Great Meadows, a strategic moment

Great Meadows is no longer yesterday’s news.

The state has identified it as one of five most competitive industrial sites in Western North Carolina through the NC Selectsite Readiness Program. That places Burke County inside a formal pipeline for advanced manufacturing recruitment.

The news story on the front-page outlines what that means in practical terms — ownership structure, infrastructure gaps, rail feasibility, funding needs, and the political path that got us here.

The broader question is simpler and more consequential:

What does this mean for Burke County’s long-term trajectory?

For years, we have documented the same realities. Well over 10,000 residents leave Burke County each day to earn their paychecks elsewhere. Our labor force participation rate lags behind state and national averages. Our average weekly wage sits well below the state’s. We have not regained our 2010 population peak. Too many young adults are neither working nor enrolled in school.

We have said repeatedly that Burke County needs jobs — not just more of them, but better ones.

Industrial recruitment is one of the few tools local governments have that can meaningfully move those numbers.

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, manufacturing jobs in the United States pay on average roughly 10% to 15% more than other private-sector jobs, and they generate significant multiplier effects. For every one manufacturing job created, economists estimate up to four additional jobs are supported in related sectors — from suppliers to service providers. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis consistently shows manufacturing among the top sectors for economic output per worker.

In plain terms: A new high-wage industrial employer can ripple through an entire community.

That is why sites like Great Meadows matter.

Being included in the Selectsite program does not guarantee a tenant. It does not shorten timelines overnight. It does not erase environmental concerns.

What it does is signal that, from the state’s perspective, this site is competitive enough to warrant preparation.

Preparation is the key word.

Companies investing tens or hundreds of millions of dollars do not gamble on uncertainty. They narrow their search to locations where environmental due diligence is complete, utilities are mapped, stormwater controls are engineered, and local governments demonstrate stability and alignment.

Burke County has taken notable steps in that direction — including conditional zoning that imposes environmental safeguards far exceeding state minimums. Expanded buffers along streams and roadways, increased stormwater retention requirements, and restrictions on certain heavy industrial uses represent something rare in today’s climate: collaboration rather than confrontation.

Environmental groups were invited to the table early. Their recommendations shaped the outcome. That process matters.

Responsible development is not a contradiction. It is a prerequisite.

Western Burke is home to Lake James, the Catawba River corridor, family farms, and recreational assets that define our identity. Protecting those while pursuing economic growth is not only possible — it is necessary. No major employer wants to locate in a community defined by chaos and conflict. Stability, transparency, and environmental foresight reduce risk for everyone involved.

Still, designation is not destiny.

The site remains in what county leaders have described as the “early innings.” Infrastructure must be completed. Certification pursued. Funding assembled. Workforce alignment strengthened.

And workforce is the piece we cannot ignore.

Attracting a high-wage manufacturer will require more than acreage and interstate access. It will require trained workers, reliable housing options, and educational pathways aligned to industry needs.

The stakes extend beyond payroll.

County leaders have estimated that landing a major industry at Great Meadows could significantly expand the tax base. A stronger tax base supports schools, emergency services, infrastructure, and long-term fiscal stability. It reduces pressure on property tax rates for residents.

Without growth in our employment base, we will continue exporting our workforce. Local spending will continue flowing to neighboring counties. Housing affordability will remain strained as wages trail costs. Fewer working-age individuals and young families will choose to live somewhere other than Burke, somewhere job opportunities flourish.

Great Meadows is not a silver bullet. It is not a promise of instant prosperity. It is a long-term strategic play — one that will take years, not months.

Now comes the harder work: aligning infrastructure, workforce, housing, community education, and environmental stewardship so that when opportunity knocks, we are not still drafting the blueprint.

We have said we want to shed the narrative of decline. Projects like this — executed responsibly and deliberately — are how that happens.