Moore County Economic Development Partnership (MCEDP) recently released its Quarterly Progress Report, highlighting its activities and initiatives for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2025. 

“Notably, this quarter, MCEDP focused on supporting two vital clusters within Moore County: our manufacturers and local entrepreneurs & small business owners,” said Natalie Hawkins, MCEDP president, in a press release. “We launched new tailored initiatives designed to strengthen both groups by encouraging networking, collaboration, and innovation."

Highlighted activities and successes this second quarter of the MCEDP fiscal year included: 

Project Activity 

• This quarter, MCEDP worked 24 active projects. These projects span multiple industry sectors and represent more than 920 new jobs and over $377.5 in capital investment – a substantial increase of 38% and more than 500% over the jobs and investment, respectively, in our current active project activity from last quarter.  
•  MCEDP had a “project win” this quarter after working with Veterans Guardian Claim Consulting, an existing Moore County business with offices in Pinehurst and Aberdeen, for several months to find a site where they could consolidate operations. The company obtained zoning approval from the Town of Southern Pines to construct a new 27,000-square-foot office building in the Southern Pines Corporate Park, which could help it add up to 110 new jobs. 

Building Manufacturing Connections 

• MCEDP hosted its fourth annual Manufacturing Day Breakfast in October to celebrate National Manufacturing Day. Almost 50 local manufacturers, elected officials, and support organizations learned about Moore Innovative High School and participated in an informative discussion about skills training offered through SCC’s workforce development programs.
•  In November, MCEDP successfully launched Moore Manufacturer Meetups, a new initiative bringing local manufacturers together to learn about each other’s operations, tour facilities, and discover collaboration opportunities. These Meetups will be held on the second Friday of every other month at manufacturing facilities across Moore County. 

Supporting Founders & Entrepreneurs 

• MCEDP held the 2025 Sandhills Entrepreneurship Summit in November. Attended by almost 150 entrepreneurs, small business owners, business support organizations and others from around the Sandhills region, the successful full-day event featured a wealth of valuable programming. 
• At the Summit, MCEDP also announced the launch of Moore Entrepreneurs Meetups, where growth-minded entrepreneurs and founders can connect, share stories and ideas, and support each other’s entrepreneurial journeys. The first Meetup in January had a great turnout of more than 40 attendees, and MCEDP will keep that momentum going by hosting the Meetups on the second Wednesday of every month.  

Small Business Grant Opportunity 

• This quarter, MCEDP applied for a $25,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation.  With the grant funds awarded in January, MCEDP launched the Moore County Small Business Impact Grant Program to support small businesses throughout the County. Retail, restaurant and service-based businesses with a storefront presence in Moore County and that meet other eligibility criteria may apply for reimbursement-based microgrants ranging from $500 to $5,000 to use toward business improvements. More information, including the Program Guidelines & Application, is available on MCEDP’s website at:  www.moorecountyedp.org/news/sbigrant. MCEDP is accepting applications through Feb. 27. 

Commercial Air Service Update 

• MCEDP continued to support efforts to restore commercial air service to Moore County Airport. Ms. Hawkins and Moore County Airport Director Rick Cloutier attended the TakeOff North America aviation conference in Tallahassee, Florida in November. At the conference, they met with six airlines, including the regional carrier proposing to provide daily service between Moore County Airport and Washington Dulles, and other airlines interested in potentially establishing service from markets including the Northeast and Florida. The Moore County Airport Authority recently commissioned a public opinion survey that revealed strong community support: 
  •  79% of Moore County respondents support commercial air service 
  • Of the supporters, 82% are likely to use the service 
  • 75% of respondents believe the service would benefit Moore County's economy 

New Economic Health Dashboard 

• New to MCEDP’s Quarterly Report is the addition of an Economic Health Indicators dashboard highlighting several key economic statistics for Moore County, including new business & job creation and wage growth. MCEDP will provide updated data each quarter. 

The full Quarterly Progress Report for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2026, can be viewed on the MCEDP website at 

www.moorecountyedp.org.