North Carolina’s Southeast, an organization based in Bladen County in Elizabethtown, markets the southeastern region both nationally and globally to bring economic growth to the area. The work that NCSE puts in to boost the economy pays off, which is evident in its return on investment from 2014-2019. An NCSE report that documented the ROI boasted of 37 new company locations, $1.07 billion dollars in investments, and 4,709 announced jobs. 

Greater Fayetteville Business Journal spoke with Steve Yost, president of NCSE to learn about him, his role at NCSE, NCSE’s successes, and his perspective on doing business in the region.

GFBJ: Tell me a bit about yourself and your career experience.
YOST: I’ve been President of NC’s Southeast since 2009 and have been with the organization since 2005, when I was hired as the Marketing Manager for the organization. I had previously been Sr. Developer & Regional Manager for the NC Dept. of Commerce’s regional office in Fayetteville.
GFBJ: How did you get involved with North Carolina’s Southeast?
YOST: NC’s Southeast was formed in 1994, the year I first got into economic development as the Director of Economic Development in Columbus County, so this was my first exposure and opportunity to work with the organization. NC’s Southeast was created by the NC General Assembly to market the southeast region counties through collaborative strategies that would help generate new economic growth across the region. The organization is now a public-private partnership comprised of 18 counties.

GFBJ: What has made you successful as a businessperson, and how has this benefited North Carolina’s Southeast?
YOST: Collaboration is a core trait of our organization, and that’s the basis for NC’s Southeast’s success. So, collaborative leadership is tied into all that I do and with the multiple partners that we engage with daily. Strategic planning is a key skill set that I integrate into every aspect of the organization, from relationship management, marketing, fundraising, and board and team management. Strategic planning, which we do extremely well, ultimately leads to results and ROI for the region.
GFBJ: What does NCSE do? And, from your perspective, what’s the business climate like in the Southeast?

YOST: We market to companies to encourage their interest in locating or expanding facilities here. Once interested, we work hand-in-hand with them through their evaluation process for selecting a location for a new facility. Typically, the company’s site selection project is competitive with other states, so we integrate the region’s assets into our interactions with the company. We help to coordinate other resources and partners that are relevant to the company’s needs and requirements. The region is a highly competitive location for business, mainly because of our quality workforce and strong business climate.
GFBJ: What is your mission for North Carolina’s Southeast?
YOST: Our mission is to market the region nationally and globally to encourage companies to consider locations here, to generate new jobs, new capital investment, and new economic growth. A secondary part of our mission is to advocate for key regional initiatives and issues that will enhance the region’s competitiveness, such as with transportation and infrastructure improvements, high-speed broadband expansion, and workforce development strategies.

GFBJ: What is the job market like in southeastern N.C.? What are investments like?

YOST: The regional unemployment rate is about 4% right now, so the job market is very strong, as it is in all of North Carolina, and nationally. Over the last twenty months, we have worked with companies that have collectively announced in the NC’s Southeast region more than $500 million is new investments, more than 2,000 new jobs, and twenty company locations.

GFBJ: What can you tell us about the companies in the area? How has the economy been affected?
YOST: The region has a mix of industry sectors, and most of them are currently growing. This includes food manufacturing and process, agriculture, aerospace, metal products, distribution, advanced textiles, and healthcare.

Age: 55
Family: Yost resides with his wife, Deborah Albritton, in Whiteville.
Education: B.S. Political Science, Appalachian State; Master’s in public administration, UNC-Chapel Hill Background: Yost has been with NCSE since 2005. He became the president of NCSE in 2009. Previously, he served as the senior developer and regional manager for the N.C. Department of Commerce’s regional office in Fayetteville.
Hobbies: Gardening, kayaking, reading
Favorite musician: Joe Bonamassa