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IN DEMAND
Moore County is a popular place, and not only with those taking a swing at its legendary golf courses. It’s adding residents and growing businesses, too.
It has been a busy 12 months for Moore County Economic Development Partnership, which announced more than $138 million in capital investments. There was Reliance Packaging’s $7.5 million expansion in Aberdeen, the $100 million Uwharrie Motorsports Park and Resort, which covers 400 acres near Robbins, where OA Defense is building a 30,000-square-foot factory, and Amazon’s 65,000-square-foot center at Southern Pines Corporate Park.
Growth is the name of Moore County’s game. Sandhills Community College is answering the call for more people certified in welding, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and advanced manufacturing. Moore County Airport, which handled 1,800 flights the week of last year’s U.S. Open golf championship at Pinehurst Resort, is eyeing a return of commercial flights. A 2023 study found the airport’s annual economic impact is more than $130 million, up from $90 million in 2019.
There is more golf, too. Work on Pinehurst No. 11 is expected to start this fall and be completed by 2027. Its designers, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, are the golf course architects behind the most-recent renovation of famed Pinehurst No. 2, which was designed by Donald Ross. The county already boasts 40 courses in a 15-mile radius.
Tourism is escalating, evidenced by the more than 250,000 visitors who came for the recent U.S. Open. It seems everybody wants Moore. And that’s creating plenty of opportunities and a few challenges.
HOUSING
Moore County’s population of 108,417 is expected to swell to more than 147,000 by 2040 and 170,000 by 2050, according to N.C. Office of State Budget and Management. That puts housing in demand. “We’re an attractive place to live,” says Natalie Hawkins, who was named Moore County Economic Development Partnership president in 2021 after a 20-year stint with the village of Pinehurst. “We are in our high-growth rate, and the growth we’ve seen in the last few years is the basics of economics — high demand and low supply. We have to figure out a way to get more supply and make it easier and less costly for developers to construct housing.”
A 2024 Bowen National Research report revealed Moore County faces a housing inventory gap of 7,724 units — 1,916 rentals and 5,808 for sale — between 2024 and 2029. The number of households is expected to increase 2% — 1,824 — by 2028, making Moore the Carolina Core’s third fastest-growing county.
According to a report commissioned by NC Chamber Foundation, North Carolina Home Builders Association and NC Realtors, addressing the housing gap could generate $489 billion in economic activity and nearly 2.2 million jobs. “We’re looking for high-quality development that’s consistent with the character we have now,” Hawkins says. “So, the point is, if we have this community, they need services. They need healthcare and pharmacies and grocery stores, and we have to find the workers to support the needs of those residents. And in order to recruit people to work in our restaurants and hotels and have our nurses and our police officers to maintain our safe community, those are the workers who are having a hard time finding an affordable place to live. We cannot benefit our community by saying, ‘You can work here but you can’t live here.’”
Southern Pines addressed housing issues in its recently updated comprehensive long-range plan. “Southern Pines is a role model for other communities, not only in Moore County but across the state, in how they’re investigating and identifying solutions to address the need for housing that’s attainable,” Hawkins says. “They put a task force together that has been phenomenal in identifying regulatory solutions, knowing that it alone isn’t going to solve the problem, but it’s going to make it easier.”
Southern Pine’s plan points out the realities of a growing population. “[The plan] recognized the forthcoming shortage of living units and the increasing difficulty for individuals and families earning local wages to find housing in Southern Pines and its immediate surroundings,” Southern Pines Town Manager Reagan Parsons says. “The planning team went about inviting individuals from all aspects of the development process — land planners, realtors, homebuilders, bankers, etc. — to the table to discuss ways in which the local government might be less of an impediment to the decision to build while still maintaining a Southern Pines standard and feel. The group has been working together to determine ways in which a target number of units within an accessible price range might get developed on an annual basis moving forward.”
