We’re stronger than ever … and it’s because of you

It’s been a busy few months for the New Old North and we thought we would share some significant developments with you, our readers.

You are, after all, the reason this company has succeeded.

As most of you know, our most recent collaboration with the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, “The Best of the Boot” contest, has taken the community by storm.

More than 6,100 unique voters cast ballots in its inaugural run and we are already busy planning for dozens of additional categories for the 2022 contest.

Dozens and dozens of nominations came in for “Who Wayne’s Watching” — our take on “40 Under 40,” without the age restrictions — and features on several rising stars have been written and photographed. Best of the Boot Finalists have been notified — you’ve probably seen the stickers proudly displayed on storefronts across the county — and winners will be unveiled in our September magazine, a publication that earned the support of dozens of advertising clients.

We are overwhelmed — and humbled — by their support, and for the thousands of local residents who made this love letter to our community possible. We can’t wait for you to see it.

But “Best of the Boot” is not the only new magazine coming to Wayne County.

We recently signed on to produce a commemorative publication for NC Freedom Fest — a magazine that will salute the men and women currently serving at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and those sons of Wayne who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy.

Thousands of copies of what will become an annual publication will be available during the week leading up to the festival’s Sept. 18 main event. We are grateful to the local businesses who helped make this tribute possible.

As if that wasn’t enough excitement for our team, we agreed to yet another special partnership and are busy producing a once-in-a-lifetime magazine that will showcase another reason this community is such an incredible place to live.

This fall, our collaboration with Wayne UNC Health Care will culminate in a magazine dedicated to the organization’s 125^th anniversary. Inside its pages, you will find more than a century of history — and stories of many of the men and women chosen as local health “heroes” by Wayne UNC leadership.

And we’re doing all these things while preparing to move into our new permanent office space in downtown Goldsboro. We’ll fill you in on the details — including our exciting location — as we get closer to the day we start unpacking boxes.

It’s not lost on us that none of these milestones would be possible without you.

We told you when we began this journey that NewOldNorth.com and our sister print publication, “Eastbound & Downtown,” would be here as long as you supported what we considered a necessary brand of quality journalism and storytelling.

Today, we are proud to report that we are stronger than ever — and are as committed to that pledge now as we have ever been.

So, buckle up, Wayne County. We are certain you will be proud of what’s coming, both in the coming months and in 2022, when another major announcement drops.

Remember that these publications — both online and in print — are for and about the men, women, children and businesses that are moving this community forward. Don’t hesitate to point us in the direction of stories that, once told, will contribute to that push toward Wayne’s very best version of itself.

And if you see members of our team out in the community and have an interest in seeing your business represented in one of our products, know that they — and we — would be honored to welcome you into the New Old North and Eastbound & Downtown family.

Got story ideas? Are you a writer, photojournalist, videographer or sales associate who wants to join our growing team? Want to inquire about advertising in one of our products? Email our editor and publisher Kenneth Fine at kfine@newoldnorth.com