If We Were Micropolitan...

Prior to coming to Wadesboro in 2016, I spent 10 years as an economic developer for the City of Statesville. One of Statesville’s claims to fame was that it was annually among the top Micropolitans in Site Selection magazine’s economic activity rankings. During my tenure there, Statesville finished in the top five every year, and number one on four occasions, regularly beating out other similarly-sized North Carolina communities like Shelby, Thomasville and Kinston.

A Micropolitan is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a town or city with a population of at least 10,000, but not more than 50,000, that is the primary population center for its county. Anson County’s largest town, Wadesboro, has a population just under 6,000, and as such does not qualify.

So why am I even bringing it up?

Glad you asked.

With the Oldcastle and Southern Fabricators announcements earlier this week, Anson County has announced six major projects (as defined by Site Selection) since April 1st. If we WERE a Micropolitan, that total alone would put us in a tie for 10th on last year’s list with such notable places as Frankfort Ky., Tupelo, Miss., and Kinston, N.C. That’s right, our current level of economic activity puts us on a par with cities twice the size of our entire county. But wait, it gets even better. There are still at least three major projects in the pipeline which are likely to be announced before the end of the year, meaning our actual total will be eight or nine, good enough, theoretically, for fifth.

The next time you hear someone bemoan the lack of growth and development in Anson County, you might mention to them that we would be among the TOP TEN in economic activity in the country... except we are too small to make the list! Granted, it’s not an exact apples to apples comparison — we’re equating county population to that of cities — but for purposes of making a general point, it’s close enough. That’s not hype. That’s not wishful thinking. That’s DATA.

When businesses grow, it's a testament to the local business climate. Over the past 18 months, Anson County has proven that it is serious about attracting new companies and growing our existing industries, and now we are seeing the payoff. Are we where we want to be? Not by a long shot. But anyone who says we aren’t pointed in the right direction and picking up momentum with every deal we close and every project we win is ignoring the facts.