Business View Civil & Municipal l November 2022

127 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 T here’s so much happening in Gastonia, North Carolina, it’s going to be unrecognizable soon, according to the city’s mayor, Walker E. Reid III. “The number one thing I’ve been telling people is in the next three to five years they’re going to question whether they still live in Gastonia or not,” he says. “For the first time as an elected official in the City of Gastonia, I see positive growth happening in the north, south, east, and western parts of our city. “I’m looking at growth that’s going to bring more people here, it’s going to bring more diversity here, it’s going to bring more jobs here, it’s going to bring more opportunity for people to do business here. I can see Gastonia being a strong piece of the puzzle to the west of Charlotte and I’m looking forward to seeing all those things come to fruition,” Reid continues. With a longstanding history in textile manufacturing, the city of over 80,000 has been plagued in recent decades by factory shutdowns and job losses. But lately, things have started to change. While manufacturing is still the city’s leading industry, Gastonia has been moving in recent years to become a hub of technology. “I was born and raised in Gastonia, so I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly,” Reid recounts. “Gastonia is now a city I am very proud of for its versatility and what it has to offer. We have a lot of businesses that come here from all over the country.” In fact, businesses are relocating to Gastonia from all across the globe, adds Kristy Crisp, Change is in the air as Gastonia welcomes big strides forward GASTONIA , NORTH