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Local Impact of the SBC
Back to Main MenuSmall Business CenterFree Confidential CounselingFree Business SeminarsSmall Business ToolkitGEM ProjectLocal Impact
Terry Valentino

Terry Valentino


828-652-0634

Small Business CenterFree Confidential CounselingFree Business SeminarsSmall Business ToolkitGEM ProjectLocal Impact
Terry Valentino

Terry Valentino

Director of Small Business Center
828-652-0634

Local Impact of the SBC

In 2016, to build a stronger tomorrow for our community, local partners purposed to reverse the decline in local entrepreneurs and new small business start-ups. Since entrepreneurship is critical to building community wealth, the Marion Business Association (MBA), the City of Marion, the McDowell Chamber of Commerce, and the McDowell Technical Community College (MTCC) Small Business Center (SBC) partnered to create the Growing Entrepreneurs Marion (GEM) program.

The Downtown Business District was chosen as the test site for the first GEM classes that started in February of 2016. Using the REAL curriculum, GEM offers an eight class training program to teach basic entrepreneur skills, community demographics, small business impact on the community, networking skills, proper legal structure, navigating local building requirements, business finances and basics and more. On completion of the GEM course, participants create and present a detailed business plan.

Economic impact reported by the MBA from 2016 - 2023, including investment spurred, jobs created, and additional projects leveraged are listed below:

  • 2016-2023 Downtown Investment: $4,000,450.00 + Community Investment $1,535,954.00 - Total: $5,536,404.00
  • Job Creation = 129 FIT and 112 PIT
  • 21 new businesses opened in Downtown Marion, including Marion's first taproom, first brewery, an entertainment venue, a restaurant, a metal fabricating shop, an ice cream shop, an oil/spice/gourmet foods shop, a fine dining restaurant and a food truck turned restaurant.
  • 21 New Downtown businesses received GEM Start-up Grants
  • Nine businesses opened in the City of Marion outside the Downtown district.
  • Fourteen existing businesses desiring to update and refresh their business plans and business skills participated in the GEM classes.
  • Twenty-seven businesses are home based businesses.
  • Four businesses opened in McDowell County, outside of the City of Marion.
  • Nine GEM businesses purchased property in Downtown and another one elsewhere in the City of Marion.
  • 9 building renovations were completed by GEM businesses
  • GEM graduates completed $75,000.00 plus in Facade Improvements Downtown.

In January of 2023, the MTCC SBC added a new start-up program in Spanish, Empresarial Latino Americana, in partnership with CULA that is based on the GEM model. The class has been extremely successful in meeting the needs of local Latino entrepreneurs.

In February of 2024, the MTCC SBC partnered with the University of Notre Dame Urban (UPBI) Poverty Business Initiative to address the business start-up needs of those in adverse circumstances. Since approximately 65% of GEM clients do not have start-up funds, the UPBI model address some of those needs. We will offer our Accelerate and Innovate Mc`Dowell (AIM) program based on the UPBI model in Fall of 2025.

Additionally, the MTCC SBC reports outcomes to the state annually. The results, based solely on responses received from clients, are in the graph below: