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TIME TO SHINE
With a past tightly tied to manufacturing, Rowan and Cabarrus counties are embracing a new future. Quality of life, workforce development and other investments are spurring population growth and business diversity.
Kannapolis, which straddles the Cabarrus-Rowan county line, was once home to Cannon Mills, the world’s largest manufacturer of sheets and towels. It was owned by Pillowtex when it closed in 2003, taking 5,000 jobs and a chunk of the region’s identity with it. Annette Privette Keller, Kannapolis’ director of communications, describes the punch the town took like this: “Without the scale of the jobs from the mill and residential options within the downtown, Kannapolis lacked the critical mass to sustain a thriving downtown. Businesses eventually shut down or moved, leaving vacant storefronts.”
Kannapolis’ story changed five years later, when the $1.5 billion North Carolina Research Campus opened. A partnership of eight universities, David H. Murdock Research Institute, companies and entrepreneurs, it stands on the 350-acre site once occupied by Pillowtex. And instead of textiles, it creates ways to empower human health through nutrition.
North Carolina Research Campus is one of the changes that abound in the two-county region. Kannapolis’s population, for example, was 59,321 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s 11.7% more than three years prior. The local economy is growing and diversifying with the addition of biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and tourism businesses. Education is better preparing students for local workforce needs. And retail, residential and quality-of-life enhancements, which support residents and welcome visitors, are being added.
COMMUNITY
Kannapolis leaders wrote a downtown master plan in 2015. Aided by the solicitation of private developers and public and private investment, they invested $113 million in five years. “[They had] the expectation that it could bring $374 million in private investment over the next 10 years,” Keller says. “Currently, property values have increased by over $100 million, and there has been approximately $118 million in private investment completed or underway. Employment estimation is that over 250 jobs have been created.”
Investments in Kannapolis have taken many forms. There’s the $30 million streetscape and linear park downtown that offers gathering places and activity spots for pedestrians. A $52 million baseball stadium opened in 2020; it’s home to the Single-A White Sox affiliate Cannon Ballers. Lansing Melbourne Group built 300 apartments above 18,000 square feet of retail space, a $60 million investment and partnership that saw the city provide a parking garage with 400 spaces. The historic Gem Theatre saw $3 million in renovations, and the Swanee Theatre was renovated, too. And $40 million was invested in more downtown residential units. “It really is amazing what we have accomplished in just a few short years,” Keller says. “I tell everyone that our downtown is like a Hallmark movie set now. It really is incredible.”
Brian Hiatt, Cabarrus Economic Development’s interim executive director, says other revitalizations are underway outside of Kannapolis. “Concord also is completing a streetscape,” he says. “And there are improvements planned in Mount Pleasant, and Harrisburg has some things going on.”
When construction began on Concord’s three-block Downtown Streetscape project, workers uncovered trolley tracks, horseshoes and rein hooks from horse tack. “We also have the original survey marker for the first 26 acres of Concord, which we preserved and put back in its place,” says Kaylee Caton, design manager of the five-year downtown streetscape project, which was completed last month. The artifacts were preserved and incorporated into the updated design, which includes wider sidewalks, landscaping, public art and other upgrades. Its budget was $11.5 million.
A Façade Grant Program helped owners enhance and refurbish their historic properties. “I think communities are really into asking what residents want,” says Paige Grochoske, Concord’s downtown development manager. “They want more dining, more entertainment, more places to be outside, more of a move from metro to small-town America.”
In October, Hendrick Motorsports unveiled its 100-acre Ten Tenths Motor Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord. It’s a road course, inner loop and short course for high-performance driving enthusiasts and car collectors. Completion is scheduled for April.
EDUCATION
Next door to the research campus is Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s North Campus. It’s home to the college’s schools of nursing and biotechnology, Advanced Technology Center and North Carolina Manufacturing Institute, a workforce development partnership that includes three counties and two community colleges. The Manufacturing Institute has produced 400 graduates since 2015. “Over 35 local manufacturing firms … invest in the program and hire the graduates,” says David King, the college’s director of corporate training and business services. “The Business Services team builds and maintains relationships with the employer community to develop strategies and programs to solve complex talent problems. From assisting new or expanding businesses to recruit, screen, select and onboard new employees to training existing workers on new technologies and processes, and connecting students with work-based learning opportunities, RCCC’s business services account managers are the college’s eyes and ears in the region.”
