steps to make sure the facility can be used for people whose lives have been turned upside down, whose homes are no longer habitable because of Hurricane Helene.”

Manning says the federal government is currently reviewing its contract for that property to verify if the facility could be repurposed for storm victims or to see if that contract could be modified.

Other issues that still need to be figured out include determining who would bear the cost of running the facility and working with the Home Owner’s Association for the surrounding neighborhood.

Manning described the process as being “underway,” and the Department of Health and Human Services has been working on this “for several days now.”

The DHHS provided the following statement, “HHS will do all that we can to help support families impacted by Hurricane Helene. We are working closely with state and local health authorities, as well as with our partners across the federal government, to provide public health and medical support. We are currently working with officials to provide additional resources, within our legal authority. HHS will continue to use every lever we can to help families impacted.”

There was a bit of pushback in the past from residents when the facility was supposed to be used as a transitional facility for migrant children.

Many residents shared on and off camera that they think the unused facility would be great for housing western North Carolinians in need.

“Everybody’s always worried about the community and who’s coming into the community … A situation like this, I think people are extremely understanding and aware … It would probably be something more than just a housing option for the community. I think this area would chip in and do other stuff as well to make sure they fit in and felt comfortable,” said Fred Lewis, a resident.

Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said she’s on board.

“We don’t really have a role in this except that we came up with the idea of let’s use it as a storm center … The government is really involved or the federal government working with their subcontractor and things like that. As far as what I think the City of Greensboro would do for these individuals, I think they would see an outpouring of support like they’ve never seen before,” Vaughan said.

Other city leaders are also on board.

“I think she is exactly right in exploring the opportunity for the Greensboro area to try to assist our fellow North Carolinians in need,” Greensboro City Councilmember At-Large Hugh Holston said.

If families were to stay there, the kids would need access to education.

Guilford County Schools says it would assist if families want to enroll their students. They have already started to share information with principals about the process. Typical paperwork needed for enrollment won’t be required.

Background

In June 2022, plans became official to transform the former American Hebrew Academy property, which closed in 2019, into a transitional facility for immigrant children under the management of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The site, now known as Greensboro Influx Care Facility, was planned to house unaccompanied immigrant children temporarily — about two or three weeks — while family members and sponsors were located. The facility was intended for children ages 13 through 17 and has a capacity of up to 800 beds.

The Greensboro ICF was designated operational starting March 15 but had its operational status changed on June 28 when the DHHS announced that operations were being “ramped down.” No children have been housed in the facility at any point, and the June status change led to a decrease in staffing.

“It will continue to have no children in care but must be ready to resume operations and accept children eight weeks after being notified by ORR,” HHS wrote in the document.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan shared more clarifying comments on Facebook, writing “Leadership for the Office of Refugee Resettlement with oversight for the Logistics at the Greensboro Children’s Center shared that as of Sunday, June 23, 2024, the facility ramped down its operations to ‘facility upkeep.’ This means the amount of people on site keeping the facility in a ready state will ebb and flow, but generally there will be fewer people. While the site will continue to have no children in care, it must be ready to accept children for care eight weeks after being notified by ORR of a need for capacity. We will continue to keep a pulse on operations and share anything of significance.”

The property on Hobbs Road is 100 gated acres that include 31 buildings of 412,712 square feet, an $18 million athletic center and natatorium, a variety of athletic fields and a 22-acre lake.

While the news comes with some caveats, semiconductor company IQE plans a $305 million, 109-job expansion of its Greensboro facility over several years, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper confirmed Monday.

The investment is subject to customer commitments and federal funding from the CHIPS Act, the 2022 legislation authorizing $280 billion to expand domestic semiconductor manufacturing, according to the governor’s office.

IQE Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of UK-based IQE PLC, uses molecular-beam epitaxy to make semiconductor wafers for the defense and aerospace industries. IQE employs 72 on Gallimore Dairy Road in southwestern Greensboro.

The new investment would add metal-organic chemical vapor deposition as a technology for semiconductor chip production to help serve the electric-vehicle market, according to the governor’s office.

The average annual wage of the 109 new jobs will be $64,908, compared to the Guilford County average of $58,843, creating a potential annual payroll of $7 million.

The state is involved through a performance-based grant of $275,000 from the One North Carolina Fund subject to investment and job-creation thresholds.

Greensboro City Council is scheduled to consider incentives worth up to $2.4 million later today for a company described as Project Electro but which is clearly IQE based on the agenda’s description of its industry, location, and investment size. Guilford County commissioners are also taking up their own incentive package.

The governor’s announcement confirmed the company’s intention to proceed even though IQE recently went through a leadership shakeup, its CEO resigning abruptly last week after declining stock-market results — though much of the semiconductor industry and tech stocks in general have suffered in recent weeks and months.

The governor’s announcement quoted the company’s interim CEO:

“Greensboro has proven to be a strategic location for IQE and has provided access to exceptional talent,” said interim CEO Jutta Meier. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with the city as we progress further with our application for government funding via the CHIPS Act, which along with funding commitments from the state, will provide us with the capital to invest and expand our local footprint.”

Earlier this year, IQE qualified to make epitaxial wafers for advanced infrared sensing and imaging for Raytheon, a major aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor Raytheon. TBJ reported in January that while the qualification did not mean more jobs immediately for IQE, it ensured continuation of a 15-year relationship with Raytheon and that the companies would continue to collaborate on research and development of infrared sensors for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Last November, the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce said IQE expected to create 31 new jobs by the end of 2026 after Greensboro’s city council had approved an incentive grant of up to $37,755 in July to help the company with improvements at its 494 Gallimore Dairy Road site. The company had about 50 employees at the end of 2023.

