••• SPONSORED SECTION •••
Greene, Lenoir & Wayne counties prosper
As an Economic Development Region, home of Global TransPark.
Shaped by vast geography, diverse demography and a vivid patchwork of communities and industries, North Carolina lends itself well to regional collaboration for economic development. Yet, political lines of demarcation among counties and municipalities can challenge such efforts. A strategic consensus must first be built and then sustained tactically by ongoing and careful, even painstaking, give and take.
On a Tuesday morning in June, state, federal and local officials gathered near Kinston for the groundbreaking of the Fleet Readiness Center East complex at the North Carolina Global TransPark.
It’s a $400 million investment that will create 444 jobs in maintenance and repair of Havelock-based Navy C-130 and HH 60W aircraft. The complex is an extension of the Navy’s Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, where 4,000 engineers and technicians work at FRC East, the state’s largest employer east of Interstate 95.
“We are not taking away from Cherry Point. We are creating space,” says Mark Pope, president of the North Carolina Global TransPark Economic Development Region and economic director of Lenoir County. “This is a new workload for them. We have land availability.”
The complex is a giant stamp of approval on an idea Pope and neighboring economic leaders had four years ago to combine resources in Greene, Lenoir and Wayne counties as the Economic Development Region. Their goal is to change a relatively rural patch of the state into an attractive site for business development, particularly for aviation and transportation employers.
Gov. Roy Cooper validated that effort at the June groundbreaking, saying, “As the most military-friendly state in America, I’m proud that the Global TransPark has become a magnet for aerospace investment that supports the mission of our fighting men and women.”
Before the first planes arrive in two years, 700,000 square feet of buildings will be constructed. Temporary statewide impacts from construction could equal 4,828 jobs with a labor income in excess of $262 million, according to a release.
“It is our largest and most significant collaboration to date, offering unparalleled support for military aviation maintenance while also boosting economic prosperity in our community,” adds Tom Hendrickson, chair of the North Carolina Global TransPark’s board of directors.
The three-county EDR boasts Lenoir and Wayne community colleges, plus the University of Mount Olive; a thriving agricultural sector; county seats with small-town charm; proximity to several major military bases; interstate and rail transportation; convenient access to three ports; and a Foreign Trade Zone within the North Carolina Global TransPark.
June’s announcement is the latest chapter of the region’s success story.
“It’s a good partnership between the GTP and Fleet Readiness-East (in Havelock) and the Navy,” Pope says. “The Navy just received a contract at Cherry Point for C-130s and the HH 60W, and they will be doing their complete MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) here at the GTP on those planes. We’re very fortunate to have that. We’re making room here so they can do the work they want to do down there. As long as we can make room for the vertical lift for their type planes, it helps them.
“It’s a win-win for them, the state and for creating jobs.”
Strength in numbers
The ripple effect from the GTP touches each of the three counties.
In the Region’s first two years, 18 industries set up shop in its towns and industrial parks. On June 18, they got No. 28.
That’s the day that Pope and Wayne County announced that Latin-American company Alianza-Team Foods USA is investing $36.4 million and will create 16 jobs at ParkEast Industrial Park.
“That’s our 28th announcement (since 2020),” Pope adds. “That put us over 3,400 jobs in four years, with more than $900 million in capital investment. That says a lot about eastern North Carolina.”
In Greene County, economic development director Trey Cash cites more than $12.5 million in new capital investment and the creation of more than 175 jobs at wages that are above the county’s median average.
“This regional partnership has strengthened our economic foundation, providing more opportunities for our residents and contributing to the overall prosperity of Greene County,” he says.
Precision Graphics moved into a 55,000-square-foot industrial building in late 2021, the first out-of-state acquisition for the county in several years. “Since then,” Cash says, “we have seen HM Alliance acquire property in the Arba community to export meat to Korea and Corporate Ladder Brewery establish operations in Walstonburg to export dessert beer to foreign markets.
“The EDR worked directly with both companies to facilitate their move,” he adds. “Our focus remains on attracting industries in advanced manufacturing, life sciences and agribusiness. Additionally, existing companies like Building Envelope Erection Services,
H&T Trucking and Heritage Family Health and Wellness have expanded, creating new jobs and capital investment, further boosting our local economy.”
Places such as Snow Hill, county seat of Greene County, plan to keep the small-town atmosphere.
