Local News

Randy Harrell accepts job in Greeneville, TN

After 8 ½ years as Executive Director of the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission, Randy Harrell is leaving his post to take a job in eastern Tennessee.

Harrell submitted his resignation to the EDC board June 28th. His last day with the Salisbury-Rowan EDC will be Aug. 24, and he will start work as President/CEO of the Greene County (Tennessee) Partnership on Sept. 3.

Harrell, who has 22 years of experience in the economic development field, came to Rowan County from Elizabeth City in 1999. He has led the EDC through numerous victories for the county, but cites an increased focus on public and private partnerships, such as the Rowan Jobs Initiative, as one of his major accomplishments.

“When I started, the EDC and the county were somewhat disengaged,” Harrell says. “I tried to resolve that, and I think that I’ve strengthened the relationship through communication, collaboration and a team approach.”

EDC Board Chairman Bruce Jones calls Harrell’s ability to work with elected officials “unparalleled.”

“He knows when to listen and when to give his opinion,” Jones says. “Those skills help him consistently build accord among the various parties involved in the economic development process.”

Harrell says his tenure here was enhanced by the strong vision of the EDC board. “I consider myself fortunate to have worked with such outstanding board members, past and present,” he adds. He also praised his “economic development allies,” a group that includes a wide range of organizations and companies.

When he began his career in Rowan, traditional manufacturing was just beginning its decline, he says. But through the years, he’s been able to ensure continued growth for the community through other industry.

Harrell is credited with recruiting MI Windows and Doors, PGT Industries and Meridian Automotive Systems, to name a few. He also worked to facilitate the expansions of existing local companies, including Invista, National Starch and Food Lion.

Harrell cites Toyota Racing Development’s recent announcement to build an engineering chassis facility in Rowan as one of the “highlights of my career. This will have a major impact on the future growth of this county.” And Harrell believes other motorsports-related industries will follow.

“Rowan County is positioned for tremendous growth,” he says. “I can’t wait to come back in a couple years and see what’s happening here.”

Harrell stresses that he did not seek the position in the eastern Tennessee county of Greene. Instead, officials came to him.

In his new position, Harrell will supervise a staff of seven people and lead the following divisions of the Greene County Partnership: the Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development, Tourism, Partners in Education and Keep Greene Beautiful.

Harrell currently serves as chairman of the Economic Development Advisory Committee of the Charlotte Regional Partnership, in addition to being a member of its Executive Governing Board.

He is a past president and former board member of the N.C. Economic Developers Association, past member of the N.C. State Economic Development Board (governor appointee), former board member of the Southern Economic Development Council and past chairman of the N.C. Economic Development Advisory Committee for the North Carolina Regional Partnerships. He is also a past president of the Rotary Club of Salisbury.

“Leaving here will be hard,” Harrell says. “I’ve developed a lot of friendships, and I have a lot of respect for many people throughout the county. But I’m also extremely excited about this new chapter in my life.

“It has been a privilege to have worked in close cooperation with elected officials and employees with the city, county and towns,” he adds. “I hope in some way I’ve played a part in moving this county forward.”

The Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission is utilizing Sockwell Partners, an executive search consulting firm, to replace Harrell.

Toyota Racing Development, USA Update

Plans for Toyota Racing Development USA’s development for an industrial, office and research park on Peach Orchard Road have been filed with the County’s Planning and Development Department and received approval from the Planning Board in June.

The plan, created by Kimley-Horn and Associates of Charlotte, calls for a six-lot planned unit development encompassing the 89 acres the company purchased in January with lots ranging in size from five acres to 36 acres. The four smaller lots are located along Peach Orchard Road while the two larger lots -- 36 and 20 acres -- are in the rear of the tract. An access road, designated Cline Drive, is planned off the 1700 block of Peach Orchard Road connecting a two-sided cul-de-sac street providing access to the larger lots. A maximum of 1.2 million square feet of floor area would be allowed for development according to the site plan.  Minor site plan buffering and retention pond changes were made after the initial review. The plan submitted also specifies trees 8 inches or more in diameter within the buffer area will be retained.

