Friday, April 26, will be remembered as a turning point for Pitt County and Greenville. Up until this day, our efforts to lure new industry had fallen mostly flat. We’ve had success with growing existing companies and nurturing startups, but never have we competed against near-peer cities and won. All citizens should walk a little taller and puff out their chests a little further as they can say with pride that our new approach worked.
For decades we watched as our peers outpaced us in job announcements. Now they will look at us as a beacon of everything right about public-private partnerships. When our state and local governments combine with the efficiency of private industry, good things happen. On April 26, 908 good things happened when Boviet Solar announced it would locate a manufacturing facility at Indigreen Corporate Park, and those 908 new jobs will inject energy into our local economy in a way not seen in years, if ever.
Five years ago a group of civic leaders decided there was a better, more collaborative way to pursue economic development and industry recruitment. Economic development can be brutally competitive, and we were not approaching it with the care and coordination needed to win. Maybe some company would be interested in us and maybe we would host them, but we weren’t set up to facilitate immediate interaction with the various participants that would be required to stand up a new industry.
Now there is a single point of contact that facilitates an amazing number of critical duties and that contact is the Greenville ENCAlliance. It functions as a one-stop shop where utilities, municipalities, contractors, state and local incentives can all be brought to bear, all for the cause of growing our economic base.
Fast forward to 2024 and you can begin to see the fruits of labor from so many across the public and private sector. No longer are we satisfied resting on our laurels, we are now aggressively pursuing multiple companies across many industries and the wins will begin piling up.
The Alliance also is focused on workforce development to fill the jobs that will be created, as well as actively supporting our existing industries on a daily basis. We work with the county, municipalities, educators (primary and secondary), utilities, state and local agencies, as well as private citizens to provide a platform that is welcoming and productive across all facets of economic development.
The announcement on April 26 was focused on Boviet, but if you could read between the lines, it was also an announcement that the Greenville ENC Alliance is here. It was an announcement that we will not sit idly and watch others celebrate growth and prosperity. Instead, we will roll up our sleeves and fight for every opportunity afforded us.
I think it’s fitting that Gov. Roy Cooper was here for this event as he and his administration have been a critical partner for our region and his presence sets a precedent for those who follow him in the role as chief executive of North Carolina.
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