WHAT’S NEW
FOX BUSINESS ANCHOR—AND MITCHELL COUNTY NATIVE—MEETS WITH MCDF LEADERSHIP TEAM
September 26, 2025
Hurricane Helene hit Mitchell County almost exactly one year ago.
Today Fox Business Network Anchor—and Mitchell County Native—Gerri Willis met with Mitchell County Development Foundation representatives to discuss events of the past year as well as the path that lies ahead.
“We are celebrating the resiliency of small business here in Spruce Pine, NC. It’s my family’s hometown for generations” said Willis. She went on to congratulate David Niven for reopening DT’s Blue Ridge Java.
Willis also quoted a statistic from Mountain Biz Works which stated 83% of businesses in the affected area after Helene were closed for some period of time and not everyone has been able to reopen.
While in Spruce Pine this week Willis also talked with local business leaders and met with members of the MCDF Board of Directors to discuss Mitchell County’s ongoing work to recover, one year after Hurricane Helene.
Mitchell County Naive Gerri Willis meets with the Mitchell County Development Foundation leadership team.
MCDF PASSES KEY MILESTONE: $1.27M DISTRIBUTED TO LOCAL BUSINESSES AFFECTED BY HELENE
MCDF Supports 53 Businesses In Mitchell County Affected By Hurricane Helene
September 22, 2025
Since its launch earlier this year, the Mitchell County Development Foundation's Small Business Resiliency Fund has awarded grants to 53 Mitchell County Businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene. To date, over half of these businesses have fully or partially reopened with many of the remaining businesses planning to complete repairs by the end of 2025.
Since January, the Mitchell County Development Foundation distributed $1,273,700.00 to local small businesses for building, fixture, and equipment repairs. The MCDF secured these funds via generous donations from individuals, churches, and businesses across the United States as well as grants received from local and national organizations.
The MCDF would like to extend very special thanks to the Samuel L. Phillips Family Foundation and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Truist Foundation Western North Carolina Recovery and Resiliency Fund for their support.
“We are so proud of the progress we’ve made to date—including the distribution of more than $1.27 million to businesses across the county affected by Helene. I am especially happy to report that we have been able to provide significant grants to many small businesses in remote parts of the county. In addition to providing grant funding, the MCDF also provided free workspace to six businesses completely flooded after Helene tore through downtown Spruce Pine. I am thrilled to report all of these businesses have now re-opened in permanent locations in downtown Spruce Pine and are optimistic for the future. All of us at the Mitchell County Development Foundation want to express our deep appreciation to the many individuals, businesses, and organizations across the region who have donated to support our work.”
—Jeff Gouge, President, Mitchell County Development Foundation
“As we near the anniversary of Tropical Storm Helene, Mica Gallery wishes to thank the Mitchell County Development Foundation and our other supporters for grant funding that helped the gallery remain open throughout the year to serve artists and the community. These funds help us to know that we are an asset to Mitchell County and the surrounding area. These resources provided an infusion of cash for repairs and operations and also some much-needed moral support and encouragement."
—Robbie Bell, President, Mica Gallery
"Thank you so much for the grant funding. It will really help. I hope others who lost so much were able to get funded also. Thank you so much for letting us use the free working space in downtown Spruce Pine. It has really been a blessing to have a sense of normalcy."
—MCDF Grant Recipient
The $1,273,700.00 distributed via 99 grants in three rounds of grantmaking:
Round one: 29 grants totaling $191,500.00
Round two: 39 grants (21 to new grantees and 18 to returning grantees) totaling $527,700.00
Round three: 31 grants (3 to new grantees and 28 returning grantees) totaling $554,500.00
Despite all of our successes, there continues to be a great need for future funding. Donors wishing to support the foundation's efforts can make a contribution at the MCDF website. 100% of the funds received will be used to help business recovery in Mitchell County.
Finally, the MCDF is thrilled to be partnering with Hilloween for Hilloween’s 2025 Benefit Concert. The concert’s headliner is OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW, which got its start right here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Join America’s most beloved old-time string band as they sing their signature song “Wagon Wheel,” share their newest hits, and celebrate the history and mystery of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
WHEN: Saturday October 25; see complete event schedule below.
WHERE: Three Peaks Enrichment Center: 97 Pinebridge Avenue in Spruce Pine, NC.
TICKETS: Tickets cost $30.00 and can be purchased here.
100% of funds received will be donated directly to the Mitchell County Development Foundation. Hilloween has covered all costs of this concert, with no financial obligation to the Mitchell County Development Foundation, the county itself, or the town of Spruce Pine.
