Rowan County Commissioners Chairman Greg Edds this week borrowed a phrase from the Carolina Panthers — keep pounding — to describe upcoming economic development work.

“I think the general community is pretty happy with the way things are running, as evidenced by the few folks that filed to run (for county commissioner),” Edds said. “It’s been a good year. Things are looking up economically and I appreciate everyone’s hard work.”

During the previous year, commissioners have talked extensively about their top priority — economic development. The annual planning retreat this week provided further proof they’re unified in trying to boost Rowan’s economy. At various points throughout the two-day retreat, commissioners debated aspects of growth in Rowan. They disagreed slightly at times — Commissioner Judy Klusman, for example, argued briefly with Commissioner Craig Pierce about how poverty affects Rowan’s economy. Mostly, however, they repeated similar points or agreed with each other.

“One thing I like about this board is that we’re not afraid to tackle issues,” said Commissioners Vice Chairman Jim Greene. “Hopefully, the two of them over there, (Craig Pierce and Mike Caskey), will be re-elected. We vote together more than we vote apart.”

Greene’s comment came as commissioners were wrapping up the first day of this week’s retreat. It was the most explicit sign that the group of five move in lockstep on economic development and all other projects. More often than not, commissioners unanimously vote together on major issues.

When discussing overall economic progress in the year since the newest three were elected, commissioners diminished major achievements by previous leaders a bit and touted their own progress in a short time.

“One thing that’s not being talked about is past commissions sat on their hands and did nothing,” said Commissioner Craig Pierce. “The economic conditions didn’t get the way they are in two years.”

Pierce mentioned the closure of Pillowtex in Kannapolis and the textile industry’s overall decline. He said previous commissioners “did feel good stuff” such as building a bear habitat at Dan Nicholas Park.

“They didn’t do stuff to put us in a good financial position, and that’s what we’re dealing with today,” he said.

Adding to Pierce’s comments, Greene said Rowan County’s leaders never accepted that textiles were a dying business.

“Cannon Mills had to shut its doors before we had to diversify,” Greene said. “We’re just now taking that on as a priority.”

In diversifying Rowan County’s economy, commissioners focus on growing the Rowan County Airport and building a county-owned water and sewer system.

One exercise during the retreat asked commissioners to pick the top problems or potential opportunities facing Rowan County. Diversifying Rowan’s economy, by far, was the top choice by commissioners among a number of options. Examples of specific projects listed by commissioners included: county-owned water and sewer, helping Rowan Works Economic Development prepare available industrial sites, working on a job readiness program, securing funding for an airport runway extension and completing a new hangar at the airport.

“We are in a huge competition for people and for them to bring their kids, investments, build their homes and locate their income in Rowan County,” Edds said. “The lesson of this week is we need to concentrate on diversifying.”

Multiple times throughout the retreat, Edds referenced the massive layoffs at Freightliner as a sign that Rowan needs to diversify.

Rowan’s most expensive, and still not complete, economic development project has been a runway extension at the county-owned airport. For years, Rowan officials pegged the cost of a runway extension at $10 million or slightly more. Last year, an engineering firm presented concrete estimates, and the cost jumped to $24 million for a 500-foot, north-bound extension. Because of environmental cleanup fees for a contaminated site, costs would grow even further for the runway to expand south.

County officials were nearly done with the project two years ago, Pierce said. At the time, the Rowan County Airport sat within the authority of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Atlanta branch. It was switched to Memphis, which required new paperwork.

Pierce said he’s prepared a resolution to send to Gov. Pat McCrory, U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Richard Burr, R-N.C., and State Transportation Board Member Jake Alexander that asks for help in securing federal funding for the extension. With its projected cost, Rowan County wouldn’t be able to pay for it. Pierce said state funds also wouldn’t pay for the entire extension.

In addition to the runway, commissioners have also committed to building new, large hangars for economic development prospects.

A county-owned water and sewer project ranks as another expensive economic development projects. Its total cost is tens of millions of dollars. Commissioners, however, have pared down the project’s initial scope, which would also reduce the total cost.

Neither the airport project nor county water and sewer attracted any opposition of any kind during this week’s retreat.

“I think last year, things were a bit more strenuous,” Klusman said. “This year, we’ve gotten to know each other, and we’re pretty much on the same page.”

Expanding on Klusman’s point, Pierce said he likes that commissioners are all focused on the same things.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.