Moore County Economic Development Partnership (MCEDP) recently released its quarterly progress report highlighting its activities and initiatives in the areas of economic development, community development, and workforce development for the quarter ending June 30.
“As we ended fiscal year 2023, I am pleased to report that MCEDP achieved several positive outcomes during the year by successfully advancing our key strategic initiatives, particularly in the areas of collaborating to assist Moore County’s employers and supporting investments in infrastructure,” said Natalie Hawkins, president of MCEDP.
“Notably this quarter, we celebrated three Moore County industries announcing their respective expansion plans, and MCEDP helped obtain $220,000 in state incentives to support one of the expansions,” said Hawkins.
*The Town of Robbins was awarded a $160,000 Building Reuse Grant to support the expansion of Carolina Growler, Inc., which will create at least 40 new jobs and invest almost $340,000 to expand its facility on N. Green Street in Robbins. MCEDP assisted the Town and company in preparing the Building Reuse grant application and will provide administrative support over the grant’s two-year term. The company was also awarded $60,000 for customized workforce train be provided by Sandhills Community College.
*Reliance Packaging LLC in Aberdeen announced the purchase of a $3 million printing press that will enable the company to double its production capacity of flexographic-printed rollstock and create 40 new jobs within two years.
*Southern Pines Brewing Company broke ground on its $2.5 million expansion into the historic Buggy Factory building in downtown Carthage.
“We are excited about the job creation and investment these expansions will bring to the community,” said Darryn Burich, MCEDP’s business development director.
“When local companies are successful and growing, it’s a positive indication that Moore County is not only an advantageous business location that supports expansion but also that our local economy is strong,” said Hawkins. “Moore County’s recent economic strength ranking as the top micropolitan area in North Carolina again, coupled with our Tri-Cities being noticed as ‘boomtowns,’ certainly affirms that our economy is growing.”
For the sixth year in a row, the Pinehurst-Southern Pines micropolitan topped POLICOM’s Economic Strength Rankings as the No. 1 micropolitan area in North Carolina in 2023. The Pinehurst-Southern Pines micropolitan, which includes all of Moore County, is first out of 22 micropolitan statistical areas in North Carolina and is in the top 7% nationally of communities with a stable, consistently growing economy and a higher quality of life.
This top ranking attracted attention from ABC 11 WTVD, which recently featured Moore County’s Tri-Cities (Pinehurst, Southern Pines, and Aberdeen) as part of their “Boomtowns” series. ABC 11 reporter Joel Brown interviewed Hawkins about the area’s thriving health care, retail, and golf and the changing perception of the area as just a place for retirees and golfers.
Business Recruitment, Retention and Expansion
This quarter, MCEDP also engaged in the following significant initiatives and activities in the area of business recruitment, retention and expansion (BRE) including:
*Client interest in Moore County continued to be at historically high levels, with MCEDP receiving 32 business leads this quarter and an unprecedented 87 leads for fiscal year (FY) 2023, an increase of almost 23% over FY 2022. Twenty-three active projects as of June 30 collectively represent almost 3,000 jobs, over 800,000 square feet of business space, and almost $540 million in investment.
*MCEDP continued to focus on identifying and preparing business park sites in Moore County to meet the increased client demand. MCEDP identified an alternative location for an access road to the 73-acre parcel in the Iron Horse Industrial Park in Aberdeen and resumed efforts to acquire the parcel. MCEDP worked with the Town of Carthage on a potential opportunity to acquire a 125-acre site for business development.
*MCEDP’s Entrepreneurship Task Force continued organizing the inaugural 2023 Moore Entrepreneurial Summit to be held on Nov. 14 from 5:30 — 8:30 p.m. at the Fair Barn in Pinehurst. The theme will be “Igniting Moore Business” and will feature a keynote speaker, panel discussion, networking, a “Pitch Your Business” opportunity, and a Resources Expo. More details and registration information will be available in the upcoming months.
*MCEDP executed a partnership agreement with the USGA, Economic Development Partnership of NC / Visit NC, and the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention & Visitors Bureau to share corporate hospitality space at the 2024 U.S. Open Championship at Pinehurst No. 2 next June. The U.S. Open will be an excellent venue for partnering with these organizations on recruiting golf companies to expand Moore County’s existing golf industry cluster.
Workforce & Community Development / Other Activities
Notable initiatives and activities in the areas of workforce & community development and other activities this quarter included:
*MCEDP continued to support efforts to develop affordable workforce housing in Moore County. MCEDP has earmarked funding for a regional housing needs assessment spearheaded by the realtors associations, including the local Mid Carolina Regional Association of Realtors, in the 20-county Carolina Core region. On June 6, Amie Fraley, executive director of Sandhills Habitat for Humanity, spoke to MCEDP’s Board about Habitat’s plans to create a mixed-use workforce housing development on the 100 acres they purchased in Aberdeen. MCEDP connected Habitat to a grant opportunity to extend infrastructure to the site.
*The Moore County Chamber of Commerce is administering a $100,000 Small Business/Non-Profit Grant from the Duke Energy Foundation to provide funding between $500 and $5,000 to eligible small businesses and non-profits that have a storefront presence in Moore County and employ less than 100 employees. The grant guidelines and application are available on the Chamber’s website. The deadline to apply is Aug. 31.
*MCEDP saw record attendance at the June 21 Moore 100 Members Meeting at Pinehurst Resort, with over 120 members, elected officials, and guests gathered to hear Tom Pashley, president of Pinehurst LLC, speak about the resort’s plans for new course No. 10 and about preparations for the 2024 U.S. Open Championship next June. The next Moore 100 Members Meeting will be on Oct. 30, with Sean Suggs, president of Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina, as the guest speaker. A social Moore 100 Meetup is scheduled for Sept. 13 at The Pilot’s office in Southern Pines.
Anyone interested in joining Moore 100 can contact MCEDP at [email protected].
The full quarterly progress report for the quarter ended June 30 can be viewed on the Moore County EDP website.
Contributed.
