GROWTH SPURT: Catawba gets a manufacturing training center, Appalachian State University campus and revitalized downtowns.

• Author: Blake, Kathy
• Position: COMMUNITY CLOSE-UP: CATAWBA COUNTY

The Manufacturing Solutions Center has been part of Catawba Valley Community College since 1990. It conducts more than 20,000 tests a year "on anything from apparel, industrial, automotive products, sound-proofing materials, firefighting turnout gear, military products and more," according to the director Jeff Neuville.

A $9 million special appropriations state grant to the City of Conover is funding a second building for the center to better support U.S. manufacturers and create more manufacturing jobs. Construction on the 75,000-square-foot building known as MSC II began in April 2021. Operations will start moving in before the end of the year with a public opening in early 2023.

The expansion is a partnership between CVCC, the city of Conover, the Whiskbroom private investment group and private investor Ingram Walters.

"The MSC only exists because of its strong partnerships with business and government on local, statewide and national levels," Neuville says. "The MSC has received strong support from the City of Conover and the NC state legislature as well as groups from throughout the region and state."

The center's expansion is among several projects impacting Catawba County's future. Housing starts are plentiful along with mixed-use downtown centers and rural developments.

The widening of N.C. Highway 16 to four lanes between Charlotte and Newton is inspiring economic development along the corridor. Also Appalachian State's new App State at Hickory Campus will start classes in fall 2023, giving the county three higher education institutions.

Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory is adding degree programs in high-growth fields, including computer science/cybersecurity, human resources, professional sales, project management and supply chain management. Catawba Valley Community College is a longstanding educational resource.

"App State at Hickory and CVCC's expansion of the Manufacturing Solutions Center will absolutely be transformational," says County Manager Mary Furtado. "Those initiatives are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the exciting things in store for Catawba County."

In Newton, its four-phase Economic Infrastructure Revitalization Project and a Strategic Plan penned in 2019 are nurturing business and entrepreneurial advancements. This paired with N.C. 16's upgrade, are what town manager Jonathan Franklin calls a "rapid transformation."

"Staff and elected officials are working to ensure growth in Newton is fostered in a way that makes life better for both longtime residents and newcomers by reviewing land use plans and zoning ordinances, and by making strategic investments in public infrastructure and services," Franklin says. "These investments are intended to encourage growth in a manner that avoids the pains of explosive development we've witnessed in some of Charlotte's neighboring communities while making it easier to live and work in Newton."

In Conover, town manager Tom Hart says a newly developed strategic plan will kick off in 2023.

"I presented a draft to the City Council in September, and I think we're about 90% complete," he says. "It's going to give the city a roadmap over the next couple years and will keep us focused. I mean that literally; the plan identifies focus areas including quality of life, infrastructure, responsible growth and others. Conover has always tried to be innovative and stay at the forefront, and I think you need a plan in place to accomplish that. If you don't have a game plan, you get stuck being reactive."

"Catawba County has enjoyed some wonderful success in growing jobs and private investment in our tax base," says County Manager Furtado. "We'd like to see the economic growth continue, and our collective focus on countywide workforce development efforts will be key to making that happen. We've got alignment of the right players, public and private, and we've got the right strategies in place. "We need to be savagely focused on execution in order to ensure our employers are well-positioned to meet their labor needs and remain competitive economically."

APP STATE AT...