NC creates new outdoor position in government & a build update

North Carolina-based Outdoor Companies Drive Initiative to Create New State Level Position

New position to promote economic development in outdoor-based recreation and manufacturing

[press release from SylvanSport]

Brevard, NC: From the Outer Banks to the Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina has long been a destination for outdoor adventure and businesses alike. As a $19.2 billion industry, outdoor recreation provides 192,000 jobs in North Carolina and is steadily growing. Recognizing the importance of the outdoor industry to the state’s economy, Tom Dempsey, President of SylvanSport, a North Carolina-based, recreational vehicle manufacturer, and several other industry leaders have led the drive to establish a new state level position to promote North Carolina and assist in bringing new businesses to the state.

The new Outdoor Recreation Recruitment Director is modeled from similar positions in Utah, Colorado and Washington, with Dempsey believing that North Carolina could be the leader in outdoor-based economy in the East. Through a collaborative effort of outdoor gear manufacturers throughout the state, a proposal was submitted to the North Carolina State Legislature in Raleigh.

“Growing the outdoor recreation economy in North Carolina has been a passion of mine for 20 years,” says Dempsey. “North Carolina is truly a leader in this space, and it is gratifying to see our state’s leadership in this regard. Many thanks to the other industry leaders and to Senator Rick Gunn of Alamance County for joining me in making this happen!”

The Outdoor Recreation Recruitment Director is included in the 2018-19 budget as introduced by the North Carolina legislatures on Monday, June 19, 2017.

---

I finally feel a little momentum with the Cool Tears teardrop build. While I have done a little wood working in the past, metal is not something I've dealt with. So building storage into a metal base was all new. It would be very easy to get discouraged but I know within just a few days I will be at the point where I can start going step by step through the Big Woody plans.

I knew all along that I wanted the side of the bottom storage to be diamond cut sheet metal. The guy at Lowe's told me last week to go check out a local store Metal by the Foot. It's a long time KC metal supplier that is open to the public with no minimums on quantity. They had 8 different types/sizes of diamond metal to choose from. I chose the .040 and they cut it down to the sizes I needed. EXCEPT...I needed a curved radius to round the fenders. So I pulled out my trusted Dremel Saw Max and slapped the metal blade on. I already had template of the curve created because the metal will skin a 1/4" sheet of plywood. Anyways, I took a deep breath (can't afford to screw up a $150 sheet of metal) and started cutting. It went really well and I was surprised at how easily that Saw Max cut through the metal. Having never cut metal, I found it interesting how fast you can blow through the blades!

The edges were then smoothed down with some steel wool and it was then time to dry fit it....AND IT WORKED! Commence little happy dance in the back yard. HA!

Went to the DMV and successfully tagged the trailer...only took 20 minutes which might be a record for me! Today we have storms and since I don't have a shop it'll be a "rain day" for work today. The countdown is on though as I want to have it ready for the Heartland Tearjerkers Oktoberfest this fall!