Business View Civil and Municipal l January 2023

69 70 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 close to so much, yet we maintain our character which is rooted in our history, and we have areas in the county where we have that small-town feel.” With so much history and natural beauty, tourism is an important economic driver throughout the region, and Gaston County is no exception. “We’re really fortunate to be located where we are, as part of this rapidly growing metro area, with GASTON COUNT Y, NORTH CAROL INA easy accessibility and a lot of convenience to the southeast market by interstate 85,” says Michael Applegate, Director of Tourism and Development. “We’re also fortunate to have the natural resources that we have. The county is bordered on the eastern side by the Catawba River, and on the western side by Crowder’s Mountain. Those are two really iconic destinations that 1000s of drivers see every day along Interstate 85,” he adds. Promoting Gaston County as an ideal place for biking, riding, and paddling, Applegate notes that each of the municipalities ensures that their natural spaces are not only preserved but accessible for the public to utilize and enjoy. “We have a lot of preservation and conservation efforts going on in the county because there are so many great natural spaces. We work pretty closely with the Catawba River Keeper Foundation, and the Catawba Land Conservancy to make sure that we’re setting aside and maintaining, for posterity and quality of life for all of our visitors and residents, these great natural spaces,” he asserts As part of a planned approach to growth, Gaston County is focused on industrial recruitment. Matthew Rhoten, Deputy County Manager relays, “We’ve been very successful in that. It’s been a really big focus of Gaston County to create jobs that have income levels that are at or above the country average. We’ve had a lot of investment from very large companies and a lot of North American headquarters have located here.” After the initial success of its Gaston Technology Park, the county was inspired to bring about the development of a second park, Apple Creek Corporate Center, which sold 5 of its 10 available sites before the development was complete. Alisha Summey Economic Development Commission Director of Operations, shares, “These land development activities led to recruiting dozens of companies over time and have helped rebuild the county’s economy after the decline of the textile industry. Allowing these business park developments has diversified the economy and allowed some of our smaller municipalities to gain large utility customers, and grow the overall tax base at the county and municipal levels.”