Moore County Economic Development Partnership (MCEDP) recently released their Quarterly Progress Report highlighting their activities and initiatives in the areas of economic development, community development and workforce development for the quarter ended June 30, 2023. 

“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 Natalie Hawkins, President of MCEDP in a press release. 

Some highlights include:

• The Town of Robbins was awarded a $160,000 Building Reuse Grant to support the expansion of Carolina Growler, Inc. who will create at least 40 new jobs and invest almost $340,000 to expand their 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 2-year term. The company was also awarded $60,000 for customized workforce training to 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, in a press release. 

“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,” added Hawkins in a press release. “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 #1 micropolitan area in North Carolina in 2023. The Pinehurst-Southern Pines micropolitan is first out of 22 micropolitan statistical areas in North Carolina.

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 percent over FY 2022.  Twenty-three (23) active projects as of June 30th 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 November 14th from 5:30 - 8:30 pm 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.  

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 nonprofits 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 full Quarterly Progress Report for the quarter ended June 30, 2023 can be viewed here.