By Luke Fisher

Rowan County’s time has arrived.

The Rowan Economic Development Council has worked for years to develop the infrastructure for growth, and now that growth is arriving. We could not be prouder to celebrate Macy’s, Inc.’s selection of Rowan County for its new distribution center, along with its significant investment of 2,800 new jobs and $584.3 million in capital. For a company as iconic as Macy’s to choose to bring nearly 30% of its digital supply chain capacity to China Grove speaks volumes to all the assets Rowan has to offer, and we have the EDC to thank for several of those. Its partnership with the local education system, commitment to the success of existing businesses, and the development and recruitment of workforce are all crucial to retaining and attracting companies to Rowan.

Since that Macy’s announcement, the Rowan EDC also helped secure expansions of Eastern Fence and Stout Heating and Air. All told, this growth will create an influx of more than $100 million in annual income for citizens in and around Rowan County. It has truly been a game-changing year. More opportunities ahead for the Rowan EDC include well over 20 million square feet of building space under development along the I-85 corridor and throughout Kannapolis, so we have a wide range of options for businesses to locate or grow here. With worldwide names like Macy’s and Chewy leading the way in picking Rowan, we know more good things are coming. I want to recognize and thank the Rowan EDC team for their tireless dedication to improving the lives of Rowan County’s citizens.

Rod Crider, Scott Shelton, Kendall Henderson, Jay Garneau and Joanie Michael have done a tremendous job elevating the status of Rowan County for the future. In addition, I also want to commend our incredible Board of Directors for their leadership and guidance in supporting Rod and his team to an outstanding year and positioning the EDC for more excellence in 2023 and beyond. A special thank you to exiting Board members Greg Anderson, as well as Denise Hallett, who spent the previous 18 months as Chair, and six years in total on the Board.

Their input and dedication made a positive impact on the success of Rowan EDC and we are sincerely appreciative of their service. It has been an honor and privilege to serve as the Chair of your EDC this past year, and I know Gary Blabon will excel in this role next year. Congratulations to the Rowan EDC on a successful year and thank you to all of our partners who continue to propel our community forward. The future of Rowan County has never been brighter.

 

This article is provided by the Rowan County EDC.  Luke Fisher was recently honored by the EDC for his long time volunteer efforts in Rowan County economic development.