Developers break ground on Morganton's new small business park

Surrounded by Burke County’s local government, business, and education leaders, developers Matt Schulte and Mike Folz officially broke ground on the Romarco Road Business Park, a space designed to support small businesses and tradespeople in Morganton.

Once built out, the park will include 55 flexible-use units spread among 11 buildings, according to site plans. The units will range from 840 to 1,680 square feet, and each will have a 14-foot roll-up garage door and 18-foot ceilings. The park also includes plans for a central office and meeting space.

The goal was to create a space that’s needed, affordable, and visually appealing, Schulte said.

The small business park, at 123 Romarco Road, has been in the works since 2022. The site, which was previously home to a lumber mill, had to be cleared. Schulte and Folz also had to work through the planning process to bring the unique project to Morganton.

“There’s a lot of warehouse districts in Hickory and Asheville, but we don’t have anything for the small person in Morganton,” Schulte said. “We have the big park out on I-40, and that’s great, but for the little guy, there’s nowhere to go.”

Now, local general contractor Terry Smith is ready to begin construction, Schulte said, adding that the team met earlier this week to get the ball rolling. The underground infrastructure will take a few months to complete, but the goal is to have the first phase of 25 units completed in the fall. The second phase will start shortly after, but ongoing construction won’t stop tenants from moving in.

Once the first phase is complete, businesses will be able to start moving in. Interested businesses can start reaching out to Realtor Mike Watts, who will be handling pre-leasing for the business park. Depending on the size, units will range from about $900 to $1,600 per month, according to Watts. He added that the park can also easily accommodate businesses that want multiple units.

“It is all about small business,” Folz said. “Both Matt and I are small businessmen, have our own small places here and there, and have done small projects. That’s where the perspective came from.”

At the Monday afternoon groundbreaking ceremony, hosted by the Burke County Chamber of Commerce, Morganton Mayor Ronnie Thompson expressed excitement about how the business park will support the community’s small businesses.

“Small businesses need a place to store their stuff, do business, and meet people, and this is going to be the place they could do it,” Thompson said.

Watts thanked those who helped make the project possible, including LifeStore Bank’s Hal Hood and Bob Washburn. He also recognized the Small Business Center’s Lily Laramie and Western Piedmont Community College’s Joel Welch, who will assist in bringing in talent.

Watts also recognized the team of people who have invested in the planning process, including Wendy Smith, the city’s director of development and design services. Smith came up with the name for the park and worked with the developers and their team to meet design requirements. Darren Lathan of NVERSE Architects completed the design and Matt Carswell and Dee Harmon from Morganton’s West Consultants completed the engineering and laid out the infrastructure for the project.

Burke County Commissioner Mike Stroud applauded the teamwork, noting that places like the business park will help further support growth and economic development.

“The city’s really growing. Everything’s looking good and places like this really add to it,” Stroud said. “When you’re welcoming businesses, it’s great to have things like this, where people can really start and have all the people and all the things in place to help you be a success.”