ABOUT THE MITCHELL COUNTY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION: For more than 20 years, the Mitchell County Development Foundation has supported the people, businesses, and community organizations of Mitchell County, NC. The Foundation is a community-based organization that raises tax deductible funds to support businesses in Mitchell County, NC. The foundation’s sole focus now is hurricane rebuilding efforts; 100% of received donated funds will be distributed directly to businesses in Mitchell County affected by Hurricane Helene. www.mitchellcountydevelopmentfoundation.org
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HILLOWEEN HOSTS BENEFIT CONCERT FOR MCDF WITH HEADLINER OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW
August 28, 2025
The Mitchell County Development Foundation is teaming up with Hilloween to welcome OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW to Mitchell County to raise funds for hurricane recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Tickets for Hilloween’s 2025 Benefit Concert are now available. To learn more and to purchase tickets, please click here.
When: Saturday, October 25 2025
Where: Three Peaks Enrichment Center: 97 Pinebridge Avenue in Spruce Pine, NC.
TICKETS: Tickets cost $30.00 and can be purchased here.
100% of received funds will be donated directly to the Mitchell County Development Foundation (MCDF).
Hilloween is proud to cover all costs for this event, with no financial obligation for the MCDF, Mitchell County, or the town of Spruce Pine.
To learn more about Hilloween’s partnership with the Mitchell County Development Foundation, click here.
BUSINESSES ACROSS MITCHELL COUNTY CONTINUE TO REBUILD AND REOPEN AFTER HELENE
$510,000 In Additional Funding Now Available To Businesses Affected By The Storm
July 14, 2025
Progress continues at Peterson's Store in northern Mitchell County. While the store was totally washed away by Helene, this is one of 68 local businesses to have been awarded a grant from the Mitchell County Development Foundation (MCDF) to rebuild after Hurricane Helene.
To date, the MCDF has already awarded a total of $719,200 to businesses across Mitchell County, thanks to support from individual, foundation, and corporate contributions.
Interested in applying for these funds? If your business was affected by the storm, please click here for information on how to apply. Applications for our third round of grants are now open and will close at midnight on July 20, 2025. Grants to local businesses will range from $5,000 to $25,000, depending on demonstrated need, availability of funding, and other factors. The MCDF is prepared to grant up to an additional $510,000.00 to local businesses affected by the storm in this grant cycle.
Interested in making a donation to support Mitchell County businesses? The MCDF estimates it will distribute a total of more than $1.2 million to local businesses before the one-year anniversary of the storm in September. While proud of what has already been accomplished, MCDF leaders report that there are still millions of dollars of need across the county, which is why ongoing fundraising for future grant rounds is so important.
MCDF’S THIRD ROUND GRANT APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN
$510,000 In Grants To Be Awarded Thanks to Support from the Truist Foundation Western NC Recovery and Resiliency Fund at the Center for Disaster Philanthropy
July 7, 2025
Spruce Pine, NC July 7, 2025—The Mitchell County Development Foundation’s Small Business Resiliency Fund opened its third round of grant opportunities today. These grants have been made possible by a generous gift from the Truist Foundation Western NC Recovery and Resiliency Fund at the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP). These grants will support Mitchell County businesses damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Helene.
Interested in applying for these funds? If your business was affected by the storm, please visit www.mitchellcountydevelopmentfoundation.org for information on how to apply. Applications will open the morning of July 7, 2025 and close at midnight on July 20, 2025. Grants to local businesses will range from $5,000 to $25,000, depending on demonstrated need, availability of funding, and other factors. To apply click here.
Interested in making a donation to support Mitchell County businesses? The MCDF estimates it will distribute a total of more than $1.2 million to local businesses before the one-year anniversary of the storm in September. While proud of what has already been accomplished, MCDF leaders report that there are still millions of dollars of need across the county, which is why ongoing fundraising for future grant rounds is so important.
Donors wishing to support the foundation’s efforts can make a contribution at the MCDF website. 100% of the funds received will be used to help business recovery in Mitchell County. Donors may earmark gifts for the General Fund, the Bakersville Fund, the Spruce Pine Fund, or a special fund focusing on unincorporated areas (outside of the Bakersville or Spruce Pine municipal limits).
NC Governor Josh Stein and Stephen Colbert Celebrate How WNC is Open For Business This Summer
June 6, 2025
NC Governor Josh Stein stops by the Stephen Colbert show to talk about how Western North Carolina is open for business this summer and how the region is bouncing back after the lasting affects of Hurricane Helene. While there is still rebuilding work to be done, Governor Stein and Colbert discuss the many things visitors can see and do in WNC this summer.
