The Florida-based company is in the final stages of evaluating a potential purchase of approximately 46 acres at the Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing Site, also home to Wolfspeed’s future silicon carbide plant. The Company estimates an annual payroll of $8.3 million at full build-out.

Chatham County has worked to build upon the growth in the Research Triangle and Triad regions and benefits from a robust existing workforce and excellent quality of life. Innovative Construction Group will join other recent advanced manufacturing announcements near the CAM Site, including the recent Wolfspeed silicon carbide manufacturing plant announced in 2022 and the Toyota battery manufacturing announcement at the nearby Greensboro-Randolph megasite in Liberty.

Mayor of Siler City, Donald Matthews stated, “We welcome another opportunity for the citizens of Siler City and look forward to working with this company as a new partner.”

Based in Jacksonville, Florida, ICG’s comprehensive framing solutions include design services, manufactured wall panels, roof trusses and floor systems, and on-site installation to provide a full frame shell construction process.

“We are very eager to welcome Innovative Construction Group to Chatham County,” said Chreatha Alston, Chair of the Chatham Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors. “I am looking forward to the new jobs and opportunities this project will create for Chatham County residents. This project will also support the region’s residential home market, an important driver for our current and future growth.”

The Chatham Economic Development Corporation (EDC) worked alongside multiple local, regional, and state partners to win the project. In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in the project include the North Carolina General Assembly, Chatham County, the Town of Siler City, Duke Energy, Central Carolina Community College, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, The Samet Corporation, the Norfolk Southern Railroad Company, and the North Carolina Railroad Company.

The work of the EDC is supported by many partners and allies, as well as its Accelerate 2026 campaign investors. The ongoing marketing efforts of  the Carolina Core and the Research Triangle Regional Partnership are assisting the Chatham EDC.

Development of the Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) Site began over a decade ago and was possible with the help of many key individuals. Past EDC Presidents Dianne Reid, Kyle Touchstone, and Alyssa Byrd, along with site partners Tim Booras and D.H. Griffin companies laid the foundation for Siler City’s future success. The EDC is supported by its board of directors, and the strong work of recent past chairmen of the board including Greg Lewis, Jeff Wilson, Douglas Emmons, and Chris Ehrenfeld.

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About Chatham County
Chatham County takes center stage in North Carolina, strategically located between the Research Triangle and Piedmont Triad. One of the fastest growing counties in the state is home to the towns of Pittsboro, Siler City and Goldston as well as several unique rural communities. Residents and visitors alike enjoy 30+ miles of trails and abundant greenspace, five golf courses, and an additional 85 miles of greenways in the works. Chatham also features Jordan Lake, the second-most visited state park in North Carolina. Chatham Park, one of the largest mixed-use developments in the nation is currently underway in Pittsboro.

Contact
Ann Fitts, Marketing and Communications Manager
Office: 919-542-8274
Direct: 919-542-8275
ann.fitts@chathamcountync.gov

The post Project Ice selects Siler City, Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) Site for 157 new jobs, $39M investment, pending final real estate and local grant negotiations appeared first on Chatham County Economic Development Corporation.

Continue reading on the Chatham News + Record website. 

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A large mixed-use development on the Wake-Chatham border is picking up steam as the developer recently bought dozens of acres for more than $11 million.

An LLC tied to Charlotte-based development group Beacon Partners acquired 83 acres in eastern Chatham County for $11.6 million last month, according to Chatham County deed records. That comes out to roughly $140,000 per acre.

The land will go toward Apex Gateway, a 375-acre commercial and industrial development at the western edge of Apex. Walker Gorham, who leads Beacon’s expansion efforts in the Triangle, said the land purchase is part of the project’s second phase, which will include roughly 243 acres.

Continue reading on the Triangle Business Journal website.

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PITTSBORO, N.C. – Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) is proud to announce the receipt of a $6.3 million award from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) to establish the Environmental and Natural Resources Technology (EARTh) Center. The EARTh Center, one of only nine “national centers” funded by NSF ATE, will serve as a national hub for supporting technical education and workforce training needs within the Environmental Technology sector across the United States.

Dr. Lisa M. Chapman, CCCC President, says: “Central Carolina focuses its energy on being a first-class opportunity for all of our students and a leading workforce partner for all of the industries we serve. While we are very fortunate to be in the center of a dynamic and growing economy, even more exciting is the diversity of industries supporting this economic success. All of these industries engage and impact our environment in varied ways. Leveraging the resources of the EARTh Center will strengthen our ability to effectively support the rapidly changing workforce needs associated with today’s technological advances.”

The scope of industries served by the EARTh Center is vast, and include those commonly associated with the “environment” like forestry, wildlife sciences, and resource management. But several other industries, such as environmental health & safety, water & wastewater management, energy efficiency, and renewable energy fall under the environmental and natural resource umbrella.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in these types of industries is projected to grow significantly over the next decade, with thousands of new opportunities arising annually. The EARTh Center is positioned to play a leading role in preparing technicians for the dynamic challenges of modern society by merging hands-on technical training with a comprehensive understanding of the interrelated aspects of environmental issues.

The Center’s primary initiative will be to collaborate with educators and industry leaders to develop instructional and training materials in support of environmental industries. The Center’s services include an Instructional Design team and an Extended Reality (XR) team to develop training simulations for technical programs. Mentoring services will also be provided to support educators on how to pursue and manage NSF ATE funding, and both in-person and virtual professional development opportunities will be offered throughout the year at locations throughout the country.

“The EARTh Center’s focus on environmental technology spans a wide spectrum of workforce areas, including alternative fuel vehicles, renewable energy, water operations, emergency preparedness, and energy efficiencies among many others which directly impact existing and future employers in the region,” said Margaret Roberton, CCCC Vice President for Workforce Development/Chief of Staff. “The deep resources of industry experts and the ability to support curriculum development in these areas will enhance the college’s ability to respond to these important and emerging skills requirements. We are excited to begin working with the EARTh Center’s staff to support students at CCCC seeking to enter these career opportunities and to support the region in responding to skilled workforce demands.”

The EARTh Center will work closely with partners such as the National Partnership for Environmental Technology Education (PETE) and the Nahant Marsh Education Center, as well as community college and industry leaders from across the U.S., to drive the mission and goals of the EARTh Center forward.

For more information, visit www.earthcntr.org, or email to info@earthcntr.org.

Or, contact Tiffany Breindel, EARTh Center Project Manager, at tbreindel@cccc.edu, or Andy McMahan, Principal Investigator for the EARTh Center project, at amcmahan@cccc.edu. Or, call (919) 545-8036 to speak to these individuals.

The post CCCC receives NSF award for EARTh Center appeared first on Chatham County Economic Development Corporation.

“State parks’ growth in visitation and acreage puts an exclamation point on an incredibly successful Year of the Trail in North Carolina,” said Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson. “Residents and out-of-state visitors came out to enjoy what the Great Trails State has to offer, and we are fortunate that Governor Roy Cooper and the legislature understand the rising public demand for outdoor recreation and responded with expanded investments in more land, trails, blueways, and greenways.”

For the second year in a row, Jordan Lake State Recreation Area was the most visited park in the system, welcoming more than 2.5 million visitors — about half a million more than last year. The park also broke the record for visitation to a single park unit, beating the record it set last year, when it became the first park to reach 2 million annual visitors. Five parks reached the 1-million-mark for annual visitation this year: Falls Lake, Fort Fisher, and Kerr Lake state recreation areas, and Fort Macon and Pilot Mountain state parks. Twenty-seven of 42 units saw an increase in annual visitation from 2022. Rendezvous Mountain, a satellite area of Stone Mountain State Park, more than doubled its visitation from the previous year. The largest visitation growth for a state park was 95% — at both Mayo River and Morrow Mountain state parks.

Continue reading on the NC Division of Parks & Recreation website.

The post North Carolina State Parks System Grew in Visitation, Size in 2023 appeared first on Chatham County Economic Development Corporation.

It is our great honor to host an overnight stop in Pittsboro for Cycle NC’s 2024 Mountains to Coast Ride. This incredible sports and recreation opportunity, now in its 25th year, has stopped overnight in more than 100 towns. Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau, Chatham Sports Alliance, and our many partners can’t wait to host an amazing event showcasing all that Chatham County offers.

The event will pass through Chatham County and stop overnight in Pittsboro Wednesday, October 9th and into the morning of Thursday, October 10th. Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center will serve as basecamp. The site will host camping, catered meals, yoga and wellness activities, a business center, vendors, food trucks, and entertainment (live music just for a taste, but follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates on more offerings). Chatham Transit will provide shuttles for participants to hotels in Pittsboro and Siler City (if you are interested in adding your business to the shuttle route, please contact us). Online registration is open at www.ncsports.org, and interested riders are encouraged to register early to avoid missing out.