Parsons says Southern Pines, like much of Moore County, welcomes development, and several large-scale multifamily developments are in various stages of construction. “A surgery center representing a joint effort between Pinehurst Surgical and FirstHealth as part of the Morganton Medical Complex is under Phase I construction,” he says. Pinehurst-based FirstHealth of the Carolinas has four hospitals, including Moore Regional, and specialty offices across a 15-county region. It was named to Forbes’ 2025 America’s Best Employers list.
Development is happening elsewhere, too. “A number of restaurants have begun construction in the Tyler’s Ridge/ACE Hardware area near the community college and airport, and any number of small commercial sites are in various stages of application and review townwide,” Parsons says. “Even with its growth trajectory, Southern Pines remains a community with a wide variety and balance of residential, commercial, office and service opportunities.”
WORKFORCE
Moore County was one of the few North Carolina counties without a Cooperative and Innovative High School, also known as Early College. That changed when Moore Innovative High School opened, welcoming an inaugural class of 70 freshman, last year, says Ashlee Ciccone, its principal. “Moore County was granted a legislative appropriation to open a CIHS as a partnership between Moore County Schools and Sandhills Community College,” she says.
The appropriation carried a requirement: focused vocational pathways. “While all pathways at Sandhills Community College are available to our MIHS students, focused pathways will be an area of exploration based on identified local needs,” Ciccone says. “These focus pathways include Architecture/Engineering/Construction, Education, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Information Technology. Work in focused pathways begins in the junior year of high school based on individual student interests.”
The Pinehurst school’s mission and beliefs statement reflect its ambition of affiliating with local workforce needs: “Develop the knowledge and skills necessary to secure workforce certifications and specialized career training to meet the needs of a growing community. Empower students by providing personalized support, real world experience, and a focus on entrepreneurism.”
Ciccone says MISH is prepared to carry out its mission. “At Moore Innovative High School, we believe in the power of hands-on learning, strong partnerships and personalized pathways to success,” she says. “Our unique approach connects the high school experience directly to real-world opportunities, including career training, college credit and meaningful experiences that prepare our Red Wolves for life beyond graduation. Here, all students are challenged to think critically, collaborate effectively and grow into the best version of themselves.”
TRANSPORTATION
Moore County Airport’s roots stretch back to 1929, when the Tufts family, who established Pinehurst Resort, plowed a dirt runway in Carthage. After several name changes, it took its current moniker in 1980 and began offering commercial service to and from Charlotte through CCAir-USAir Express in 1991. While commercial service ended in 2002, an
N.C. Department of Transportation Division of Aviation report says the airport supports
590 jobs, generating almost $36.4 million in personal income and $4.2 million in state and local taxes.
Phil Werz, president and CEO of Convention & Visitors Bureau for the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area, says Moore County Airport’s classification may change in response to the county’s growth and success of its golf and tourism industries. “The Moore County Economic Development Partnership is also signaling the return of commercial flight service back to the Pinehurst area,” he says. “This is a major opportunity for additional growth from air passengers accessing the area by plane, not just by car, in the coming years.”
Moore County Airport Director Rick Cloutier presented a proposal to commercialize the airport to the CVB in June. A two-year NCDOT study found that commercialization could stimulate car rentals, restaurants, hotels and attractions by $300 million. “[The airport] does not have a specific proposal from an airline at this time,” he says.
Cloutier says the airport’s runway and taxiway facilities are adequate for commercialization. “Most of our runway rehab projects were completed in 2024,” he says. “We are currently working on a runway safety area project that will increase the available length of the runway without extending the current pavement. The airport is self-sufficient on itself when it comes to funding operations. The airport does not receive any local tax dollars or, for that matter, even the federal funds we receive for airport improvements come from the Airport Improvement Program of the FAA. These funds come from fees on airline tickets purchased, not general fund tax dollars.”
Commercialization would require some changes. “We would have to do some temporary terminal expansion and some upgrades to our emergency equipment to support commercial service,” Cloutier says. Funding would be mostly federal and state grants with a match from airport funds.
