Jones County, North Carolina

101 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 through us in addition to the Highway 17 Bypass,” indicates County Manager Kyle Smith. “And so, between the Piedmont and Coastal Plains, you can be anywhere in no time.” “There’s a lot of growth happening around us, towards us,” offers Bender. “I also think everybody in the region wants to see us grow. We’ve developed some great relationships with the neighboring counties and we’re looking at doing some joint ventures down the road. Hopefully, we’ll be able to market that in the near future.” At the same time, he recognizes that Jones County is an area prized for its slower pace and intimate community life. “That’s what a lot of people are moving here for,” Bender admits. “There are a lot of folks who are looking to get out here. But due to the farming and, really, the traditional family values that celebrate owning large tracts of land, we, unfortunately, don’t have that many residential properties available. Still, it’s a great place to raise a family and I think you’ll see even more folks wanting to come this way.” More building inspections and permits being issued are a clear signal that their economy is on the right path, according to Smith. “We’ve put a lot more water taps in, which means more people are getting on our regional water system,” he adds. “Again, it can be hard for those wanting to move here to find a tract of land that’s available, but that’s sort of where we’re at as a county.” As far as new facilities go, the state-of-the-art K-12 school incorporating Trenton Elementary, Jones Middle, and Jones Senior High schools finished completion in 2019, representing a truly unique initiative for the county. There was also a groundbreaking ceremony in July 2021 for the high school’s new baseball and softball fields. “Being an alumni of the school, a former baseball player, and a son to a former coach out there, it’s great to see new amenities coming in the county for our youth to develop their skills and share athletic activities,” offers Smith. “They haven’t actually played a game on that field yet—they just got it done. But it’s a great- looking facility from the road if anybody arrives down this way, right next to Highway 58 South.” Smith highlights that “our building for sale in the industrial park is a key project for us. It is actually now under contract for a business from out of state. They are looking to employ 12-18 people starting in May. This was a very fast turnaround on the sale since I put it on the market in September and it is already under contract now in December. I feel that