We look forward to the months ahead and further collaboration with our visitor businesses and community stakeholders. Please make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to Tourism CHITCHAT for the latest information on this event. All of this would not be possible without the help of our many partners across Chatham County: Chatham County Parks & Recreation, Chatham County Manager’s Office, Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center (CCACC), Chatham County Finance Department, and Chatham Transit.

The post Cycle NC 2024 Overnight Stop in Pittsboro – Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau appeared first on Chatham County Economic Development Corporation.

Move over, Chatham Park: The next big mixed-use Chatham County community is well on its way.

Reeves Farm, a nearly 500-acre mixed-use development that will include more than 1,500 homes and a variety of restaurants, grocery stores, entertainment spots and trails, received rezoning approval from the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners in November, giving it the green light to make major progress in 2024.

Edward Holmes Jr., Carter Keller and Buddy Keller (Carter’s father), who are active developers in the Greater Triangle region, in December 2022 purchased 494 acres of what is currently a farm for nearly $19.6 million to be used for the project. The site is just west of Pittsboro and south of Highway 64 Business.

Continue reading on the Triangle Business Journal website.

The post Reeves Farm looks to be next big Chatham County community appeared first on Chatham County Economic Development Corporation.

VinFast, the Vietnamese electric vehicle maker building a factory in Chatham County, will begin selling cars in the Triangle on Thursday.

Leith Automotive, located in Cary, will be the home of the company’s first non-factory-owned dealership in the United States.

At 2000 Auto Park Blvd., Leith Vinfast will introduce the company’s electric vehicles to the Raleigh, Durham, and Cary areas. The dealership, operating in coordination with the upcoming factory in Chatham County, is part of a strategic plan.

The VF9, a versatile seven-passenger SUV, is expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2024, with the VF7s to follow soon after.

Continue reading on WRAL’s website

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Dec. 6, 2023) – Storyliving by Disney announces plans for Asteria, a new residential community located near Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Inspired by the spirit of discovery, the Asteria community is being designed to encourage exploration of the region’s natural beauty and spark life-long learning. The Asteria community is in the beginning stages of planning with Walt Disney Imagineering and DMB Development. Homes in the community will be built by select homebuilders with sales anticipated to begin by 2027.

“The announcement of the Asteria community builds upon strong initial interest for our first Storyliving by Disney community in California and will expand Disney-branded communities to the East Coast,” said Claire Bilby, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Signature Experiences Emerging Businesses.

The community will come to life on 1,500 acres in the heart of North Carolina’s picturesque Chatham County. Ideally situated in the town of Pittsboro, residents will have access to metropolitan amenities with the charm of a small town. Plans call for more than 4,000 residential units including single-family and multi-family homes, with some home sites specifically designated for 55+ adults. The Asteria community will be part of the larger, award-winning Chatham Park master-planned community by Preston Development Company, co-founded by Julian “Bubba” Rawl and Tim Smith.

“For nearly 15 years, Chatham Park has set the standard for innovative growth and thoughtful planning. We feel an extraordinary sense of responsibility to our residents and the broader community with this project and we’re incredibly fortunate to work with Disney, DMB Development and homebuilders to create something truly special,” said Rawl.

The Asteria community will offer future residents a unique lifestyle thanks to distinctive Disney placemaking. A range of home styles will line quaint streets leading to a mix of community amenities designed to showcase the area’s surrounding natural beauty. Aligning with Chatham Park’s commitment to open green space and to encourage exploration, the community will feature acres of neighborhood parks and miles of beautiful walking and biking trails where residents can connect with the outdoors.

Asteria community homeowners will become part of a club with amenities planned to include a wellness and recreation center, restaurant, sport courts, swimming pools, community garden and plenty of outdoor space for lawn games, events and fire pits. The club will feature enrichment programming only Disney can deliver. Some of the experiences under consideration include storytelling dinners inspired by Disney tales, lessons with Disney artists and family fun days with Disney-themed activities.

“We’re looking forward to collaborating with Disney to bring another Storyliving by Disney community to life,” said DMB Development CEO Brent Herrington. “Just as the desert setting inspired our teams with the Cotino community, North Carolina’s rich landscape and history is at the heart of our initial planning work with Walt Disney Imagineering. We’ve got a lot of great ideas to showcase the beauty of this area.”

