Business View Magazine - October 2018

122 123 build hangars.” “The first person to build a hangar on that taxi way was Dale Earnhardt Sr., the race car driver,” Ferguson continues. “He built a hangar for his aircraft and also started a FAR Part 125 private carrier called Champion Air and he was flying some of the crews for the races. Now they have 3 Embraer 145 ER’s with 50 passengers each that they fly as a private carrier. That was one of the catalysts that started some of the other drivers saying, ‘Hey I could have the same thing.’ So, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. built his hangar next to Sr. and it all began.” Over the years, other drivers such as Ryan Newman, Brad Keselowski, Greg Biffle, Martin Truex, Jr., and others have their aircraft in hangars on the field, which has led to a pretty significant NASCAR contingent. About two years ago, a new Part 125 private carrier was created called Victory Air. It start- ed with two Embraer 145s and they now have 10 with 50 passengers each flying to the races. “Champion and Victory both leave out of here on Thursdays. They also haul teams for Xfinity, for truck and also for the monster races so they can be hauling people from Thursday through Sunday. Sunday night after the race looks almost like Charlotte out here when they all come back around the same time,” laughs Ferguson. In 2004 Lowe’s Home Improvement was look- ing to move from Wilkesboro, North Carolina to Mooresville, which is about 20 miles south of Statesville. That also meant moving its aviation division. So, the company built a 40,000-square- foot hangar with office space. At the time they had five falcon jets and one Sikorsky helicopter. “So in a nutshell, that is basically what we are,” says Ferguson. “We had the runway extended from 5,000 to 7,000 feet in the early 2000’s which Iredell County has close proximity to Charlotte, North Carolina, transportation infrastructure, and lake style living which makes our location unique. The diversity of land and lifestyles is our strength: metropolitan atmospheres, the charm of historic downtowns, and rich farmland at the edge of the Appalachian mountains. Iredell County offers Business, Life, and Location. Iredell County Economic Development Corporation 704.664.6922 www.edcmooresville.org www.statesvilelregion.com Statesville Regional Airport 20 miles to uptown Charlotte 1,132,209 Labor shed 1 IREDELL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP You too could have it all. Iredell County, N.C. Business. Life. Location. Iredell County, located in North Carolina, is part of the Charlotte MSA. A labor force of 85,000, a labor shed of 2.3 million, and annu- al population growth rate of 1.5% for the past 10 years create an attractive destination for business. The combination of cosmopolitan atmosphere, charming historic downtowns, and rich farmland at the edge of the Appala- chian Mountains enables the business com- munity to attract top-rate talent. Iredell sits on the shorelines of beautiful Lake Norman, the largest lake in the state and 30 minutes from Uptown Charlotte. Our rec- reational opportunities span from mountain biking and hiking to golfing and boating. When they say, “nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina,” no doubt they’re referring to the outstanding quality of life. Iredell’s business community is sure to reap the advantages of the location: flights for corporations out of Statesville regional air- port, rail access through Norfolk-Southern and Alexander Railroad, as well as service by two major interstates, I-77 and I-40. The diversity of land and lifestyles is our strength. Our community is marked by true southern hospitality, low cost of living, and a pro-business attitude. Iredell’s can-do spirit is synonymous with the Carolinas. IREDELL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP STATESVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT