Mooresville-Lake Norman MSIEDC

Mooresville- Statesville Ranked 15th in the Country for economic strength

2010-07-16T10:20:00.000-04:00

Four N.C. cities in micropolitan ranking - Charlotte Business Journal

Four N.C. micropolitan areas rank among the top 100 in the nation in terms of economic strength, according to an analysis by Policom, an independent economic research firm based in Palm City, Fla.

Two of those micropolitans — those cities that have at least 10,000 but fewer than 50,000 residents — are in the Charlotte region. Statesville-Mooresville was No. 15 on the ranking; Salisbury was at 85. Policom measured a total of 576 micropolitans.

Sanford, in Lee County, ranked 81st. Southern Pines-Pinehurst was No. 24.

This year’s top five micropolitans, in order, were: Edwards, Colo., which finished second last year; Gillette, Wyo.; Durango, Colo.; Hilton Head Island-Beaufort, S.C., which topped the list the two previous years; and Rock Springs, Wyo.

The formulas used to evaluate a micropolitan’s economic strength actually measure the performance in the previous year, taking into account the consistency of growth and size of the regional economy, and measuring the changes to business sectors that show how much money is flowing into a community.

Read more: Four N.C. cities in micropolitan ranking - Charlotte Business Journal

Regional Strategy for Economic Growth Developing in Lake Norman

2010-05-20T10:38:00.000-04:00

Business Today

May 13—Lake Norman: North Meck and Southern Iredell political leaders are developing a strategy for economic growth based on a study conducted by the Urban Land Institute. The strategy, in draft stages now, is intended to accelerate economic growth by supporting certain public planning and infrastructure investments by Mooresville, Cornelius, Davidson and Huntersville; the City of Charlotte; Mecklenburg and Iredell counties; and the departments of transportation in Raleigh and Washington, D.C.

“Residents of the Lake Norman area are fortunate to be a key part of one of the better urban metropolitan areas in one of the better states for livability and economic growth,” said Carroll Gray, executive director of the Lake Norman Transportation Commission, which asked the ULI to conduct the study. The ULI is a nonprofit education and research institute focusing on the use of land in order to enhance the total environment, including lifestyle and economic sustainability. Another way to look at what it does is creating better places, according to Gray, the former CEO of the Charlotte Chamber.

Gray now heads up the Lake Norman Transportation Commission which brings Lake Norman political leaders together, creating regional clout for transportation decisions.
The LNTC is tackling such complex subjects as managed lanes on Interstate 77, new bridges over I-77, a new traffic corridor on the eastern edge of Mecklenburg north into Mooresville and the North Line commuter rail.

For further details on the regional plan visit Business Today.

RelocateAmerica.com has ranked Charlotte among the top 10 U.S. cities in which to Live.

2010-05-20T10:36:00.000-04:00

Charlotte Business Journal

The Queen City is No. 7 on the list. Raleigh came in eighth.

In compiling the list, RelocateAmerica.com’s editorial team reviewed nominations and selected the Top 100 Places to Live, as well as the Top 10 smaller categories of overall cities, recovery cities, recreation cities and small towns.

The editors based their findings on interviews with local leaders and feedback from residents, as well as economic, environmental, education, crime, employment and housing data.

Huntsville, Ala., ranked first on the list of 10 overall cities, followed by Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas.

RelocateAmerica.com is an online relocation resource that provides housing data and information on communities and local businesses. It is owned by TrueV New Media of Brighton, Mich.