Watch the segment here.
From the New York Times:
The Gem of a Town in North Carolina That Powers The World’s Tech
May 31, 2025
By Eduardo Medina; Photographs by Mike Belleme
The jagged ridges in the green mountains above Spruce Pine look strange at first, as if they were scratched into the surface by giant claws. From afar, visitors sometimes confuse them for snow.
In fact, they are mines that hold some of the world’s purest quartz, a smoky gray mineral that is essential for manufacturing silicon wafers that eventually become computer chips in smartphones and other high-tech products.
No other place on Earth has as much or as minable pure quartz as Spruce Pine, in western North Carolina. It’s a geological Goldilocks, as raw minerals are in high demand and China is tightening its grip on mineral exports in its trade war with the Trump administration.
Two European companies operate the mines with much secrecy, and are responsible for almost the entire global market of high-purity quartz, according to industry experts.
But entering Spruce Pine, a town of about 2,000 people where narrow roads wind past stone-clad houses, this reputation is hard to glean. Residents call it “Mineral City,” preferring to talk more about their strong mining traditions and their almost spiritual connection to the gems that have provided jobs for generations.
Quartz is just one of many minerals — there is also mica, feldspar and kaolin — that have kept the area economically relevant for centuries, and that will continue to sustain the region no matter the geopolitical climate, mine workers and local officials say.
There is a saying in town that pieces of Spruce Pine can be found all over the world.
“No one else has what’s here,” said Patti Jensen, a consultant for the county’s chamber of commerce, pointing toward the ashen peaks…
To read the entire article please click here.
Rural Rebuilding Together Grant Fund Offers $25K To Businesses In Mitchell County
March 28, 2025
Businesses located within the central business districts of Bakersville, Canton, Lake Lure, Old Fort, and Spruce Pine may request up to $25,000 for costs associated with Hurricane Helene.
The Rural Rebuilding Together Grant Fund offers direct grants to businesses who suffered direct physical damage from Hurricane Helene, and which are located within the central business districts of the following communities:
Bakersville
Canton
Lake Lure
Old Fort
Spruce Pine
The Fund aims to help rebuild and restore the region’s unique and diverse local business communities and retain & re-hire the talented people who work at these businesses. Eligible businesses may request up to $25,000 in grant funding to cover their costs associated with the storm that were not fully covered by insurance or other funding sources. Application Deadline April 20. Complete details are available here.
Mitchell County: A Journey of Hope Post Hurricane Helene Highlighted on WLOS-13
March 27, 2025
Check out Mitchell County Development Foundation president Jeff Gouge and a number of MCDF grant recipients on this recent news piece from longtime Mitchell County Supporter Karen Wynne and WLOS ABC 13 -- highlighting Mitchell County's Journey Of Hope since Hurricane Helene.
Watch the full piece here.
MCDF Opens Application For Second Round Of Grant Funding
March 27, 2025
The Mitchell County Development Foundation’s Small Business Resiliency Fund announced a second round of grant opportunities today. This grant program provides funds to local businesses that were destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Helene.
Earlier this year, the foundation’s first round of Small Business Resiliency Fund grants distributed $191,500.00 to 29 local businesses across Spruce Pine, Bakersville, and many unincorporated areas of the county.
Thanks to additional generous donations, the foundation has now opened a second round of grant opportunities. Foundation representatives hope to distribute up to $500,000 in grant funding during this round.
In this second round of grants, affected businesses can apply for $1,000 to $25,000 in funding, depending on the demonstrated need of the application. This grant cycle is open to new applicants and previous applicants (whether they received funding in the first round or not) based on continuing demonstrated need.
The application deadline is midnight on April 15, 2025. More information about this second round of funding is available here. To apply for funding, please click here.
MCDF Visits Grantees Across Mitchell County
March 20, 2025
We are rebuilding.
The Mitchell County Development Foundation is 100% focused on supporting post-hurricane rebuilding efforts across Mitchell County.
In January, the foundation made grants to 29 local businesses totaling $191,500.00. Launched in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, these grants represent just Phase One of the Foundation’s Small Business Resiliency Grant Fund program. The goal of this program is to support small businesses countywide that were destroyed, damaged, or otherwise negatively impacted by the storm.
Last week foundation representatives were able to visit a number of local grantees--including Loafers Glory Rafting And Tubing, shown here--where teams are hard at work on a number of rebuilding efforts.
