CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Hurley Buff, who had been interim director of the Cleveland/Bradley Business Incubator, recently was named its new executive director.
Buff follows Don Geren, the first director, who brought together local, state and federal funding sources to create the incubator on the south side of Cleveland State Community College’s campus in July 2000.
The incubator transformed a little-used building into a business development center that offers rent, office services, telephones and computers at below-market rates. Dozens of businesses have grown and moved on from the incubator over the years, creating hundreds of jobs.
Buff became assistant director before the incubator began operation. He was promoted to facilities manager and served in that capacity until May.
“Being an entrepreneur myself, I can relate to everything our new business owners are going through,” he said.
Buff is former owner of Jewell Hill Broadcasting Co., which operated several radio stations in western North Carolina. He moved to Cleveland in 1998 to be closer to his family.
His promotion coincides with the start of construction on a second incubator building on Cleveland State’s north side.
“The fact that we are still at 100 percent and have a waiting list, even if it is not as long because of the economy we have now, says a lot about Hurley’s leadership already,” said Susan Shelton, a long time member of the incubator’s board and immediate past president.
“He was here when the incubator started and knows everything there is to know about it,” she said.
Cleveland State President Carl Hite said said he is “excited about the possibilities this new building brings to our campus,”
Called the Cleveland Bradley Energy Center, it will create space for eight new businesses specializing in alternative energy, conservation, recycling and supporting technologies.