Enviva Honored by Northampton County Chamber of Commerce with “Corporate Business of the Year” Award
Enviva is recognized for its philanthropic outreach, investments in community development, and its continuous commitment to manufacturing excellence
BETHESDA, Md., June 16, 2021 — Enviva, a leading renewable energy company specializing in sustainable wood bioenergy, today announced it was the recipient of the Northampton County Chamber of Commerce’s “Corporate Business of the Year” award. The Northampton County Chamber of Commerce was established to advance the general welfare and prosperity of the county as well as to promote economic, civic, commercial, cultural, industrial, and educational interests to enhance the well-being of local citizens. Enviva was selected as a recipient of this year’s award for its commitment to manufacturing excellence, its outstanding community outreach, along with its support of several existing educational and non-profit partnerships within the region.
“We are both honored and humbled to be the recipient of this year’s Northampton County Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Corporate Business of the Year’ award,” said Chris Brown, Senior Community Relations Manager of the Mid-Atlantic at Enviva. “This award further underscores our commitment to leaving a positive impact on the communities we are grateful to serve, and we look forward to strengthening our relationship with the Northampton community for years to come.”
Enviva’s Involvement in Northampton County
Over the last year, Enviva has sponsored and supported several county initiatives including the new Northampton Career and Technical Academy of Innovation, which is slated to open later this fall; the Halifax Community College’s Foundation, which supports student scholarships; and the construction of Northampton County’s new walking trail and playground in Rich Square, which will provide local residents an inclusive community place to enjoy and recreate outdoors.
“Enviva has been a staple of this community since they began their operations here in 2013 and we are honored to present them with this award,” said Judy Collier, Executive Director of the Northampton, North Carolina Chamber of Commerce. “As an active member of this community, Enviva has continuously supported, donated, and invested their time and talents into local organizations and causes. We are very lucky to have Enviva as part of our community as they continue to bring more business and more support to Northampton County. We look forward to working and partnering with Enviva more in the future.”
In an effort to empower and recruit top talent within the community, Enviva actively supports the Halifax Community College’s RAMP East Program — a 96-hour curriculum that helps prepare undergraduate students for a job in the manufacturing industry. Enviva associates provide invaluable input to the training program curriculum and interview graduating program members for positions that may be available at the company’s Northampton and Ahoskie, NC facilities. Several program graduates are now successfully employed by Enviva in those plants, with more currently in the pipeline.
Yet another example of the company’s community engagement is the partnership that started in 2015 with the Roanoke Electric Cooperative and the Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Project (SFLR), to assist forest landowners in obtaining access to technical assistance, cost-share funds, and certification programs. Enviva also partners with the local organizations, such as the Northampton County NAACP, on several events from back-to-school drives in August to holiday food distributions around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Enviva’s total economic impact in North Carolina is forecasted to be close to $1 billion annually. In Northampton County alone, Enviva employs 97 full-time workers and on average offers compensation close to 40% higher than the average wage in the county. To-date, Enviva has invested close to $200 million in the Northampton plant.
