ROCKINGHAM — From fast cars to hors d’oeuvres and drinks in a kids museum, the two-day meeting of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina was a little different than most.
Members of EDPNC had the opportunity to experience Richmond County — home of the board’s chairman, Gene McLaurin.
“I’m proud to say that this is the first time the state economic development board has ever met in Richmond County,” McLaurin, a former Rockingham mayor and state senator for the county, said during a reception Wednesday evening at Discovery Place Kids.
“One of the things, as chair, I get to do is choose where we have meetings,” McLaurin said. “I’ve always said rural North Carolina deserves at least one meeting a year.”
Earlier meetings this year were in Boone and Greensboro, and a future meeting is set for Raleigh.
“This is pretty special to have people here,” McLaurin said.
The guest list also included business recruiters and private investors, as well as those involved in existing industries, helping with exports, and with tourism.
Prior to the reception, attendees of the meeting had the opportunities to take ride-alongs at both Rockingham Dragway and Rockingham Speedway.
While at the dragway, some even ventured to take their own vehicles down the quarter-mile track, with Karen Lavert, the board’s vice-chair, hitting 98 mph.
Warriors in Motion provided the ride-alongs at the speedway — ”Folks really enjoyed that,” McLaurin said.
Lee and Amy Berry from The Berry Patch also brought ice cream from “The World’s Largest Strawberry.”
“It’s an incredible place,” Ben Teague, vice president of strategic development for Biltmore Farms in Asheville, said about the county, touting the hospitality. “It’s an opportunity for us to really see the great things about our state, all across the state … and the treasures such as Rockingham and Richmond County that we wouldn’t maybe normally see.”
Teague described the experience at the dragway as “incredible” and “exhilarating.”
“You can see where they’re going, as well as the speedway,” Teague said. “And to me it’s really planting seeds of hope for the future. And you know it’s coming and you know the kind of impact it’s going to make in people’s lives here and that’s exciting.”
Teague said he has been involved with economic development for many years in different states and has seen growth comparisons in different communities with similar assets.
“And what the difference was, almost every single time is leadership and vision and execution,” Teague said. “With Gene and his leadership, this is a great asset, because the great hope is that parents grow up, they raise families and their kids don’t have to leave in order to make a career and a life for themselves.
“And things like this, Discovery Place…is about developing the next generation.”
Economic development, Teague added, is not just project wins and capital investment, “but some kid is getting a better Christmas, somebody is being able to make plans for the future that they couldn’t have had before. To me, that’s what we invest in.”
“At the end of the day,” Teague continued, economic development is “making the quality of life for people in this great state better and EDPNC is the tip of that spear.”
Richmond County Economic Developer Martie Butler said she works closely with EDPNC and the organization has been helpful in bringing projects to Richmond County — including the upcoming Graceland Portable Buildings facility, which was announced Thursday.
Click here to read more about the Graceland announcement.
On the agenda for Thursday was a presentation on the shell building program, as well as one from the international trade group and another from state Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders, all at Richmond Community College.
McLaurin said in bringing the group here it will show that “Richmond County is open and ready for business.”