The foundation is currently preparing for our second round of grants—this round totaling $500,000.00—and encourage any local businesses affected by the storm--including any who have already received funding--to check our website for more information. https://www.mitchellcountydevelopmentfoundation.org/
Thanks From A Recent MCDF Grantee
February 9, 2025
A local business recently reached out to send thanks to the Mitchell County Development Foundation for the grant they received.
“We wanted to share this picture … and thank you so much. Words are never enough…. but our family is so grateful for the help!”
To learn more about our work and our grant program, please click here.
Help Shape WNC Recovery Efforts with the Helene Impact Business Response Survey
February 7, 2025
“I encourage all Mitchell County businesses to complete this survey, which is conducted in conjunction with the Economic Development Partnership of NC (EPDNC). As a EPDNC Board Member, I can attest to the efficacy of this group. Survey results will be used to address recovery efforts throughout WNC. We want Mitchell County’s voice to be heard! “
—Keith Holtsclaw,
Mitchell County Development Foundation
Riverbird Research, in partnership with local and state agencies, has launched the WNC Helene Impacts Business Response Survey to assess impacts and needs across our region. Feedback will directly inform relief and recovery efforts at all levels of government. Whether you're a small business, a large company, or even if you've had to close your doors post-Helene, your insights are crucial.
Respondents will have the option to enter a drawing for a $500 Visa gift card provided by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Note: You may have filled out a different survey on Helene impacts focused on specific aspects of recovery. We encourage you to fill out this new collaborative survey to provide ground-level picture of the storm's impact on businesses and the interconnected economy of Western North Carolina.
ANY business with a presence in Western North Carolina can take the survey. This includes businesses in any industry and of all sizes (from solopreneurs to national/international companies with operations in WNC) as well as businesses that may have closed post-Helene.
This collaborative survey is in partnership with the EDPNC, Buncombe County, the City of Asheville and Explore Asheville to support business recovery efforts across Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. The General Assembly has tasked the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) with conducting a business loss and needs assessment to help inform federal and state policy for relief and recovery, as local agencies and partners work together across Western North Carolina to address immediate and long-term business needs.
“I encourage all Mitchell County businesses to complete this survey, said Keith Holtsclaw of the Mitchell County Development Foundation. This survey is conducted in conjunction with the Economic Development Partnership (EDPNC) of NC. As a EDPNC Board Member, I can attest to the efficacy of this group. Survey results will be used to address recovery efforts throughout WNC. We want Mitchell County’s voice to be heard.”
EDPNC’s CEO, Christopher Chung: “By taking the time to respond to this survey, WNC business owners can have a voice in describing the depth and breadth of challenges affecting their business, their employees, and their customers. As the state's partner in supporting existing companies and counseling small business, this information is crucial to informing the next steps forward in Washington and Raleigh."
MCDF Releases Documentary Highlighting Helene’s Impact… and Our Path Forward.
February 3, 2025
While it is hard to describe the devastation Hurricane Helene left, the irrepressible spirt of mountain people is also impossible to ignore.
Today we are releasing a new documentary sharing all we’ve made it through and—even more importantly—our call to action regarding what lies ahead.
Hear the powerful voices of small business owners in Mitchell County, NC as they share their stories of resilience and determination after the devastation of Hurricane Helene. These hardworking entrepreneurs aren’t asking for a handout—they’re asking for a hand up. Together, we can help them rebuild their dreams and strengthen their community. Every donation to the Mitchell County Development Foundation goes directly toward recovery efforts.
The Mitchell County Development Foundation would like to share our deep appreciation to Mark Mooney and Cristeen Bettez with Crescent Moon Pictures for this incredible documentary. View the full video here.
WNC Small Business Initiative Opens Applications For Next Round of Funding
January 31, 2025
Was your small business harmed by Hurricane Helene? The Western North Carolina Small Business Initiative II is here to help.
The initiative is partnering with local Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to provide relief grants up to $50,000 (up to $25,000 for businesses with revenue $1,000,000 or less) to small businesses across the region that sustained physical damage from Hurricane Helene. The application window for this grant is now OPEN from Jan. 31 – Feb. 21, 2025.
“This is wonderful news for small businesses in the impacted disaster counties” said Keith Holtzlaw of the Mitchell County Development Foundation. “Eligible businesses in Mitchell County are encouraged to submit an application. The need in Mitchell County is so great it is imperative for the MCDF to continue our resiliency fund raising to ensure complete recovery. Please continue to support the MCDF. Currently a pledge of $300,000 is available as a match for donations received.”
