Moore County Economic Development Partnership (MCEDP) recently released its Quarterly Progress Report, highlighting its activities and initiatives for the quarter ended Sept. 30.
“In the first quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2026, much of MCEDP’s focus was on supporting existing businesses in Moore County as we assisted 10 local businesses with various needs, including expansion plans, incentives, and workforce development,” said Natalie Hawkins, MCEDP president.
Highlighted activities and successes this first quarter of the MCEDP FY included:
*MCEDP received 31 business leads this quarter, which is a slight decrease from the 39 received in the first quarter. Of the 31 leads received this quarter, MCEDP submitted a property for five projects. MCEDP is currently managing 20 active projects that represent more than 665 new jobs and more than $62.5 million in investment across multiple industry sectors.
*MCEDP conducted 10 industry visits this quarter to local companies, three of which are considering sizeable expansions. To support these expansions, MCEDP identified potential buildings and sites and provided information on local incentive policies. MCEDP also provided information on local suppliers to support B2B among Moore County businesses and connected employers to workforce development resources at Sandhills Community College.
*MCEDP explored alternative options for rerouting the access road to the Iron Horse Industrial Park in Aberdeen to reduce the overall cost to construct the road. MCEDP also secured a $100,000 EPA grant from the Central Pines Council of Governments to fund a Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment for the park.
*MCEDP helped the Town of Robbins access $40,000 of the same EPA grant from the Central Pines Council of Governments to conduct additional environmental assessments on the old Milliken site owned by the town.
*MCEDP continued to support efforts to restore commercial air service to Moore County Airport through a regional carrier that would provide daily service to Washington Dulles Airport. MCEDP continues to meet with local business leaders to update them on the initiative as it assists in fundraising efforts for the $3 million Minimum Revenue Guarantee (MRG) required by the carrier for a two-year service contract.
*More than 40 Moore 100 members and their guests attended the Moore 100 Meetup hosted by MCEDP at CORK in Southern Pines on Sept. 2. The new membership year for Moore 100 begins in January 2026, which is a great time to join Moore 100 and gain exclusive access to three informative Members Meetings each year, a quarterly insider e-newsletter, and three Member Meetup events. For more information or to join, email [email protected].
*This quarter, MCEDP also worked on planning and organizing two major events in October and November: the annual Manufacturers Day Breakfast on Oct. 2 and its substantially-expanded 2025 Sandhills Entrepreneur Summit held on Nov. 13 with a full-day program that included a keynote speaker, interactive workshops, and networking at The Fair Barn. MCEDP was awarded a $5,000 ENGAGE grant from NC IDEA to support this year’s Summit.
The full Quarterly Progress Report can be viewed on the MCEDP website at www.moorecountyedp.org.
Feature photo: Moore County Airport. Photo by Wendy Hodges/Sandhills Sentinel.
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