For more information, visit Charlotte Business Journal

Mooresville Business Park Tops the List as Best Small Industrial Site in Great Freight Rail Sites in North Carolina Event, Hosted by NC Railroad

2010-05-20T10:34:00.000-04:00

“We are proud to be recognized as having one of the best rail sites in the State. The selection process was developed and implemented by McCallum Sweeny Consulting, which is one of the best site consultants that work in our area. The recognition is important because it is creating awareness of our site both in North Carolina and around the world. We will also utilize the “best rail site” designation in our marketing efforts because it lends credibility to the site’s readiness and quality for prospective clients.”
-Russell Rogerson

As a part of its Progress in Motion Forum the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) challenged local communities to identify and submit sites for recognition in the Great Freight Rail Sites in North Carolina. Mooresville Business Park of Iredell County was selected as the Best Small Industrial Site site. Recognizing the rapid disappearance of rail-served sites because of our state’s rapid growth, the challenge was designed to provide a learning opportunity for those with properties they think are suitable for consideration as rail industrial sites to get professional input.

Working closely with state, local and regional economic developers, NCRR engaged site consultants McCallum Sweeney Consulting to evaluate rail sites submitted from across the state. “We were pleased to have received 34 entries from local economic development organizations,” says Richard Wiley, Senior Consultant for Economic Development for NCRR. “The economic developers really stepped up and took advantage of this opportunity to showcase properties from their regions. Rail-served sites are extremely important to the state’s economic growth. Last year numerous new industries located in North Carolina because we had available sites with access to rail, creating hundreds of jobs.”

The categories in the Great Freight Rail Sites event were Large Industrial Rail sites, Small Industrial Rail sites, Distribution Center sites and Best Presentation. The sites were judged by such criteria as proximity and access to rail lines, roads and air service, the presence of utilities such as electricity, natural gas, water, and actual usable acreage. The sites could be on or near any railroad in the state—Norfolk Southern, CSX, or one of the 21 short line railroads across NC.

McCallum Sweeney Consulting provides site selection services and economic development consulting to businesses and organizations worldwide. The Progress in Motion Forum brought together those with an interest in North Carolina’s rail industry and its role in the state’s transportation system and economic health. Held in Raleigh on May 10 and 11th, the forum hosted experts from across the state and country to share ideas and information.

Carolina Beer & Beverage Continues to Grow

2010-05-20T10:32:00.001-04:00

Carolina Beer and Beverage is a manufacturer of high quality beverage products that's made Mooresville its home and headquarters since 1997.

They own and produce award winning beer products and specialize in contract manufacturing for some of the largest beverage labels in the industry. Beginning with less then a handful of employees in 1997, they have grown to 182 full-time employees. Despite the struggling economy, they have continued to grow investment and employment in the Mooresville-South Iredell commnunity.

They plan to invest $4.4-5 million in their new production line that entails "hot fill" capabilities, a new asset to CB&B's manufacturing process. The new line will enable them to meet increased production demand and will provide capabilities for further diversification. With this investment brings the creation of 19 new jobs to the community. it's estimated that the new line could generate a total of 40 full-time jobs once at full production.

We look forward to seeing the continued success and growth of one of Mooresville's native companies.

For more information on Carolina Beer and Beverage visit www.carolinabeer.com

America’s Park To Build Largest Youth Baseball Facility in U.S. In Mooresville/South Iredell County

2010-05-13T14:17:00.000-04:00

America’s Park LLC announced today that it will build and open the largest youth baseball facility in the U.S. in Mooresville by 2012. The park will host 8-13 year old baseball players from around the country and their families as they participate in America’s game.

Officials from Mooresville, Iredell County, Mooresville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the South Iredell Community Development Corporation and the Mooresville South Iredell Economic Development Corporation, joined America’s Park principals at Mooresville Town Hall to make the announcement.

“This will be one of the most significant youth sports development projects in the country,” said Chris Carney, Town of Mooresville Commissioner and Mayor Pro Tem. “It will not only have a major impact on our economy, but also on the kids who get to play in the park. We welcome them to Mooresville.”

America’s Park officials project that the facility will bring about 80,000 players, coaches and family members to Mooresville each year during the summer months. The park will host week-long tournaments for 12 weeks from June through August.
The projected economic impact for Mooresville and Iredell County is significant. America’s Park estimates that $33 million will be spent by players, coaches and family each year. Using a traditional multiplier of 2.5, America’s Park will generate more than $80 million a year directly related to its operation.