NCDOT is upgrading Moore County roads, too. “According to DOT, these projects constitute the largest single complex of highway expansion in the state of North Carolina,” Werz says. “Many highways are expected to be expanded to four lanes to accommodate increased visitor traffic and be mostly completed in time for the 2029 U.S. Open.”
INDUSTRY
Moore County’s top industries include retail, manufacturing, healthcare and defense. Its proximity to Fort Bragg and the state’s other military installations helped local businesses secure more than $25 million in Department of Defense contracts in 2023.
Moore County EDP lists tactical gear manufacturer Spiritus Systems, consultant K2 Solutions, specialized vehicle-maker Growler Manufacturing and Engineering, and Telum Protection, which offers specialized equipment and intelligence solutions, as local members of the defense industry.
OA Defense says its new factory in Robbins will help the company keep pace with demand and allow for future growth.
“We are excited to join the ranks of other prestigious manufacturers in North Carolina and to expand our team and our capabilities at our new Moore County headquarters,” said David Wollman, company co-founder and vice president, in a press release.
Retail is Moore County’s third-largest industry. Its 2024 taxable sales totaled more than $2.46 billion, mainly supported by walkable downtowns, varied dining options and craft breweries. Morganton Park South, a 266,000-square-foot upscale shopping center
adjacent to a 269-unit high-end apartment complex in Southern Pines, is the latest addition. “There is a little something for everyone when you look at Moore County as
a whole,” Parsons says.
Parsons says the region’s momentum is based on unity of industry, education, recreation and lifestyle. Southern Pines is an example. “Citizen input and future planning with intent have created a welcoming atmosphere for those desiring to invest in, and become part of, the local community in a manner that augments it rather than takes from it,” he says. ■
— Kathy Blake is a writer from eastern North Carolina.
MONEY BALL
Tourism dollars roll into Moore County thanks to its golf courses, tournaments and amenities.
Moore County counted a record $900 million in visitor spending in fiscal year 2024-2025, which ended June 30, says Phil Werz, president and CEO of Convention & Visitors Bureau for the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area. Its 40 golf courses and associated amenities play a big part in making “The Home of American Golf” the state’s 10th-largest tourism economy. In turn, the CVB recorded one of its best years for occupancy-tax collections, totaling $3.8 million. A big boost came from the U.S. Open, which was played at Pinehurst Resort and drew more than 250,000 visitors. “The destination is still reaping the benefits of the momentum created by the enormously successful and historic 2024 U.S. Open,” he says.
The U.S. Open returns in 2029 for a double dip with the men’s and women’s championships to be played in consecutive weeks on the same course, Pinehurst No. 2, for the first time since 2014. That repeat performance will feature plenty of debuts, including accommodations, amenities, transportation options and a golf course.
“Overall, the destination is poised for continued tourism growth for the next several years,” Werz says. “While a golf-driven economy, the CVB markets the area to attract a diverse visitor base, which enjoys non-golf pursuits such as the vibrant and local dining scene, ability to stroll quaint and charming downtown shopping areas, proximity to Seagrove potters, and an abundance of outdoor pursuits with miles of hiking and biking trails throughout Moore County.”
Pinehurst Resort, which opened its Pinehurst No. 10 course in Aberdeen in April 2024, recently announced plans to build Pinehurst No. 11. “It will be shaped by renowned golf course architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw with anticipated opening in the fall of 2027,” Werz says. “The resort completed a full renovation of the historic Carolina Hotel and also opened up a new series of luxury cottages at Pinehurst No. 8. Not to be outdone, the owners of Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club and Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club announced plans in June 2025 for a $47 million joint venture with Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts to completely renovate the lodging and improve select services at both properties.”