Several months ago a Toyota official said the company planned to use less than half of the acreage at the site for a 35,000-square-foot facility that will house its NASCAR competition group as well as a chassis engineering operation. Construction is expected to begin later this year. The concept plan is to be reviewed by the Board of Commissioners in a quasi-judical hearing on August 16.

TRD Welcome Reception

Rowan Jobs Initiative is hosting and serving as primary sponsor of a Welcome Reception and Southern Pig Pickin’ for Toyota Racing Development, USA on Wednesday July 25 from 5 PM – 7:30 PM at the Salisbury Station.  Timmy Garris of local restaurant Hendrix Barbeque is providing the catering services for the Reception. The evening will also feature a local bluegrass band and remarks from local and company officials.

Food Lion Dedication

On June 11 Food Lion LLC honored over fifty years of history, service and investment with the opening of a state-of-the-art Customer Support Center on Harrison Road and naming the building's spacious auditorium "Founders Hall" in honor of Ralph Ketner, Wilson Smith and the late Brown Ketner.

Rick Anicetti, president and chief executive officer, said Food Lion has "a very important history -- one we're proud of. We want to continue investing in this location that we call home." Salisbury Mayor Susan Kluttz stated that they have created "a culture of giving and there's no way to describe what has come from that."

The 125,000-square-foot Customer Support Center, a $26 million conversion of a one-story perishable warehouse, provides a home for human resource and accounting operations. The support center provides an open layout allow for spacious work stations and cubicles, numerous conference rooms, areas for informal collaboration, a full-service company cafeteria with both balcony and outside eating areas. The renovation was designed by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting and constructed by R.T. Dooley, which also has overseen Food Lion's IT Center construction and mailroom expansion. Application for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification through the U.S. Green Building Counsel has been submitted.

The Founders Hall provides stadium seating for roughly 550 people, dining for up to 250 or can be divided into four separate rooms, all with the best available audio and video equipment. It is designed to provide conference-type space for Food Lion employees such as district, floor and store managers coming to Salisbury for meetings and training, which formerly had to occur out of town.

Food Lion, founded in 1957 and now a subsidiary of Belgium-based Delhaize Group, has 1,287 stores in 11 states with some 73,000 employees. The Salisbury headquarters include about 1,200 associates, of which 450 have moved or will move to the new support center. The company also plans to renovate its original facility off Executive Drive a floor at a time.

County Budget and Tax Rate

In June, Rowan County Commissioners approved a $127 million budget setting property tax rate at 59.5 cents per $100 of assessed property value. Commissioner Jon Barber, Vice Chairman Chad Mitchell and Chairman Arnold Chamberlain voted for the budget and Commissioners Jim Sides and Tina Hall voted against the budget. The adopted tax rate is 3.5 cents lower than the current rate of 63 cents, but due to the recently completed countywide property revaluation, the rate results in a net increase of 2 cents. Notable within the budget is $1,477 per student funding for the Rowan-Salisbury Schools (equal to the state average), full funding for the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission and for the Rowan Jobs Initiative.

Wallace Commons announcement

Collett & Associates of Charlotte and the Wallace family of Salisbury have announced plans for a regional power center at Julian and Klumac roads next to Interstate 85 with the working title of Wallace Commons. The preliminary site plan filed with the city of Salisbury calls for 358,535 square feet of retail and six outparcels along Klumac Road on the 45.7-acre tract. The biggest tenants will be a 130,953-square-foot home improvement store and a 68,890-square-foot department store. The plan also has space for six other major tenants, a "mini-major" and shops with more than 1,300 parking spaces.

Collett & Associates has been looking at Salisbury closely for many years and worked with the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission. Michael D. Smith, a principal with Collett & Associates, said Tuesday he has "a lot of commitments" for the retail center, but he wants the project to clear the city's various hurdles first before giving specific names. Artist renderings of the retail center given to the Salisbury Planning Board included a Best Buy, but Smith said it was only a representation of what the center might have.

