Gary L Herman
The NC Selectsite Readiness Program, which has already helped attract hundreds of new jobs and billions of dollars of investment to the state, is expanding with five new locations.
The five new locations, all located in western North Carolina, will now receive funds as they seek to attract advanced manufacturers as tenants. The five new locations are:
Alexander County Rail Sites in Taylorsville (Alexander County)
Great Meadows in Morganton (Burke County)
Project Shift in Sylva (Jackson County)
Mitchell Business Park in Spruce Pine (Mitchell County)
ECMD in Wilkesboro (Wilkes County)
The five new locations are all concentrated in western North Carolina as the area recovers from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
“The NC Selectsite Readiness Program has already proven its value by helping communities across North Carolina compete for and win high-quality, good-paying jobs,” said Christopher Chung, CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. “Adding these five sites strengthens our inventory of development-ready properties and will help accelerate the economic recovery of western North Carolina.”
Alexander County Board of Commissioners Chairman Larry Yoder said the designation marks an important step forward in strengthening the county’s economic development efforts and preparing local sites for future investment.
“Being selected for the NC Selectsite Readiness Program is a major opportunity for Alexander County and the entire western North Carolina region,” Chairman Yoder said. “This investment allows us to better position these rail sites for manufacturing and high-quality jobs. We’re committed to making Alexander County competitive and prepared for the next generation of industry. As our tagline says, Alexander County has ‘Space to Grow’.”
The North Carolina General Assembly enacted the NC Selectsite Readiness Program during the 2023-24 legislative budget as a complement to the Megasites Readiness Program, which focuses on preparing properties greater than 1,000 acres for industry tenants. The Selectsite Readiness Program focuses on smaller properties, some of which are under 100 acres, that are still capable of attracting advanced manufacturing companies and new jobs to communities across North Carolina.
Alexander County Economic Development Director Michael Worley said the program provides the groundwork needed to make local rail-served properties competitive in the fast-moving recruitment environment.
“Participation in the NC Selectsite Readiness Program gives us the resources to take Alexander County industrial sites to the next level,” Worley said. “Site readiness is often the difference between being considered and being selected. These funds allow us to complete critical due diligence and infrastructure improvements so we can respond quickly and confidently when manufacturers are looking for a home. We have one of the best and most dedicated workforces in the country. The Selectsite program prepares and assists us in being more competitive to bring great companies to our amazing community.”
Originally, 15 locations were selected for the NC Selectsite Readiness Program, meaning the local economic development agencies that oversee the sites were granted funds to aid in the process of readying the site for a prospective tenant.
To date, the program has expended nearly all the funds the General Assembly originally allocated to this effort, highlighting the continued need to assist communities across North Carolina prepare sites for economic development success. Funds allocated to local economic development authorities went toward improvements such as site due diligence studies, public infrastructure improvements, and site preparedness.
In the first few years of its life, the NC Selectsite Readiness Program has experienced tremendous success. For example, in June 2024, Amazon Web Services announced it was investing a record-breaking $10 billion in Richmond County to establish a new high-tech cloud computing and artificial intelligence innovation campus. The site in Richmond County was one of the 15 original sites of the NC Selectsite Readiness Program.
To learn more about the NC Selectsite Readiness Program, read a study about the expansion of the program at https://edpnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EDPNC-Western-NC-SelectSite-Program-Executive-Report.pdf.
About the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) is a private nonprofit corporation that serves as North Carolina’s statewide economic development organization. Governed by an 18-member board of business and industry leaders from across the state, the EDPNC focuses on business and job recruitment, existing industry support, international trade, tourism, and film marketing. The EDPNC, which operates under contract with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, works closely with public- and private-sector partners at the state, regional, and local levels. To learn more, visit www.edpnc.com.