Far East: leaders discuss how to orient the region's assets to promote growth.

• Position: Charles Broadwell, Jim Chesnutt, Tom Eagar, Phillip Horne, Darlene Waddell

Twice the size of New Jersey, Eastern North Carolina is an expanse filled with contrasts. Its seashore booms with tourism and million-dollar beach houses. But large swaths of the interior are mired in poverty, and 12 of the region's 41 counties lost population between 2000 and 2004. So where is the East headed? That's what Senior Editor Edward Martin asked Charles Broadwell, publisher of The Fayetteville Observer; Jim Chesnutt, CEO of Washington-based National Spinning Co.; Tom Eagar, Wilmington-based CEO of the N.C. Ports Authority; Phillip Horne, president of the Greenville-based Foundation of Renewal for Eastern North Carolina; and Darlene Waddell, executive director of the N.C. Global TransPark Authority in Kinston.

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What do you see as the region's strengths and weaknesses?

Horne: Our strengths are abundant and apparent. We're home of five of North Carolina's military installations. We have a significant opportunity to advance our economy as it relates to homeland security, the military and military procurement. We have 3,000 miles of mostly undeveloped coastline that's quickly becoming developed. Our natural assets are unparalleled, and our people are known for their work ethic. Yet we are a region in transition. We have suffered the most agricultural and manufacturing job losses of any region, but now we have the opportunity to diversify our economy. Speaking of diversity, we probably are the strongest in those terms, because we are the most diverse ethnically, by gender and race. But one challenge is that we also have a more aged and unhealthy population.

Broadwell: I might add the issue of education. Our work force has got to grow and evolve as we see the economy changing. Also, being from Fayetteville, I think a lot of North Carolinians and Americans in general don't realize what's happening with our military--Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Camp Lejeune. Our part of the state can become a military and industrial hub.

Waddell: The Global TransPark sits in the center of the bases, and that needs to be taken advantage of. The relationship between it and the ports needs to be strengthened to help not only Eastern North Carolina but the military, as well. And the military discharges 18,000 members in Eastern North Carolina every year. That certainly adds to skilled labor for the region.

Eagar: From the standpoint of ports, our concern is with transportation infrastructure--or lack of it. Look at the truck traffic we generate in Wilmington: about 435,000 annual truck moves. In 10 years, we're going to be looking at 750,000 to a million truck moves. We don't have infrastructure to accommodate that growth in Morehead City or at the port of Wilmington. But we certainly feel that we're in a position--given the facilities, resources and the deepwater ports that we have--to help North Carolina grow economically.

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Mr. Chesnutt, as a manufacturer, what do you think?

Chesnutt: Manufacturing has been significant in the success of this state, and at one time 30% of the jobs were in manufacturing. Now it's 11% to 12%. One of the sad things is to ride through places like Bethel or Whitakers that years ago had apparel operations, and ladies were cutting and sewing and had employment. Those small towns are dead, dried up, gone away. Our company at one time had 2,000 employees in North Carolina, and we're about 1,000 now. A very important issue is that we have an aging work force. In our plant in Whiteville, the average age is frightening.

What is it?

Chesnutt: Probably in the 50s. But many of the younger people applying for jobs, even if they are high-school graduates, have been taught no social skills or responsibility. Their language is foul, and when you have women 50 and 60 years old working for you, that's a problem. The younger ones don't understand you have to come to work every day, and they dress...