The team at Walt Disney Imagineering has spent significant time researching, visiting and immersing themselves in the region to develop the Asteria community’s unique theme. Influenced by the nearby universities in the famed Research Triangle, the community is envisioned as a campus of discovery – a place for exploring and learning.

“We had an incredible time developing the creative brand and story for Asteria, the new Storyliving by Disney community,” said Shawn Montague, site portfolio executive, Walt Disney Imagineering. “We chose the community’s name to pay homage to the native North Carolina aster flower. The flower is also a namesake of the Greek goddess Asteria whose tears of stardust fell to the Earth and sprouted the first aster flowers. We thought it was a beautiful way to honor North Carolina’s natural beauty from the Earth to the sky, in our campus of discovery.”

The Asteria community is the second announced Storyliving by Disney community in the U.S. following the Cotino community, which is currently under development in Rancho Mirage, California. Pre-sales appointments for homebuying in the Cotino community are now underway. Additional Storyliving by Disney locations are under exploration.

Vibrant Storyliving by Disney new-home communities will be infused with the company’s special brand of magic. Each community is thoughtfully designed with creative guidance from Disney Imagineers who take inspiration from the region’s history, community and landscape to create a one-of-a-kind place that inspires residents to write their next chapter. The legendary Disney placemaking and attention to detail within each community are complemented by renowned guest service delivered by Disney cast members.

Asteria, a Storyliving by Disney community, is in the very early stages of planning. Additional information including details on future homes in the community will be released as they become available. Those interested in more information or in joining the community’s email list can visit www.storylivingbydisney.com/asteria.

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The 43-acre parcel, located just south of the US 64 Bypass and the Chatham Park Way transportation corridors, can accommodate up to 700,000 square feet of medical care facilities. The parcel will complement existing UNC Health facilities in Chatham Park and the UNC Health Chatham Hospital in Siler City.

“We’ve built a substantial presence at Chatham Park and are delighted to be a part of the growing Chatham Park community as we take this opportunity to expand much-needed medical care for that region,” said Janet Hadar, President, UNC Hospitals. “This acquisition reaffirms our commitment to providing high-quality, accessible care to the residents of Chatham County and beyond. Hadar’s remarks were echoed by Chatham Hospital President Jeff Strickler who noted, “We believe that our presence within Chatham Park not only elevates the standard of healthcare in the region, but also contributes positively to the overall wellness and vitality of the community.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with UNC Health,” said Julian “Bubba” Rawl, of Preston Development, master developers of Chatham Park. “This partnership reflects our shared vision of creating a vibrant, inclusive community that prioritizes the well-being of its residents. UNC Health’s expanded presence will undoubtedly enhance the quality of life for everyone who calls Chatham Park home as well as the many people who are moving to our area.”

“Our regional, mega manufacturing sites will bring thousands of families, jobs and economic activity to this area of Chatham County, and we want Chatham Park to be the top choice for families to relocate and plant roots,” continued Tim Smith, of Preston Development. “Adding additional healthcare to our learning, employment and retail opportunities is another step towards building Chatham Park into the multi-faceted, iconic community we envisioned.”
More than 1,000 residents currently call Chatham Park home. The age-targeted neighborhood, Encore by David Weekley, began selling in August 2023. Del Webb at Chatham Park is expected to begin selling in 2025 and plans are being finalized to start delivery of an additional 4,500 lots in Chatham Park’s North Village in 2024.

The growing healthcare infrastructure at Chatham Park is part of a wide array of services and amenities that will establish Chatham Park as a major residential and economic destination within the region. The community is already home to Pittsboro’s Knight Farm community park, a future Chatham County elementary school and over 200,000 square feet of office, retail and soon to open, a 121-room Hampton Inn. Site development is underway on a new Chatham Park YMCA. The future 34,000+ square-foot facility will include a variety of state-of-the-art features for the whole family. The facility is the first post-COVID designed YMCA in the region, optimized for healthy interaction both inside and out.

Following the recent Town of Pittsboro and Sanford utilities merger, Chatham Park is also positioned to have secure and stable water and wastewater utilities to further support growth in the area. The merger also paves the way for the Chatham Park Water Treatment Center, the award-winning facility that uses technology and biology to treat and replenish wastewater for the community, to increase capacity. “The groundwork is being placed for an exciting future,” states Rawl. “With future water and sewer utilities in place with The Town of Sanford, the region is poised for balanced growth. We are building new schools and new businesses are opening every day. It’s an exciting time for Pittsboro and Chatham Park.”

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