RALEIGH — Richmond County’s Gene McLaurin will chair the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina for another four years.
The EDPNC announced the appointment on Feb. 13.
McLaurin has served on the board since 2017 when he was appointed by former Gov. Roy Cooper, and has served as chair since 2021.
According to a press release, the state has “experienced an unprecedented amount of economic development success.”
The EDPNC says that, in the past five years, companies have announced $91 billion worth of investments and more than 122,000 new jobs. The largest has been the $10 billion investment by Amazon Web Services in McLaurin’s home county.
“...McLaurin’s passion for promoting economic development in the state’s rural communities has been reflected in EDPNC’s success in driving investment in all areas of the state,” reads the press release. “During McLaurin’s time as chair of EDPNC, over 20,000 jobs and $21 billion worth of investment have been announced in North Carolina’s Tier 1 counties, defined as the most economically distressed areas in the state.”
Richmond County is one of the state’s 20 Tier 1 counties, as are nearby Anson, Scotland, Hoke and Robeson counties.
During the same time period, the Tar Heel state has been ranked by CNBC as one of the best states for business: No. 1 in 2022, 20223 and 2025; and No. 2 in 2021 and 2024, coming behind neighboring Virginia.
“I am honored that Gov. (Josh) Stein has reappointed me as chair of the EDPNC Board,” McLaurin said in the release. “Since joining this board in 2017, I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact of our innovative public-private model in driving economic growth across North Carolina.
“This approach has consistently delivered results, benefiting communities throughout the state. I am excited to continue collaborating with our exceptional bipartisan board as well as with our CEO Christopher Chung and the dedicated staff of EDPNC.”
EDPNC was formed in 2014 while McLaurin was serving his sole term in the state Senate.
McLaurin told the RO in 2021 that he was approached by then-Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker to help secure Democratic support for the public-private partnership, which was initiated by Republicans.
“I said, ‘Yes I will. I think it’s a good plan that makes sense to use private-sector practices trying to grow our state and expand,’” he told the RO.
McLaurin is president and CEO of Quality Oil Company.
Prior to his appointment to the EDPNC board, McLaurin was elected to eight consecutive terms as mayor of Rockingham and served one term in the N.C. Senate. He also has served and currently serves on various other boards.
Last year, McLaurin was honored as Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the Richmond Community College Foundation. He has also been named to Business NC's Power List for four consecutive years, from 2022-2025.
