The Extra Mile

One Rural North Carolina Community Refuses to Accept its Fate

Legend has it that in the mid 1700s, when the first Scottish settlers started moving up the Cape Fear River, someone posted a sign along their route that read: “The best land lies 100 miles west of here.” The story goes on to say that those who could read the sign came to what is now Scotland County.

More than 250 years later, those who can read signs of opportunity are still coming. But in today’s tough economic environment, it takes more than a strong back and a strong work ethic to succeed in business.

Over 135,600 jobs disappeared in North Carolina’s rural counties in the first quarter of 2003. And the Tarheel State’s businesses continue to reduce their payrolls.

Scotland County is one area that has not been content to accept job losses and high unemployment. Economic development officials here have worked hard to recruit new jobs. They’ve gone the extra mile to accommodate industry with a comprehensive business growth and development approach; one that includes strategic thinking and planning, a focus on education and worker training opportunities, the expansion of physical infrastructure, and that recognizes the positive impact of convenient access to health and child care.

“These days our “settlers” are as likely to come from the East, the Far East, or the Midwest as they are from Scotland,” said Jim Frank Henderson, executive vice president, Laurinburg Scotland County Area Chamber of Commerce. “This year we’ve welcomed Embrex Inc., a Durham-based biotech company, which (upon approval from the Department of Agriculture) will manufacture Inovocox, a trade-marked vaccine that can prevent a parasitic poultry disease,” he said, “and we’ve also become a new address for MSD North Carolina, a Japanese company that makes frames for Suzuki ATVs.

“In both cases, these companies told us they came here for the labor force, and the excellent co-operation of the local governing bodies and their commitment to working to make the location process easy.”

MSD Managing Director Yoshio Sawada added, "Scotland County is a great location for meeting our customers’ needs. The site is what we were looking for and the local labor force has the skills we need."

“On the expansion side,” Henderson added, “GOJO Industries, an Ohio-based company, expanded its facility here, and FCC North Carolina LLC, a Japanese company that located here two years ago to make clutches for Honda ATVs and Civic automobiles, announced it would add an additional 24,000 square feet to bring its manufacturing facility to a total of 107,000 square feet by the end of 2003.

“GOJO markets hand hygiene and skin care products, including its signature product—Purell hand sanitizer, which the expansion will allow the company to make here,” he said.

The new product line, expected to be fully functional by January 2005, will over time bring another 250 local manufacturing workers into the Laurinburg plant.

“Scotland County and North Carolina offer FCC a skilled labor force, worker training, financial incentives at the state and local levels, and weather that is similar to Japan's,” said FCC of Japan President Yosihide Yamamoto. “ We are pleased to make Scotland County our home.”

Mark Lerner, President of GOJO, said, "We are pleased to have reached this agreement with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Laurinburg/Scotland Area Chamber of Commerce and appreciate the fantastic cooperation from all levels of government."

To ensure that remains the case, Henderson said his chamber works in close coordination with other economic development organizations—including North Carolina Southeast, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, and Progress Energy—on industrial recruitment and retention.

“Our relationship with Progress Energy is excellent. They are always there when you need them, and bring a lot to the table during negotiations,” he said, “and their economic development focus and commitment are just superior.”

Beyond an experienced first-class labor force thanks to a diverse business base that includes manufacturers of soups, golf grips, glass, cruise controls, textiles, and hospital equipment, Henderson said this area of southeastern North Carolina (adjacent to the South Carolina line) offers corporate managers and site consultants quick permitting on the local level and one of the nation’s lowest unionization rates.

“Commercial air service is only 45 minutes to the north,” he said, “and we have ready access to major transportation corridors—two railroads, four U. S. Highways, and Interstates 95 and 74 where a corridor expansion is underway. Our area also includes several industrial parks and a number of non-park siting alternatives.

“Both MSD and FCC chose non-park sites in the Laurel Hill community,” he said, “while Embrex expects to invest approximately $11.6 million in the construction and outfitting of its 30,000 square-foot facility in an industrial park near the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport, which accommodates private and charter air traffic. Pilkington & ZFMeritor (formerly Rockwell International) are also located in the Airport vicinity.

“And, while Scotland County’s geographic position, halfway between Charlotte—our state's largest city—and Wilmington—our state's largest port—provides the more than 35,000 people residing here a great environment for doing business,” Henderson added, “we also enjoy access to one of the best-funded school systems in the state.”

The Scotland County School System serves 7,000 students in 17 schools. All have been recognized as "Exemplary Schools" by the State of North Carolina.

Education beyond the high school level is available locally at Richmond Community College, a two-year school, and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, a four-year state-supported university. In addition, Scotland County is also home to St. Andrews Presbyterian College.

As for quality of life, Scotland County offers an annual fall historical John Blue Cotton Festival, nationally recognized Lumber River canoe trail and close proximity to the resort communities of Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Myrtle Beach.

Henderson also noted that the Scotland Health Care System, a not-for-profit community owned hospital system governed by a local board of trustees, offers a full range of acute care and inpatient services.

“With a staff of over 700 and more than 60 physicians and providers, Scotland Memorial hospital operates a multi-million-dollar outpatient facility and five specialty outpatient clinics, two of which are associated with Duke University Medical Center,” he said.

Potential employers will also appreciate the fact that the county’s working parents enjoy access to a variety of services offered by Child Care Directions, a private, non-profit, childcare resource and referral agency according to Henderson. “In addition to programs for children, some of the other services provided by the agency include counseling and consumer education, referrals to all types of care, parenting workshops, a resource library, and training and technical assistance.”

Adding it all up, perhaps it’s no surprise that this North Carolina community is successfully attracting new business. Here and in so many rural communities across the South, companies are finding a depth of assets and amenities that provide so much more than meets the eye.