Business View Magazine | October 2020

234 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2020 A nson County, North Carolina, which was formed in 1750, and named for George Anson, a British admiral who circumnavigated the globe from 1740 to 1744, and bought land in the state, was known for many years as merely a long stretch of open highway somewhere between Charlotte to the northwest and the Carolina coast to the east. But today, this rural expanse of approximately 25,000 people is rapidly changing, and Anson County is currently positioned for both residential and commercial growth, as well as accelerated industrial development. “We believe that the population of the county will be 30,000 by 2030,” says John Marek, Executive Director of the Anson County Economic Development Partnership. “A major new road opened two years ago called the Monroe Expressway. Monroe is a small city between us and Charlotte. Prior to that Expressway opening, you had to go through some 30 traffic lights to get from Charlotte to Anson County. When the Expressway opened, that went down to two. So, it’s significantly decreased the travel time. Peachland, which is the town in the far western part of the county, is less than 45 minutes from Charlotte. So, we’ve gotten to a reasonable commute distance, now, and we’re anticipating that we’re going to see residential and commercial development in the western side of the county as a result of that.” On the other side of the county, recent developments in the Port of Wilmington, some 140 miles away, has also provided Anson County with an opportunity to become a major road and rail corridor between it and Charlotte. “About five or six years ago, the state legislature decided to start investing money in the Port of Wilmington,” Marek recounts. “They dredged it out to allow it to retain larger ships; they created a turning channel that allows ships to be processed more effectively; and most importantly, they built a large, onsite frozen and cold storage ANSON COUNTY North Carolina Opportunity awaits ,