Out in the country: things are starting to look up down east, but it'll take more than a recovery to rid the region of rural poverty.

• Position: COVER STORY - James Kleckley director of the Bureau of Business Research at East Carolina University - Interview

BNC: Why hasn't Eastern North Carolina been able to transform political strength into an economic advantage?

Kleckley: In a lot of ways, it's not political strength that dominates but the character of the economy. We don't have major metropolitan centers. We don't have something the size of Raleigh or Charlotte. We have an abundance of rural communities, and those rural communities tend to be some of the hardest-hit economically--not just from recession but over the years.

How will the move of aircraft-parts maker Spirit AeroSystems to the Global TransPark affect the region's economy?

One, it's a lot of jobs. And you get the bigger bang for the buck with the bigger manufacturers. Now that the TransPark has landed a large client, maybe more will come. 'Well, Spirit decided to go there; maybe we ought to look a little harder there, too.' When you land a big prize like that, hopefully you can develop some momentum and push the region forward. The major benefit probably will be in Lenoir and contiguous counties--Pitt, Wayne and Craven. They will supply most of the labor.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Traffic at state ports in 2009 was on track for an increase over 2008, though not 2007. Will that growth continue this year?

The prospect of Spirit using the Morehead City port is certainly going to increase traffic. Part of any increase may be due to the marketing efforts of the ports. When you look at the downturn in the economy, you would expect a similar downturn at the ports. So if the activity is staying pretty constant, I would say that they are doing a good job of increasing market share.

What's the economic impact of East Carolina University and its medical school?

It's extremely important to the region. You have an extremely developed telemedicine program. University Health Systems owns not just Pitt County Hospital but four or five of the smaller hospitals in the area. If you are in a rural area and you need more extensive health-care services, you will probably come to Pitt. The fact that we have wonderful health care here helps the entire region recruit and retain businesses.

Does health-care reform threaten the growth stimulated by the med school and hospital?

I don't think so. I've long believed that we really needed to address the health-care issue--that it was as much an issue for individuals and businesses, in terms of controlling cost, as it was for hospitals. In a lot of ways, there are more implications for businesses and individuals that have to pay for health care than there will be for the health-care...