During the Site Selectors Conference with the North Carolina Economic Development Association (NCEDA) on March 4 at Pinehurst Resort, Gov. Josh Stein spoke on small business and workforce development.
NCEDA serves as the voice for North Carolina’s economic development community, and the focus of the conference was on site selection for business development.
Stein has defended clean energy, public safety, access to affordable housing and small business.
Stein wants to increase the number of apprentices over the next four years by 100%. He wants to invest in child care to prevent parents from being pushed out of the workforce.
“I want to contribute mightily to North Carolina’s economic success and to the whole NCEDA team. We’re really blessed to be at this place, home to friendly and good people, home to remarkable natural beauty, home to small businesses and Fortune 500 companies. We’re not only ranked as one of the best states in the nation for business, we know we are the best state in the nation for barbecue and basketball,” Stein said about the state being the best business investment.
Stein’s key remarks:
*Over the past decade, he has worked with the Commerce Department in partnership to help secure more than 178,000 jobs in the state.
*State has more than $67 billion in economic investment from more than 1,400 businesses.
*North Carolina has been ranked a top two state for business four years running.
Stein ended his speech, saying they must invest in the workforce and support Western North Carolina’s recovery.
“I’m committed to partnering with you to build a workforce with the education and experience needed to drive economic growth and ensure that North Carolinians across the state are able to create a career that works for them,” Stein said about education supporting the workforce.
“My office has already taken steps to support small businesses in Western North Carolina. Along with the Dogwood Health Trust and the Duke Endowment, we created a small business grant program, $35 million. Small businesses can apply for [$50,000] grants once they’ve shown physical and economic damage. Already, 147 small business grants totaling nearly $5,000,000 have been made. And as a sneak peek, another 92 businesses will be getting good news later this week,” Stein said about helping small businesses.
Senior Consultant and Creative Economic Development Consultant Penny Whiteheart presented a salary survey on economic development professionals. It revealed that while the employees continue to be younger and have less experience, racial diversity does not reflect North Carolina’s communities and professionals’ salaries lag behind national averages.
NCEDA focused on three fundamentals essential to successful site selection projects: conducting due diligence on due diligence, appointing a team with a strong lead and creating safe spaces, each with clear communication. Because zoning laws change, cutting trees can reveal wetlands, finances need verification, utility capacity changes, environmental factors change, development laws change, and plans change.
The North Carolina Economic Development Academy awarded $41,000 in scholarships for economic development courses and removed all the financial barriers. It pays for tuition plus reimbursement for all travel, lodging bills and ancillary expenses.
Waxhaw Business Development Director Ashlee Nowell received the Jack Ervin Scholarship.
“I am honored to have received one of the Jack Ervin IEDC Scholarships from the NCEDA Foundation! As the Business Development Director in Waxhaw, NC, professional development is a major priority of mine. This scholarship will allow me to expand my knowledge, which will ultimately help our business community as we expand our department’s service. This opportunity will be great for my career growth and make a huge impact as we plan for Waxhaw’s future,” Nowell wrote in an email to Sandhills Sentinel.
Feature photo: NC Gov. Josh Stein spoke on small business and workforce development March 4, 2025, at the NCEDA conference at the Pinehurst Resort.
~Article and photos by Sandhills Sentinel journalist Stephanie M. Sellers. Stephanie is also an English instructor at Central Carolina Community College. Her fictional work includes When the Yellow Slugs Sing and Sky’s River Stone, and a suspense, GUTTERSNIPE: Shakespearean English Stage Play with Translation, and a March 21, 2025, release published by Golden Storyline Books, a science fiction, Amagi.
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