“The real winner here is youth baseball,” said Lou Presutti, principal in America’s Park and founder of Cooperstown Dreams Park. The new park will allow more teams to play in a family friendly environment patterned from the Cooperstown facility which turns away some 3,000 teams of 12 year-olds a year.

America’s Park will draw teams from all over the U.S. to play in the week-long tournaments. The demographics show that there are currently 120,000 11 year-old All Star teams in the U.S. In addition, there are about 126,000 youth baseball leagues in America and each league has an All Star team at each age level. As a result, there are 252,000 11-12 year old All Star Teams each year, according to statistics provided by America’s Park.

Participation at America’s Park will generate an estimated 80-100,000 hotel room nights a year, said Mooresville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Board Chairman Ron Johnson. This project will use hotel rooms in Mooresville and Statesville in Iredell County and possibly north Mecklenburg County.

“America’s Park will have an extremely positive impact on our hotels in the region as well as the many small businesses in the area,” Johnson said. “This is a perfect example of how youth sports can be a good economic development tool.”
America’s Park estimates that $1.2 billion is spent annually in the U.S. on youth baseball and softball.

The park’s county-wide impact makes it a unique development for the County. “This project is different from what we are use to working with,” said Ken Robertson, Iredell County Commissioner. “However, its positive and sizeable economic impact is far reaching and will provide a much needed shot in the arm to our economy.”
The baseball park will have 25 lighted ball fields, 60 cabins, a laundry facility, dining hall and concession stands, said Todd Hines, America’s Park principal. “These facilities will be top of their class and the players will play on some of the best fields in the country. The facilities will be family and fan friendly and will represent the purity of baseball.”

The facility will cost an estimated $20 million dollars to build and will be located on 170 acres of land off of Rankin Hill Road. “This project could not have happened without the cooperation of many organizations,” Hines said. “The property owner – Jeff Cernuto of Princeton Management – saw the value of our project to the community and the local businesses and cooperated well beyond a traditional development deal.”

“In fact, the Town of Mooresville, Iredell County, the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and the South Iredell Community Development Corporation showed great insight and flexibility to make this happen,” Hines said. “We have been looking around the country for a site this past year. This community and its partners utilized teamwork and cooperation to put together a package that made sense for us and the community. Their can do attitude was critical to us locating in Mooresville.”
The South Iredell Community Development Corporation Board of Directors Chairman, Woody Washam, said, “our organization has enjoyed a long, positive growth relationship with the Town and the County that has resulted in two industrial parks being built that have added quality jobs and investment to the community. This project is unique and different from our typical involvement, however, we are confident that it will also have a very positive economic impact and we are pleased to be able to play a role in attracting America’s Park to Mooresville.”
Mooresville and South Iredell County also had numbers in their favor. More than 60% of youth baseball players live within a 10 hour drive of Mooresville. The climate is conducive for extended play from mid-March through mid-November. Mooresville is located in close proximity to the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and 90 miles from Greensboro Airport.

Hines is a Mooresville resident while Presutti lives in Salisbury, N.C. Presutti’s Cooperstown Dreams Park organization is headquartered in Salisbury. “I am thrilled to be able to locate this park in Mooresville, my home town,” Hines said. “The park will be good for the many small businesses in the area, it will provide our youth and retirees with summer employment, and it will be good for area kids.”
Mooresville Town Board Member, Mitch Abraham agrees with Hines. “This is one of those projects that come along once in a million years,” Abraham said. “It took a lot of hard work from many people and contributions from multiple groups to make it happen. I’m pleased about the cooperation in our community that has resulted in attracting America’s Park which will drive benefits to us for generations to come.”
“The residents of Mooresville passed a referendum for more recreation a few years ago and the Town Board has made great progress in delivering quality public parks,” said Mitch Abraham, Town Board member. “In addition to being a national attraction, America’s Park has agreed to run and host our recreation baseball program which will give every Mooresville youth a chance to play on the nicest fields in the country.”