<<Read the details here.>>
Capital Is Critical For Economic Recovery
January 29, 2025
A recent article in WNC BUSINESS confirmed what we know all too well, that capital is critical for economic recover. The article in part found that:
“About 45% of the state’s small businesses are located in counties impacted by Hurricane Helene, representing about 471,000 businesses, 1.1 million workers, and $168 billion in revenue, according to McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. The Federal Emergency Management Agency says 40% of small businesses do not reopen after a disaster. Providing relief to affected businesses can help restore jobs, heal communities, and create positive ripple effects toward recovery.”
‘Scars of the storm.’ Helene is gone, but its impact is far from over in Mitchell County.
December 10, 2024
Months after Helene’s devastation, Mitchell County now has the state’s highest unemployment rate. Some fear the job losses will continue.
[Originally published by Carolina Public Press on 1/13/25, see full article here]
With the county’s supermarket, downtown restaurants, manufacturing sites and prisons struggling to reopen in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene, Mitchell County now has the highest unemployment rate in North Carolina at nearly 9% — almost three times higher than roughly a year ago.
Recovery and rebuilding from the late-September storm has turned out to be a much longer and more arduous process than residents and officials had hoped. While residents continue to wait on insurance settlements and federal money, massive piles of trash and debris still line the streets.
Winter weather is now slowing things down even further.
And more people are joining the ranks of the unemployed.
Experts from the state Department of Commerce have tried to be reassuring in light of the bad news, but that is no easy sell for the residents of the mountain county. The land and its people are still in rough, raw shape.
“Scars of the storm are everywhere, and it’s hard to see progress some days,” Beth Holmes, a Town Council member in Spruce Pine, told Carolina Public Press.
“Downtown businesses are trying to build back, though many have already been mortgaged. I fear that once they do rebuild, we will have lost the workforce that it would take to open back up. Everything is moving slower than we imagined it would. The devastation here is just unbelievable.
“We are all in need of some movement, something to give us hope.”
<<Read the rest of the article here by Jane Winik Sartwell, originally published on January 13, 2025>>
Spectrum News Highlights MCDF
January 3, 2025
“I've always loved Spruce Pine,” said Cheryl Buchanan. “My dad was the manager at Belk’s here for years, and my mama was part of the Woody family that did the Woody chairs. They even had one that went to the White House.”
A few years ago, Buchanan finally was living her dream, when she opened Treasures in the Pines, joining other bustling businesses downtown.
“We had a lot of tourists and new restaurants,” Buchanan said. “And we were just, we were booming.”
But on Sept. 27, Helene washed those dreams down the river.
“It was shocking,” Buchanan said. “Really shocking”… "It was hard. It was really hard,” Buchanan said. “Because something you put your heart and soul in for almost five years, you know, gone.”
In November, Buchanan and three other businesses were given a glimmer of hope, when the Mitchell County Development Fund opened the doors at the Market on Oak to allow the businesses shuttered by Helene to have a new community space to re-open…. <<See the full story here>>
Spruce Pine Native and Fox News Anchor, Gerri Willis, Pens Op-ED About Spruce Pine + WNC
December 20, 2024
Gerri Willis grew up in Spruce Pine and much of her family still lives here. Willis, who is currently an anchor and personal finance reporter for Fox News, recently published an op-ed about Spruce Pine on the Fox News Website. We have shared several especially powerful quotes below, the entire article can be found here.
“Three months ago, Hurricane Helene touched down in western North Carolina, leaving in its wake $53 billion in destruction.”
“My family is from a small town called Spruce Pine located fifty miles northeast of Asheville perched on a mountain top along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is just one of scores of communities in the region, but the cost of restoring just this small town of 2,400 people will be hundreds of millions of dollars. The biggest cost, an estimated $100 million, will be required to replace the town’s water treatment plant which was covered by a blanket of mud during the storm and is unreclaimable.”
The question though, of course, is what will the next administration do? Vice President-elect J.D. Vance visited Fairview, N.C., early in December (Dec. 6), promising help. "We haven’t forgotten you," he said… We can only hope he keeps his promise and pray that this Christmas will be followed by a 2025 in which the region gets the assistance it so desperately deserves.
Duke Energy Foundation Donates $25,000 The MCDF
December 10, 2024
The Mitchell County Development Foundation is deeply grateful to the Duke Energy Foundation for its donation of $25,000 on December 10, 2024. Shown here are representatives of the Duke Energy Foundation along with MCDF board members at the check presentation.
Winkler Knives Supports The MCDF
November 30, 2024
Special thanks to Winkler Knives for the generous donation to the Mitchell County Development Foundation from the sale of their limited edition 2024 utility axe. On November 30th Winkler Knives presented a a check for 25% of total sales to Foundation Board Members, Jon Duncan and Phillip Hise.
