Crews were working today, April 24, on installing new steel for a tasting-room expansion at the Lexington Avenue Brewery.
(photo by Bill Rhodes)

Crews were working today, April 24, on installing new steel for a tasting-room expansion at the Lexington Avenue Brewery.
(photo by Bill Rhodes)
As part of the deal to bring a new, East Coast brewery here, the city of Asheville will give New Belgium $3.5 million in tax reimbursements over seven years, provided it goes through with its plans to invest $175 million in building the new facility. The city will also make infrastructure improvements to the area costing more than $500,000.
PRESS RELEASE In conjunction with the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County (EDC), New Belgium Brewing Company announced the selection of Asheville, North Carolina, to build its first expansion brewery outside of Fort Collins, Colorado. The nation’s third-largest craft brewer plans to invest $175 million over seven years to build a state-of-the-art brewery in Asheville’s […]
Craft brewer New Belgium will build its East Coast facility in Asheville, officials announced at the Chamber of Commerce.
(Photo by Anne-Fitten Glenn)
This morning, city officials, crews unloading hay bales, state troopers and Asheville Police were swarming the Craven Street property rumored to be under contract for sale to craft brewer New Belgium. And this afternoon Gov. Perdue’s office announced she’ll come to Asheville Thursday to make an “economic development announcement.”
The massive 35,000-square-foot building adjacent to the Lexington Avenue Brewery in downtown Asheville is getting a major overhaul, with a new taproom, restaurant, beer production facility, condos and stores likely to open by the end of the year, reports LAB co-owner Mike Healy.
Jones urges Asheville Middle School renovation Mandatory trash pickup discussed The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners huddled with staff Jan. 31 to discuss past accomplishments and current priorities. Here's a look at some of the considerable ground they covered during their four-hour retreat. Where we’ve been County Manager Wanda Greene began by handing the commissioners […]
This post features dispatches via Twitter and other information unveiled at Gov. Bev Perdue’s economic development announcement in Mills River. After months of speculation, she joined representatives from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. to announce the large craft brewery will build a new production facility in the area. Photo of Gov. Perdue (center) toasting with brewery founder Ken Grossman (left) and his son, Brian, who will move to the area to help manage the new facility. (Photo by Max Cooper)
As part of this week’s cover package on the local beer business, we prepared an extensive timeline of the high points in its evolution, from when the Smoky Mountain Brewery first opened its doors in 1993 in Waynesville to Asheville Brewing Company’s current plans to start offering the area’s first canned brews.
With rumors flying about local governments’ closed sessions on economic development (a New Belgium brewery?), government incentives for private business are once again in the news. Whether they’re spat on as “corporate welfare” or lauded as “job creation,” they remain controversial as ever.
Follow live Twitter coverage of the keynote address at the Southeast Economic and Workforce Development Conference, where U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John Fernandez and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Administration Jane Oates will talk on the overall economic situation and efforts to promote job growth.
The Buncombe County commissioners unanimously approved a $10 million economic-incentives package for Linamar Corp. July 26, as part of an agreement with the Canadian auto-parts manufacturer announced last month.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners is expected July 26 to approve a large real-estate sale to Linamar Corp. as part of an economic incentives package aimed at ensuring the Canadian-based auto-parts manufacturer fulfills its plans to operate in Buncombe County.
Linamar Corporation is hosting a management job fair July 5, from noon to 8 p.m. and July 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the A-B Tech Enka campus.
County buys Volvo plant. County sells Volvo plant to Linamar Group, a Canadian manufacturer, the following year. Asheville gives Linamar $2.2 million in incentives over four years. Buncombe puts up $6.8 million in incentives. North Carolina pitches in $9 million. The hoped-for results? Almost 400 jobs for the Asheville-Buncombe area that pay, on average, more than $39,000 a year.
Governor Bev Perdue announces Linamar’s expansion. Photo by Jonathan Welch
Live Twitter coverage of tonight’s awaited economic development news from the Asheville Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m.. Reportedly, the deal involves Canadian auto-parts manufacturer Linamar occupying the old Volvo plant, recently purchased by the county.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously June 28 to purchase the former Volvo plant at 2169 Hendersonville Road for $7 million in taxpayer funds. In the weeks leading up to the vote, county, city and state leaders have hinted that the purchase is part of a larger, multifaceted arrangement with a private employer to take over the site. And in the hours leading up to the vote, WLOS News 13 began reporting that the employer is the Canadian-based Linamar Corporation, a large manufacturer of engines, transmissions and drive trains.
Signs from county, city and state officials are pointing towards a possible big jobs announcement soon. However, many questions remain, including the details of Buncombe County’s plan to purchase the former Volvo plant at 2169 Hendersonville Road.
What would allow our North Carolina legislators to fulfill their campaign promises to create jobs [and] protect homeowners and the environment without new nuclear plants? They have a win-win opportunity if they adopt the new 2012 Energy Conservation Code, which would increase energy efficiency by 15 percent in new residential and 30 percent in commercial […]
According to Jake Frankel's article, It's the Economy, Stupid [Dec. 15, 2010 Xpress), the Buncombe County Commissioners approved a "$99.74 million federal stimulus loan to Ingles Markets Inc." The loan is to help Ingles [expand] their facility in Black Mountain. The "completed projects would create at least 190 new full-time jobs, plus an unspecified number […]
Xpress staff reporter Michael Muller interviews Sam Powers, General Manager of the Civic Center and Director of Economic Development for the City of Asheville. In this exclusive video, Powers takes Xpress viewers on a guided tour and explains some of the changes coming to the 35-year old downtown institution.