The Salisbury Planning Board and Salisbury City Council approved the site plan for Wallace Commons with the property being subdivided into three parcels, and each one considered on its own in terms of parking and landscaping requirements. Smith said the division into three parcels doesn't necessarily mean the center would be developed in phases.

Extensive site work is necessary for the development because of topography and power transmission lines that run through the site. The contractor will be taking the site down by 6 to 8 feet in elevation, and motorists driving by on I-85 will be looking down toward the power center, not up. As it's proposed, the retail center will be on the magnitude of Innes Street Market and Salisbury Mall with three entrances off Klumac Road and sidewalks throughout. No timetable for the center's construction has been given.

US 70 waterline extension

Rowan County commissioners unanimously approved in June a proposal by Salisbury-Rowan Utilities to seek $665,000 in state grants to extend a 12-inch waterline from U.S. 70 to the RDH Tire and Retread Co. off Redmon Road in Cleveland.  The project involves installing 5,400 feet of 12-inch water main from U.S. 70 to the Gatton Road business.

The company will pay a $35,000 match and plans to add 29 - 32 jobs with a $2.5-million expansion once the water is available and has future plans for a $6 million to $10 million expansion. RDH retreads off-road tires for the construction industry business producing 50 or more tires per day, using 3 million pounds of rubber annually. The water is needed for the company's boilers, to support a sprinkler system, required for expansion, and for drinking water for employees. The company's current well doesn't provide potable water for employees.

Yadkin River Bridge study

The future of the Interstate 85 Bridge over the Yadkin River continues to receive attention.

Numerous organizations including the Rowan County Board of Commissioners, Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission, Rowan Jobs Initiative and the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce have passed a resolution asking for a speed-up in completion of the widening of Interstate 85 and construction of a new bridge over the Yadkin River.

A traffic and revenue study by Wilbur Smith Associates, a traffic engineering and planning consultant, for the N.C. Turnpike Authority about a possible $350 Yadkin River toll bridge on Interstate 85 shows that the project would be profitable but increase traffic on U.S. 29. An annual net revenue projection of $10 Million would mean the project was “highly bondable” according to David Joyner, executive director of the N.C. Turnpike Authority. Bonds are utilized to finance toll projects with toll revenues used to pay off bonds and the project might be up to 90% bondable with similar projects considered financially feasible if 65- 70% bonded. Based on a 2013 opening of a toll facility, the study also examines the number of vehicles that would utilize or by-pass the toll. An average daily traffic count of about 60,000 total vehicles is assumed and the study predicts more than 13,000 vehicles a day, including about 3,200 trucks, would use U.S. 29 as an alternate route around the toll facility. The study identifies the toll facility at the Yadkin River Bridge requiring at least five cash lanes in each direction -- in addition to two or three high-speed, electronic tolled lanes.

Replacement of the I-85 Yadkin River Bridge is part of the current state Transportation Improvement Program, which shows construction on the 6.8-mile section beginning in fiscal year 2008 and ending in fiscal 2012. The project would continue the widening of I-85 from four to eight lanes from north of Long Ferry Road (Exit 81) to I-85 Business (Exit 87) in Davidson County. The project also would replace the existing U.S. 29/70 bridge that crosses the Yadkin River just west of I-85. But funding is no longer attached to the project, one of the reasons highway officials and state legislators from Rowan County have asked the N.C. Turnpike Authority to investigate a possible toll facility.

Available Resource

The Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission has created a brochure on its mission and services provided. The brochure will be distributed to each of the municipalities in Rowan County as a communication and resource tool. Additionally it will be provided to existing companies when visited as part of the Business Retention and Expansion program, utilized in marketing packages and at trade shows. The brochure is also available for download from the EDC website on the “About Us” page at this location.

Get to know the EDC

Bettina Dickert has been the Office Manager for the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission for almost four years performing financial, administrative and support functions. She is a long time resident of Rowan County having lived here for over 34 years. Bettina holds an Associate Degree in Business Administration from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. She is married with one son and two grandchildren.