“Snow Hill is a charming and safe town where everyone knows each other, fostering a close-knit community atmosphere.” Cash says. “It is home to major industries such as Waterfront Products, Worth Products, Yamco, Precision Graphics and Contentnea Health. The town offers high-speed fiber internet, ensuring residents stay connected. Snow Hill also boasts numerous ball fields and the renewed Greene Ridge Racquet Club, providing ample recreational opportunities. Despite its small-town charm, Snow Hill’s location allows easy access to Greenville, Goldsboro, Wilson, the GTP and Kinston, all within a 30-minute drive.”
Kinston is also benefitting in several ways, Mayor Don Hardy says. “In the downtown area, we’ve just been approved by the ABC to have a Social District in the Queen Street area, so that’s a big deal for us and will attract more people downtown,” he says. “We’re looking at doing a lot of cleaning up, painting, and adding more housing as more jobs come in. As the EDR continues to grow, there will be more small businesses coming in, so the Social District will be a place people will like to visit. And our water park (Lions Water Adventure) will attract people as well. There’s nothing like it.”
Kinston, he says, is $11.4 million into a goal of receiving $16 million, mostly from grant funding and state agencies, for construction projects to help combat flooding. (Hurricane Matthew damaged 200 homes in October 2016 when the Neuse River rose above flood stage.)
“Hurricane Matthew is the reason I ran for mayor,” says Hardy, a Kinston native. “I try to reach out in every way to help us move forward.”
Back in 2020, Pope says, “We knew there was growth potential. We knew we were closer to completing infrastructure with roads and rail, so we wanted to be able to compete in the world and take a step forward in economic development and change the look of eastern North Carolina. A lot of folks put their heads together, and we’ve been proactive and really emphasized the quality of life here.”
Planes and more planes
The North Carolina Global TransPark Economic Development Region’s main cluster is its escalating aviation and military presence.
“We found a niche that we’re good at, and these companies can recruit. The NCDOT has the highway system in place, and we keep growing with I-42, and we can get anywhere in a mile-a-minute. We pull from 13 counties; that’s our radius,” Pope says.
The Kinston airport, originally built by the Navy in 1944, has an 11,500-foot runway, capable of handling military needs, and a 26,000-square-foot terminal. The Department of Defense has a 25-year agreement to use the airport for training. Other key employers are Draken International, which uses its fighter jets for combat training with active-duty military pilots; flyExclusive, a private jet charter company; and SpiritAerosystems next door, with its Composite Center of Excellence training center operated through Lenoir Community College.
A fuel farm under construction next to the runway should be completed in August with three vertical steel tanks, each with 500,000-gallon capacity. Former capacity for the airport was 40,000 gallons. “We had a growth in military presence, so we had to grow the fuel farm,” Pope says.
The day after the MRO Complex ceremony, Lenoir Community College broke ground on its Jim Perry Aviation Center for Excellence (ACE), a place where high school juniors and seniors can study aviation for free and earn college credit through the Private Pilot Essentials Certificate Program. The center honors N.C. Sen. Jim Perry, who did not run for re-election this year. “What this Aviation Center of Excellence will provide is state-of-the art training facilities and programs at the airport,” said Preston Hunter, North Carolina Global TransPark executive director.
The Perry Center will include an aircraft hangar, traditional classrooms and maintenance laboratories. “The groundbreaking of the Aviation Center for Excellence is historic and transformative for the college, for aviation and for the region,” says Lenoir Community College President Rusty Hunt. “The college is training the workforce of tomorrow.” The community college partners with East Carolina and Elizabeth City State universities in several aviation programs.
Also in the North Carolina Global TransPark, the community college’s Aerospace & Advanced Manufacturing Center offers classes in aviation, computer-integrated machining, industrial maintenance and mechanical engineering, as well as customized training and short-term workforce training.
“The AAMC has the faculty and equipment to provide customized training to meet the demands of the aviation and aerospace industry both now and for the 21st century,” Hunt says. “The future Aviation Center for Excellence will expand its programs and services and strengthen its role in economic development in the region.”
Growth at the North Carolina Global Transpark means growth in neighborhoods.
“We are seeing more residential homes being built in Greene County, from homes at our amazing golf course, Cutter Creek, to homes on secondary roads,” Cash says. “The town of Hookerton, one of the closest towns to the Global TransPark, offers a safe and welcoming environment with high-speed fiber internet throughout the town. Additionally, we have added a new EMS Station and a new public works office building to help enhance our infrastructure. This increased residential development has strengthened our community, making Greene County an attractive place to live and work.”
