Faith in FedEx: Triad leaders believe the company's sorting hub will make the region a transportation-and-logistics center.

• Position: TRIAD ROUND TABLE - Interview

Good things come to those who wait, and Triad leaders have been waiting since 1998 for FedEx Corp. to open its $350 million sorting hub at Piedmont Triad International Airport. The hub will open this fall, and though the recession has caused FedEx to cut the number of jobs it will start with, regional leaders still believe it will transform the Triad into a logistics-and-transportation center. That's just one sector they see emerging when the economy improves, they said during a round table. Participating were Leo Lambert, president of Elon University, which sponsored the discussion; David Barksdale, executive vice president and chief banking officer for New Bridge Bancorp in Greensboro; Michael Freeman, vice president for strategic planning for Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem; Henry Isaacson, chairman of the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority and member of Isaacson Isaacson Sheridan & Fountain LLP law firm in Greensboro; Jim Powell, founder of Burlington-based Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings; and Keith Vaughan, chairman of the Piedmont Triad Partnership board and managing member of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC law firm in Winston-Salem. Arthur O. Murray, Business North CAROLINA managing editor for special projects, moderated the discussion at the Ernest A. Koury Sr. Business Center at Elon. Following is a transcript, edited for brevity and clarity.

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What will the Triad economy be like after the recession?

Vaughan: Logistics, health care, creative arts and advanced manufacturing are the emerging clusters. But the key is creating and sustaining a work force. There also are a lot of opportunities for furnishings, particularly on the design side, and aviation, given Honda Aircraft recently coming in.

Barksdale: Transportation and logistics will emerge, as well as medical research and biotechnology. Leveraging the research parks in the Piedmont Triad is going to help.

Freeman: There's a tremendous amount of job loss. But the health-care industry has continued to grow. The reason is we are living longer. When we do get sick, we start to have multiple-system problems and need more acute care.

Isaacson: Transportation and technology are going to lead the way. We can be proud that losing industry has not meant the decay of our community. We talk about what's been left behind, but what the future holds is very promising.

Lambert: Another bright spot is higher education. Our...