$1 Million Gift to Help Spur Next Generation of North Carolina Entrepreneurs

HICKORY, N.C., Oct. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- An innovative spirit to restore North Carolina's competitive edge is sweeping across the state down from the Blue Ridge.  With an uncertain economy, the aspiration of entrepreneurship is blowing through the minds of many like a mountaintop wind of hope.  And now thanks to a new resource at Appalachian State University, thousands of students can gain support to grasp their entrepreneurial dreams.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111012/MM85123LOGO )

Appalachian State University announced today during Homecoming activities the naming of the new Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship in its Walker College of Business. The new center will expand resources and tools, so that emerging entrepreneurs can develop the skills they need to start their own businesses and drive the economy.    

Top state leaders, including N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue, say entrepreneurship is a crucial economic development tool for sustained growth. "Entrepreneurship will continue to play an important role in job creation in North Carolina," Perdue said. "Nurturing budding entrepreneurs with support through programs and activities, such as those that will be provided to students through the Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship at Appalachian, will help ensure a prosperous future in our state."

The Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship was made possible by a private, $1 million gift.  The center will be housed in Raley Hall in a 1,700-square-foot, contemporarily designed space that will include four offices, student lounge, meeting area and incubator office space to support students trying to launch their own businesses. The center will also support outreach services, programming and student travel to entrepreneurship competitions.

"This gift will be truly transformational for entrepreneurship education at Appalachian," said Dr. Randy Edwards, dean of the Walker College of Business.  "Transportation Insight is a great company and it is a pleasure to partner with them on this project that will benefit our students who have a shared dream of starting their own business."

With a desire to mentor and foster entrepreneurial spirit, Transportation Insight, a leading North American supply chain management firm, hopes the new center will enhance Appalachian's reputation as a premier institution for entrepreneurship.

"We are honored to participate in the development of these future entrepreneurs," says Transportation Insight Chief Strategy Officer Chris Baltz. "Their creativity and ingenuity will ultimately enable them to contribute to high growth businesses and create value for the American economy. That's a real and measurable impact for emerging leaders in the entrepreneurial world of innovation and sustainability."  

In addition to the support provided by the center, the Walker College of Business offers a B.S.B.A. degree in management with a concentration in entrepreneurship. For more information about the Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship, visit www.entrepreneurship.appstate.edu.

Transportation Insight has been nationally recognized by Inc. Magazine for its entrepreneurial excellence. Referring to the logistics industry as one of the country's main economic engines, Inc. Magazine has ranked the Hickory-based third-party logistics provider as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States for the last four years in a row. Transportation Insight is among an elite group of Inc. 5000 companies experiencing significant expansion in years 10 and beyond of doing business. That positive trend reflects the company's commitment to continuous improvement and the creation of long-term business value.

About Transportation Insight, LLC

Founded in 1998, Transportation Insight, LLC, helps manufacturers, retailers and distributors improve profitability and competitive advantage by providing world-class LEAN supply chain solutions. Transportation Insight's core competencies include co-managed logistics, financial settlement, technology and business insight. The firm's goal is to lower clients' logistics costs, automate business processes with state-of-the-art transportation management system (TMS) applications, provide enterprise-wide business intelligence and enhance customer service.  

Additional strategic services include LEAN consulting and supply chain sourcing.  For more information about Transportation Insight, visit www.transportationinsight.com.

CONTACT INFO:
Lisa Santos Farley, Marketing Manager, Transportation Insight
(828-485-5217) [email protected]

SOURCE Transportation Insight