A key industry event occurred in mid-July when The Country Club of Whispering Pines and Foxfire Country Club were acquired by Rolling Pines, a new management group within its parent company, Mid Pines Development Group. Kelly Miller, managing partner of the new ownership group, is also president and CEO of Ross Resorts, which owns the Pine Needles and Mid Pines clubs. “The Sandhills area is growing, North Carolina is growing, and Raleigh, Sanford and Fort Bragg seem to be getting closer and closer to us,” he said in a story published by Golf Wire. “There has been very little new golf built in Moore County in the last 20 years. This is a chance to polish some classic golf courses from outstanding designers and make them available to the public at a reasonable price.”
In March, Moore County Commissioners unanimously approved a hotel-occupancy tax increase, upping it to the state maximum of 6% from 3%. “This will essentially double the CVB budget and allow for the CVB to have more dollars for marketing and for tourism product development,” Werz says. “That increase will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.”
Aberdeen will welcome a Courtyard by Marriott in late November. It’s owned by Southern Pines-based McPeake Hotels, which owns a Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn and TownePlace Suites nearby. The company may add a Home2Suites extended-stay hotel, but owner Bonnie McPeake says that project is on the back burner as the company moves forward with plans for a boutique hotel — Tapestry by Hilton — on Broad Street in downtown Southern Pines. “We’re in the early stages, and we still have to get the drawing from Hilton, and we’ll get their approval,” she says. “The architect is working with the town
now. The property will be designed
to fit in with Southern Pines, and we hope to have the front look like the early 1900s.”
The Tapestry hotel is slated to have 100 rooms, a rooftop bar, spa, restaurant and 12 retail spaces. “Once we break ground, it will take about two years,” says McPeake, whose son, company President Samuel A. McPeake II, and daughter, Vice President Christa Gilder, are assisting with its development. “This will be the most upscale hotel I’ve ever done, and the one I’m most excited about.”
Golf in Moore County isn’t only for adults. First Tee – Sandhills combines a life-skills curriculum and golf instruction for children and teens in Moore, Lee, Harnett, Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, Scotland, Richmond and Montgomery counties. “Our mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values through the game of golf,” says Executive Director Courtney Stiles. “We do this by combining mentorship with accessible programming and outstanding curriculum, creating active learning experiences that build perseverance, confidence
and resilience.”
In December, First Tee – Sandhills purchased 34 acres along U.S. 1 in Cameron. “We are currently pinning the space The Hub, because we envision it as a place where we will develop our programming and opportunities and then push out into the Sandhills community,” Stiles says. “Resources and opportunities will constantly be moving in and out of The Hub. Plus, everything we do today will remain the same, and the opportunities we will develop at the permanent site will only expand and enhance for all.”
Stiles says The Hub will have year-round programming, field trips for its 67 Title I School partners, and a workforce development program for teens and young adults. It will have a driving range, putting green, short game area and 9 hole short course. There also will be a community pavilion, administrative offices, teen tech lab and walking trails. “We have projected that once all five phases of the project construction are complete, the facility will provide access to up to 10,000 guests annually, including up to three days a week that we will be open to the public,” she says.
Operating costs are about $400 per child per year, and charges range from $30 to $125 per participant. “It is our mission that no child is ever turned away due to ability to pay,” Stiles says, adding that many current participants are on scholarship and use loaner equipment. “Bringing this vision to life is going to pay out dividends for the future of the communities we serve. I strongly believe this.”
More golf and more attractions add up to more visitors. “Tourism in Moore County continues to grow at a vigorous and steady pace, bolstered by a record-setting demand for golf in an area that is globally recognized by the sport,” Werz says.
Werz says the N.C. Department of Transportation has several Moore County projects underway to handle increased traffic. “According to DOT, these projects constitute the largest single complex of highway expansion in the state of North Carolina,” he says. “Many highways are expected to be expanded to four lanes to accommodate increased visitor traffic and be mostly completed in time for the 2029 U.S. Open.”■
— Kathy Blake is a writer from eastern North Carolina.
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