CONCORD, N.C. – When Governor Pat McCrory laid out his 25-year plan for improving transportation in the greater Charlotte area, he did not do it in his home town of Charlotte. He did it in Concord, another sign of how Cabarrus County is suddenly booming.
“Charlotte is our biggest suburb,” said a smiling Patrick Coughlin, the president of the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The governor made his remarks about transportation at the Concord Regional Airport where there are now regularly scheduled commercial flights.
Concord Mayor Scott Padgett says the airport is one of the major draws for new industry in Cabarrus County.
“Our airport is the busiest general aviation airport in North Carolina,” Padgett said.
And it is at the airport where Amazon plans to open a giant new distribution center.
Not far away a high tech maker of electric car batteries is planning to move into the sprawling old Phillip Morris plant.
The Chamber President says everyone in the county worked together to make all this happen but never expected it would happen so fast.
“To create jobs, create more investment, and create a very good business environment, Coughlin said.
But could it be happening too fast?
Coughlin said, “What we are actually beginning to think about now is how do we manage this growth.”
And Mayor Padgett said, “I agree 100 percent. We need to be building infrastructure for the future and move right now.”
http://www.wcnc.com/story/money/2014/09/19/what-is-cabarrus-county-doing-right/15912905/