IQE's announcement is another way the Triad's manufacturing sector is tapping the electrification of transportation, with Toyota's nearly $14 billion plant for hybrid and all-battery-electric plants and a planned 5,100 workers leading the way.

A Welsh semiconductor manufacturer that has operated in Greensboro for more than a decade announced a $305 million investment that will add 109 jobs to its existing operations.

IQE’s expansion at its manufacturing facility will take place over several years.The company currently has 72 employees in Greensboro. It manufactures epi wafers using molecular beam epitaxy for the defense and aerospace industries. This investment would add a complementary epitaxy called metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and would provide a new clean technology for semiconductor chip production to help serve the electric vehicle market. Some of its epi wafers are used in Apple iPhones for face recognition.

“Greensboro has proven to be a strategic location for IQE and has provided access to exceptional talent,” says Jutta Meier, interim CEO of IQE. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with the city as we progress further with our application for government funding via the CHIPS Act, which along with funding commitments from the state, will provide us with the capital to invest and expand our local footprint.”

Meier got the company’s top job when former CEO Americo Lemos left the British company last week. Meier had been finance chief. She has two decades of experience in the semiconductor sector and was most recently senior finance director at Intel’s Foundry Services business.

North Carolina has more than 110 companies exporting $1.2 billion of semiconductors and microelectronics around the world, says N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders in a release.

Salaries will vary by position, but the average annual wage will be $64,908, which exceeds the Guilford County average of $58,843. These new jobs could potentially create an annual payroll impact of more than $7 million for the region.

Local incentives for the project are expected to be decided this week. The city of Greensboro will be asked at its meeting tonight (Monday, Nov. 4) to approve $2,410,711 in incentives. On Thursday, Nov. 7, Guilford County commissioners will be asked to approve incentives of $2,618,623.

A performance-based grant of $275,000 from the One North Carolina Fund has already been approved pending IQE meeting job creation and capital investment targets.

IQE is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

GREENSBORO, N.C. —

Just days away from Election Day, former President Donald Trump continued his presidential campaign blitz in North Carolina and held a rally in Greensboro .

He rallied supporters at First Horizon Coliseum late Saturday night.

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Trump projected confidence as he addressed supporters in the battleground state. Trump asserted his lead, while urging people to vote on Election Day.

“When you’re winning by a lot, you could still lose by a little,” he said. “And we can’t take a chance of losing the great state of North Carolina. We’re not going to lose the great state of North Carolina,”

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During the rally, Trump focused heavily on two key issues of his campaign: the economy and immigration.

“I will massively cut taxes,” Trump said. “I will cut taxes for workers and small businesses, and we will have no tax on tips.”

On immigration, he spoke about his plans for a mass deportation of immigrants who have illegally entered the United States.

“When I’m president, we’re going to evict the illegals, and we’ll take back our properties,” he said.

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Trump also took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, linking her record to that of President Joe Biden.

“Kamala says she would not do one thing differently from crooked Joe Biden, which itself is disqualifying,” he said.

Trump will continue campaigning in North Carolina with an event in Kinston Sunday.

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GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — The “iconic” venue in Greensboro is getting an update.

According to their official X account, the Greensboro Coliseum will now be known as First Horizon Coliseum after selling the naming rights to the complex.

First Horizon Bank was founded and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.

This push to change the name was driven by the Oak View Group, which took over operation of the coliseum earlier in 2024, after the longtime director, Matt Brown, retired.

“We are thrilled to welcome First Horizon Bank, a fantastic community and business partner here in Greensboro, as our naming rights partner at the Coliseum,” Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said. “We are grateful to Oak View Group, who, in their first year of operating our beautiful facilities, helped us attract and secure First Horizon as the first naming rights partner in the venue’s 65-year history. With Oak View Group as our operator and First Horizon as our naming rights partner, the First Horizon Coliseum is poised to be a top entertainment destination and a tremendous asset for our community that will continue to attract events that generate millions of dollars in economic impact for our region.”

“Securing a naming rights partner was a top priority in our first year in Greensboro,” said Greg O’Dell, President of Venue Management, Oak View Group. “We are excited for the future here in Greensboro as we seek new opportunities for the First Horizon Coliseum that further generate excitement and more indelible moments for this iconic and revered venue. First Horizon Bank is the perfect partner to help us.”

The new name is a part of Oak View Group’s efforts to build the venue’s brand identity, hoping to further build a strong fan base. First Horizon was founded and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.

The new partnership with First Horizon Bank was secured by OVG Global Partnerships.

“This was an iconic venue to put our name on and really show a long-term consistent commitment,” First Horizon Bank Triad Market President Todd Williams said.

Vaughan says the contract between the First Horizon Bank, Oak View Group and Greensboro will last 10 years.

She said the change will save the city money.

First Horizon paid a million a year for the naming rights with an escalator clause, which allows the price of the contract to be decreased or increased under certain conditions.

“I think it’s really around brand awareness. At first, we’ve had a handful of brands with bank mergers … To reinforce our brand … is just such an important state with the growth in the Carolinas … especially here in the Triad and the Carolinas core,” Williams said.

They expect the change to be bittersweet for many as fans adapt to the name change.

“You’re going to continue to hear ‘Greensboro’ over the course of time. This will phase in,” Oak View Group First Horizon Coliseum General Manager Scott Johnson said. “But over the course of the next months and years, it will matriculate into First Horizon Coliseum, and we’ll also continue that with other things. So the Special Events Center at Greensboro Complex or White Oak Amphitheater at Greensboro Complex.”

Greensboro city leaders believe with Oak View Group as the venue’s operator and First Horizon as its naming rights partner, First Horizon Coliseum will grow as an entertainment destination and continue to attract events that generate millions of dollars to our local economy.