HIGH POINT, N.C., May 13, 2015 – Nearly 100 local business owners were in attendance May 12 for a luncheon at High Point University that honored them for their partnership in building a stronger city.
HPU brings more than 80,000 visitors to the city of High Point and has a $464.5 million economic impact, a 190 percent increase from 2005.
“We take great pride in the relationships we have and are excited to continually grow our partnerships with local businesses,” says Natalie Haire, community relations manager at HPU. “HPU is committed not only to the success of the university, but to the growth and prosperity of our city. These partners eagerly welcome students and visitors throughout the year, and this luncheon is a way to thank them for their support.”
The university honored 150 Passport Partners – businesses that allow HPU students, faculty and staff to make purchases using their HPU ID card – as well as Our City, Our University partners who share their university pride through their businesses in unique ways. HPU provides student shuttles to and from many of these businesses during the week. The university also invites businesses onto campus to promote their products and services.
The partnership between the city of High Point and HPU has grown tremendously. This year alone, HPU has partnered with local business such as Avanti Salon for the Cuts for Cancer event, Guild of Family Service of High Point for the 5k Superhero Dash, and the JH Adams Inn has hired students as interns, to name a few.
“I travel to different jewelry conventions around the country, and one of the shows that I have been going to for 20 years is in Las Vegas,” says Gary Simon, Simon Jewelers owner. “Whenever anyone at the convention would see my name tag, they would say, ‘High Point, the furniture capital of the world.’ The last four or five years they have been saying, ‘High Point University, what a wonderful place that has grown so much.’”
Four local businesses were presented with awards for their dedication to HPU’s campus and the community.
The awards are as follows:
Experiential Learning Award – Presented to the JH Adams Inn for consistently providing experiential learning opportunities to HPU students through internships.
Social Media Award – This award recognized Simon Jewelers for consistently posting, tweeting and engaging with HPU social media pages.
Campus Check-In Award – Just like checking in on Yelp or Foursquare, this award was presented to Carter Brothers Bar-B-Que and Ribs for always being present at numerous community and athletic events.
Purple Friday Award – Presented to Carolina’s Diner and Nick’s Sub Shop and Grill for visibly demonstrating their HPU pride by participating in Purple Friday each week.
Next, HPU will create an Our City, Our University advisory board that will consist of local business owners.
“I am grateful that the university brings a lot of the business to our city. It is one less thing that I, as a business owner, don’t have to worry about it,” says Scott Hiatt, owner of Jersey Mike’s. “It is a great feeling to know that my business will be successful as long as HPU is here and I love having a close relationship with them.”
When the Passport program was created in 2006, HPU had fewer than 10 partners. Today, it includes 150 partners that feature a variety of restaurants, retail shops and more. All partners are identified by the HPU umbrellas, flags and decals on their shop windows and doors.
A full list of Passport Partners can be found here and inquires for the Passport program can be emailed to [email protected].