Why I Built My Business in Surry County, NC

©Journal Communications/Nathan Lambrecht

Every entrepreneur needs a good idea. But a good idea still requires a supportive landing place. In Surry County, three distinct business owners at very different stages of growth are finding exactly that: A region where strong professional relationships and genuine community backing add up to a unique environment where businesses don’t just launch – they last.

For creators, executives and freelancers looking into how to start a business in Surry County, NC, the local ecosystem provides an unmatched combination of commercial infrastructure and small-town collaboration.

©Journal Communications/Nathan Lambrecht

A Family Legacy and a New Automation Chapter

Nicholas Cooke didn’t have to go looking for a commercial enterprise to run – he grew up directly inside one. AES, the industrial equipment repair company his parents, Steve and Leslie Cooke, originally founded in a tiny 120-square-foot utility shed in Mount Airy in 1992, is now a massive global operation. Today, the corporation boasts more than 150 employees, a 100000-plus-square-foot facility and active locations across four states.

Cooke joined AES in 2011 and spent years working in nearly every department – shipping, customer service, accounting, human resources and operations – before stepping into the CEO role in 2022.

“For me, leadership is stewardship,” he says. “It means protecting the culture, developing people and ensuring we deliver excellence to customers who rely on us.”

AES’ growth, Cooke says, has been fueled by the community around him.

“Mount Airy has been an excellent place to grow because of the character of the workforce and the stability of the community,” he says.

He describes the local business environment as collaborative and relationship-driven, a place where “leaders know each other, support each other and genuinely want to see businesses succeed.” AES has since completed multiple acquisitions and expanded its automation capabilities, but Surry County remains home base.

“It’s where our headquarters, leadership and culture are rooted,” Cooke says.

Courtesy of Rize Lyfe Media

Scaling Creative Services from the Ground Up

Dustin Nichols always knew he wanted to own a successful business. In late 2020, the pieces clicked together. He officially launched Rize Lyfe Media, a fast-growing creative agency specializing in professional video production and localized marketing strategy.

The first few years were lean. “The first two or three years were mostly video production, a lot of one-off projects and a lot of figuring it out,” Nichols says.

The major turning point arrived when he shifted the agency’s model toward retainer-based client relationships. Today, he and a business partner are preparing to launch Lootworx, an innovative digital marketing product designed for businesses of all sizes.

Nichols grew up in Lowgap and still lives on the family’s 120 acres but recently moved his office to downtown Mount Airy – a decision that reshaped his professional network overnight. “Living in Surry County was nonnegotiable for me,” he says. “Living on 120 acres, I can actually turn it off sometimes. That’s not something you find easily in Charlotte or Raleigh.”

Still, he sees the region’s potential clearly. “There is more money and more opportunity than most people who grew up here realize,” he says.

A New Kind of Patient Care: The Local Dental Spa

When Dr. Kamaira Philips and her husband, both dentists, began looking for a place to continue building their careers, they wanted a community where they were genuinely needed. They found it in the Yadkin Valley.

Philips completed her medical training at the UNC Adams School of Dentistry after an educational path that included studying vocal performance at UNC Chapel Hill and earning a master’s degree in physiology.

Then an opportunity arose to purchase a long-standing practice in Elkin.

“I wasn’t simply building something from scratch,” she says. “I was becoming a steward of something that already mattered to the community while investing in its future.”

She completely reimagined the workspace as the Yadkin River Dental Spa – a specialized practice designed to feel less like a clinical office and more like a quiet sanctuary. The space features soothing patient amenities like targeted aromatherapy, heated neck wraps and massage chairs.

The luxury dental spa concept, which remains incredibly rare in North Carolina, is typically found only in major metropolitan cities. Philips was determined to bring that level of care to a rural community – particularly for local patients who have spent years caring for others while putting their own healthcare needs last.

Outside of the clinic, she and her husband enjoy exploring local heritage festivals, historic farmers markets, boutique wineries and live music venues.

“Surry County is the kind of community where you can build something that lasts,” she says.

Get Connected: Regional Professional Networks

Being new to the area doesn’t mean you have to start building your professional contacts from scratch. The Foothills Young Professionals network is a dedicated space for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators across Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties to connect, grow and give back.

Through structured mentoring sessions, professional development workshops and civic engagement events like its “Lead Where You Live” series, the group helps newcomers build meaningful relationships while plugging directly into the community’s future. Similar business organizations, such as the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce, the Yadkin Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Surry Connect initiative, offer additional high-value networking opportunities.

For more information on Foothills Young Professionals, go to foothillsyp.com.

Ready to Launch a Business?

Surry County offers a comprehensive local support system that guides entrepreneurs through every single stage of the corporate startup process. The Small Business Center at Surry Community College provides free one-on-one counseling, business seminars, educational workshops and direct access to other key state resources. The center operates convenient physical locations in Dobson, Elkin and Mount Airy.

Meanwhile, the Surry County Economic Development Partnership (EDP) helps expanding businesses navigate regional incentive programs, identify available commercial real estate and connect with workforce resources. Furthermore, the new Surry Summit Small Business Grant Contest recently awarded more than $15000 in seed funding to seven local businesses in its inaugural round. For more information about local resources, visit surryedp.com.