about the $1 billion Spark LS Pathway Triangle project, which will bring a 109-acre, mixed-use, life sciences campus to Morrisville’s McCrimmon Parkway, further solidifying the town’s position as a hub in the region. These projects are part of a broader trend bolstered by federal support to bring manufacturing and technology back to the United States. On the high-tech side, Forge Nano Battery recently chose the town for its manufacturing site, drawn to the availability of an educated and skilled workforce. “With those universities and Wake Tech nearby, there is constant upskilling of different things as the market changes so quickly. We are ideally suited to make sure that there’s always the workforce necessary for our companies to continue to grow,” the mayor asserts. “We’re embracing high-tech manufacturing and life sciences, and it’s because the workforce is so strong in this area.” EMPOWERING MORRISVILLE’S BUSINESS COMMUNITY Michael Haley, executive director of Wake County Economic Development and senior vice president of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce reports that Morrisville’s economic development efforts, which are coordinated with Wake County, boast a pipeline of projects. “In terms of companies either expanding or wanting to come to the area, right now we have 38 active projects, these are prospects that we’ve had communication within the last 30 days,” he says. “That accounts for about $10.8 billion in potential capital investment and about 13,000 potential jobs with an average salary well above the county average wage.” Through initiatives like the “Work in the Triangle” campaign, the county continues to attract top talent to sustain this growth trajectory. Executive Director Haley asserts, “Talent is the differentiating factor here, based on our education, and higher education ecosystem. That’s the number one reason that companies want to be here.” Along with large international companies in the realm of life sciences, technology, and advanced manufacturing, Morrisville and Wake County are supporting entrepreneurs and innovative startups. 224 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 08
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