Starting as Rowan Technical Institute, offering seven pre-employment short courses for adults, today’s RCCC has 44 programs of study, including 250 courses available online, at four campuses. “As someone said recently, the community college is no longer the best-kept secret,” says Elbert Lassiter, RCCC’s vice president of corporate and continuing education. “It’s the best-kept promise.”
RCCC’s Corporate and Continuing Education program trains workers for local businesses through apprenticeships, internships, work-based learning, BioWork and BioPharma certifications and Class A commercial truck-driver licensing. “We are responsible for two international training academies, the Okuma Machine Tool Academy and RJG Injection Molding Training Academy,” King says.
Rowan County is a certified ACT Work Ready Community, demonstrating a commitment to equipping a workforce with employer-required skills. Its Talent Attraction Campaign gives prospective business owners and job seekers the opportunity to learn about the county and region without pressure. “People can send a resume and their info and talk to a real person and get their questions answered,” says Mollie Ruf, Rowan Economic Development Council’s marketing and communications manager, who heads the program. “Then if they land a job, I connect them with housing or schools. It’s a free service, and we basically roll out the red carpet. Or, a plant manager will contact me and say they have a potential employee flying in, and I’ll meet with them.”
WORK
Cabarrus EDC Project Manager Samantha Grass says more companies are showing interest in Cabarrus County. “We have more companies looking and would like to see a cluster of life sciences industries here,” she says. Harris Morrison, founder and managing director of Concord-based Fortius Real Estate Development and Investments, which is behind business, corporate and commerce parks in Concord, Kannapolis and Charlotte, says the county is open for business, overcoming challenges typical to all growing communities. “Cabarrus County remains a strong place to do business, and we are seeing new businesses locate to the area as well as existing buildings expand,” he says.
A Philip Morris plant once stood where pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly invested $1 billion in 2022 and promised 600 jobs for a manufacturing campus at The Grounds of Concord, one of six featured industrial sites promoted by Cabarrus EDC. Last December, California-based Custom Flavors announced a $6.5 million investment for a factory in Concord and 30 jobs. And in July, Avelo Airlines announced it was adding six new non-stop flights out of Concord-Padget Regional Airport.
When Charlotte Motor Speedway opened in 1960, cars racing around the 1.5-mile track in Concord topped out around 130 mph. They reach speeds exceeding 200 mph today. Finding those racing under General Motors nameplates with more speed while making them safer happens at nearby Charlotte Technical Center, which opened in 2022 with 250 employees.
More than 350 race teams, including some from NASCAR, IndyCar, Sportscar and Formula 1, have used the center’s engineering and information-technology services. “[Since opening] we’ve expanded our office space to support 98 additional engineers, we’ve added two more driver-in-the-loop simulators, two pull down rigs, five rapid prototyping printers, a full vehicle scanning system, an employee fitness center and a host of other equipment to support racing development,” says Operations Manager Matt Dix. “Our latest addition is a state-of-the-art full-vehicle testbed, which we expect to be operational by Q2 of this year.”
Rod Crider, Rowan EDC president and CEO, says Rowan is a regional economic development leader. “This impressive growth reflects our strategic location, abundant infrastructure and strong workforce, which make Rowan an ideal destination for industries such as advanced manufacturing, life sciences, EV suppliers, food processing and distribution,” he says. “With access to high-quality roads and interstates, robust utility services, and plentiful water and wastewater treatment capabilities, Rowan offers all the key ingredients companies need to thrive. Our community is ready to support the businesses shaping the future of North Carolina and beyond.”
Forward Rowan 2 is a five-year plan to attract 3,000 primary jobs in advanced manufacturing, logistics and distribution, life sciences, professional services and data centers by 2029. It’s estimated to increase annual consumer spending in Rowan by $141 million. “The big story is we have about 19 million square feet of spec buildings either available, under construction or proposed,” Ruf says. “All the hard work and thought processes coming to fruition have been going on for decades, and we’re at this pivotal time where all the hard work is finally paying off. It’s just the right place, right time.”
EXPLODING CORRIDOR
“The bottom line is Cabarrus has a lot of natural advantages, such as its proximity to Charlotte and Charlotte Douglas International Airport. We’re part of the exploding I-85 corridor, and we have a workforce that is growing in both size and talent,”Grochoske says. “Add to that the collaboration across the community that the EDC fosters, and it’s easy to envision a community where the lives of individuals and families continue to improve and our economy continues to grow.
“I hope for us to continue to diversify our industry base and bring more high-skilled jobs to the community, and strengthen our pipeline of K-12 students and employers, to provide opportunities for the people living here.” ■
— Kathy Blake is a writer from eastern North Carolina.