Anson Economic Development Corporation

As the percentage of Anson County residents who have been vaccinated against COVIC-19 rises, and the daily number of new cases decreases, AnsonEDP is preparing for the reopening of its offices and the full opening of the REV Uptown business incubator and coworking space.  Although AnsonEDP never shut down as a result of the pandemic, the staff has been primarily working remotely since a major COVID surge in the county over the holidays, and the REV Uptown facility has been open for limited hours. Beginning March 30th, AnsonEDP will be returning to its regular office hours schedule of Tuesday thru Thursday from 8-5, and Monday, Friday, and Saturday by appointment. REV Uptown will be open Monday thru Friday from 7:00 until 5:00, with certain levels of users having 24/7 access. The business incubator, conference room, and coworking space, which have been closed or operating under reduced hours, will return to normal hours--with mask and social distance rules remaining in place--on May 3rd

In 2020, businesses learned to adapt and use new technologies to get the job done. Nowhere was that more evident than in the proliferation of online meetings and conferences. On February 16-17, AnsonEDP teamed up with the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina to bring a virtual trade show to the region. Hosted on the virtual Pathable platform, the show drew more than 100 companies and attendees from across 17 North and South Carolina counties. Guest speakers included Chris Chung of EDPNC, noted economist Mark Vitner, and Rosemary Coates of The ReShoring Institute, but the real draw was the opportunity for these companies to find local suppliers and customers to strengthen their supply chains and further boost local economies.  While the primary purpose of the event was to facilitate connections between local manufacturers, AnsonEDP also had a "booth" at the show, which was visited 16 times by nine different people. Our

For the Anson Economic Development Partnership and Anson County in general, 2020 was a year of growth and progress even through a problematic pandemic year. The Monroe Expressway's impact continued to be felt throughout the year in the form of increased interest in residential and commercial development, especially in the western part of the county. Historically, one of the major stumbling blocks for the Anson economy has been the county's perceived distance to crucial business locations such as Uptown Charlotte and Charlotte Douglas Airport. The Expressway cuts travel time from Peachland to these destinations to about 45 minutes and from Wadesboro to just under an hour. A very significant FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) project announced in 2019, Loba-Wakol, opened its doors. The German manufacturer and distributor of adhesives and finishes purchased the former JJ Haines campus and moved its North American headquarters there from Charlotte. The company looked at more than 60 p