Workforce training
Last March, a busload of instructors from ECU toured the GTP, Draken International, flyExclusive, and Lenoir’s AAMC before hearing a presentation on the aerospace industry and its link to the Department of Defense. The tour emphasized job demand and industry training.
Aviation Management programs at Lenoir Community College in Kinston prepare students for several high-paying careers, such as: aerospace engineers ($63.76/ hour); pilots and flight engineers ($55.77/ hour); avionics technicians ($28.44/ hour) and several other roles. About 35 students are enrolled in online and in-person classes.
Wayne Community College’s enrollment includes 4,400 students taking college credit courses; its 70 credit programs include several that transfer to four-year schools. Work-based learning paths include agribusiness technology, which transfers to the University of Mount Olive’s bachelor of science in agricultural production systems curriculum.
Greene, Lenoir and Wayne counties are state leaders in agriculture, each ranking in the top 10 in two or more categories of production of turkeys, hogs, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, crops, fruits and vegetables and livestock, according to 2023 USDA statistics.
“I grew up on a family farm, just like many citizens here in Greene County, and we do not forget our agricultural roots,” says Cash. “That is why we focus on agribusiness, ensuring that farming remains a key component of our community’s identity and livelihood.A significant portion of Greene County is agricultural land, making it a vital part of our local economy. Our agricultural sector not only provides essential products to the market but also supports many jobs and businesses within the county.”
“Agriculture still is so important. You can’t forget that,” Pope says. “Lenoir County is looking at these areas – what is farm, what is residential, what is industrial. You have to figure out our capacities; do we have the capacity for sewer and water at some of those places that are isolated? There are areas we need to protect. You can’t be haphazard with planning.”
The philanthropy of pickles
One of the best-known non-aerospace places in the EDR is Mount Olive Pickle Co. on the Wayne County line. Its gift shop welcomed a record 10,000 guests last year.
The company sources about a third of its cucumbers from N.C. growers and also is a major contributor to civic and charitable organizations.
“Local business leaders here in Mount Olive nearly 100 years ago established the company to create a new marketfor area farmers,” says public relations manager Lynn Williams. “The reasoning was that the whole local economy would benefit. For FY 24, we gave over $1 million in financial and product contributions to organizations large and small. Our largest beneficiaries are the University of Mount Olive and the Make A Wish Foundation. Other significant gifts locally go to Wayne Community College, United Way of Wayne County, the Boys & Girls Club of Wayne County and the Goldsboro Family YMCA.”
The company also partners with Operation North State and the Carolina Patriots DAR. “Operation North State is just one of many examples of the organizations we partner with.
For years we have provided pickles for their Christmas boxes for shut-in veterans across the state,” Williams says.
“We love the community events where we either present ourselves or partner with others – the New Year’s Eve Pickle Drop we do at the University of Mount Olive, as well as the North Carolina Pickle Festival each April, and coming this fall, the fourth annual Pickles, Pigs & Swigs event in downtown Mount Olive. Fun stuff.”
What’s next?
Leaders of the North Carolina Global TransPark Economic Development Region’s three counties are optimistic about its partnership and growth.
For Kinston, Hardy sees priorities in housing and transportation. “In the next five years, I see the city growing in population, with some retired folks and people looking for housing,” he says. “People will migrate down from the Triangle area looking for affordable housing, so I see that growing. We also need to move forward with having a bus route, or Uber in place to help not only our youth but our age-friendly community. We need an on-demand or route system people can go to. And, I’d like to see more livability and shops downtown, with residence space on the second floor. We want more retail and chain restaurants.”
Greene County also eyes more investments, and more jobs.
“Over the past few years, we have attracted significant new investments and created numerous high-paying jobs, demonstrating our county’s potential for growth. With quick access to I-587, I-95, Wilson, Goldsboro, the TransPark, Kinston and Greenville, we have access to a large trained workforce in a business-friendly environment,” Cash says. “I often say our work in economic development is to build better futures. I believe that as part of the Global TransPark Economic Development Region, we are building better futures for all of our communities. In the next five years, we hope to see continued economic advances, including more capital investment, job creation and infrastructure improvements. Our goal is to build a prosperous future for Greene County, ensuring it remains a great place to live, work, and grow.”
Pope adds: “I want to be able to say we created job opportunities for your youth, and that our region has grown in creating those jobs and quality of life.
I hope people will want to be a part of what we’re doing. We want to market eastern North Carolina, and rural North Carolina, as a place that has something to offer, and we’ve done that.” ■
— Kathy Blake is a writer from eastern North Carolina.
