by

Dave Hardin

Public Information Officer

If any one issue has been judged by the Catawba County Board of Commissioners to be of great importance in the last two years, aside from education which has traditionally received the largest single portion of property and sales tax revenues, it's job creation.

The Board's #1 goal for the current fiscal year, which will end on June 30, 2009, was to "continue to develop strategies to create jobs."  This included a continued investment in water and sewer infrastructure and other incentives necesary to attract jobs. 

The goal also included work to "continue to insure that critical transportation needs are championed to the North Carolina Department of Transportation".  One indication of this goal at work is the beginning of a coordinated planning effort by Catawba, Iredell and Lincoln Counties, which officials in all three counties hope will better prepare the counties for the widening of Highway 150, now that some State funds have been set aside for right-of-way acquisition in 2014.  Representatives from each of those counties were to begin meeting in late January to plan for coordinated right-of-way acquisition and development along the widened highway.

Meanwhile, the #1 goal among the Board of Commissioners newest goals, for the fiscal year that wil begin on July 1, 2009 and end on June 30, 2010, also deals with job creation.  It read, as follows:

1. Continue strategies to create jobs through educational opportunities to make sure the workforce is trained for tomorrow’s jobs and invest in infrastructure and development of the county’s quality of life. Remain aggressive in recruiting most favored businesses to the area, and developing a multi-jurisdictional business park. Continue implementation of FORESIGHT.

A look back at the headlines of 2008 shows some success in the area of job creation.  Catawba County and the City of Hickory worked cooperatively to assist furniture maker Sutter Street Manufacturing in the building of a new facility expected to bring 820 new jobs to the county over the next five years. The County also supported an expansion at Fiber-Line, Inc. during the fiscal year, with the expansion actually started in late 2008, which will add another 5-10 jobs. 

The County has also continued to work with the City of Newton on the final stages of the large Target distribution center southeast of Newton, which is projected to bring 450 new jobs after it opens later this year.  At the end of 2008, Covation LLC announced it will create over 900 new jobs at a customer service center in Hickory.

During a recent planning retreat, the Board of Commissioners saw a presentation from the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) that touched on job losses in the last year, these newly created jobs I mentioned above, and the work the EDC will be doing in the coming months to build on the positive momentum.  I believe you’ll hear continuing discussion of a proposed multi-jurisdictional business park, similar to parks other counties have successfully used.  Recommendations on job creation in the most recent FORESIGHT report will likely be consulted.