Business Expansion Center

96 East Callahan Street
Rome, Georgia 30161
Phone: (706) 295-6382
Fax: (706) 295-6384

In June of 2001, Coosa Valley Technical College made a commitment to increase its very prominent role in the community's economic development efforts by the establishment of a Business Expansion Center. Having established a well known and successful economic development initiative, including Quick Start and Workforce Development, the creation of the Business Expansion Center was a natural addition.

This Expansion Center was created in order to provide for new industries and new jobs by encouraging the development of companies in its three-county service area (Floyd, Gordon, and Polk). The acquisition of a 38,500 square foot building for use in providing tenant space was accomplished in order to successfully attract manufacturing, service, and information technology start-ups as well as those involved in biomedical and biotechnical areas.

The concept of the Expansion Center was useful in that it provided the economic development tools necessary to accelerate the growth and success of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support services and resources. In that a business incubator's main goal is to produce successful firms that will leave the program financially viable and freestanding, the idea of a facility where rotation in and out of these firms was attractive. These graduates would create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, strengthen local and regional economies, and commercialize critical new technologies.

Today, Northwestern Technical College continues to advance the mission of entrepreneurial development and growth set out by Coosa Valley Technical College. In addition to the economic goals, the Business Expansion Center desires to provide these entrepreneurs with a unique environment which enhances their opportunity for success by providing low cost office space and manufacturing space, professional support services, access to the resources of Georgia Northwestern Technical College, and access to the area's other resources through the fostering of entrepreneurial ideas from the early stage of company development until the company is able to graduate from the center.