LAURINBURG — A local delegation from the Laurinburg-Scotland County Area Chamber of Commerce travelled to Raleigh this week to meet with Scotland County’s legislators as well as education and economic development officials.
A dozen local officials and business owners attended the Chamber’s annual legislative day on Wednesday, including Laurinburg City Council member Dee Hammond, County Manager Kevin Patterson, and the city of Laurinburg’s community development director, Teddy Warner.
“It was a diverse crowd of people, business-wise and some retired but all very active and committed to the welfare of Scotland County,” said Chamber Director Janet Smith.
With Christopher Chung, the new Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina CEO, the group discussed opportunities and strategies for attraction of industry to Scotland County.
“He talked to us about what businesses look at, the importance of incentives, intangibles like civic pride, having a happy and engaged community,” Smith said.
A nonprofit corporation, the Economic Development Partnership oversees the development of business recruitment and tourism statewide and encourages collaboration between public and private stakeholders.
“It’s a tool of commerce, to see what they have to do to go out and recruit industry to come to North Carolina,” said Chamber chair Lee Howell. “We wanted to get in front of him, meet him and let him know that whatever we can do to help them get some industry located here we’re open to doing.”
The Chamber delegation also heard from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s community affairs director about the grades assigned by the department earlier this year to every public school in the state.
Also on Wednesday, in a meeting with state representatives Garland Pierce and Ken Goodman and state Sen. Tom McInnis, the delegation discussed the state’s budget and incentives for business.
Mary Katherine Murphy can be reached at 910-506-3169.
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