Pat Kahle, President & CEO, Union County Chamber
In an interview with Invest:, Pat Kahle, president and CEO of the Union County Chamber, discussed the chamber’s recent milestones in public policy and infrastructure, unique growth opportunities in Union County’s business landscape, and the chamber’s initiatives driving innovation, collaboration, and workforce development.
What have been some major milestones and highlights for the chamber in public policy and investing in infrastructure?
The chamber’s public policy program has continued to strengthen and place the chamber at the forefront of advocating for business in Union County, particularly as it relates to the important topic of infrastructure. We work at the local and state levels to encourage investment in infrastructure, specifically wastewater treatment, water, high-speed broadband, and roads. One of the top priorities has been wastewater infrastructure in Union County. We are pleased to report the chamber’s proactive advocacy, combined with our policymakers’ efforts, have led to significant progress in this area.
The county approved an expansion of the 12 Mile Creek facility and invested in replacing and upsizing the Crooked Creek Basin trunk sewer that is critical to flow management. Additionally, our General Assembly allocated $26 million to Union County to address our wastewater needs. This combined effort is a good step toward meeting the needs of businesses and industries by improving this much-needed infrastructure.
What are some of the unique opportunities for growth in the county’s business landscape?
Union County is fortunate to have a diverse and robust business community. Our community is home to a strong manufacturing sector, which continues to grow. Recently, our economic development partners announced the arrival of Briolf, a chemical manufacturer. In addition, there have been multiple, significant expansions among our existing manufacturers.
Our county’s roots also run deep in agriculture. Union County is North Carolina’s third largest agricultural economy, employing close to 20 percent of our workforce and presenting unique opportunities in the agribusiness space. One collaborative project in the agribusiness sector is the BARN Project, a collaborative involving the economic development commission, the county, Wingate University, and cooperative extension working together to create this unique facility. Additionally, there are efforts in food processing to add value to agricultural products before they reach the market, providing local farmers with new business opportunities.
The Monroe Bypass continues to offer opportunities for logistics and commercial development by connecting eastern Union County to the Indian Trail – Stallings area in an efficient manner. We are already seeing commercial developments being constructed along this important corridor.
Union County continues to thrive, benefiting from the many collaborative relationships among the economic development, business support, education, and workforce development partnerships. Despite having a population of around 260,000 people, we maintain a small community feel. Our organizations and partners are highly collaborative, working together to meet the needs of our business and industry partners.
How does the chamber drive innovation and collaboration within the local business community?
Even though Union County is large, we work together like a small community, with close-knit collaborative organizations. A recent example involves a Latin-owned business wanted to host a Latin festival in downtown Monroe. They approached the chamber for assistance in convening potential partners. The chamber was able to coordinate with the city and community partners, resulting in a successful inaugural festival that drew over 5,000 attendees, providing an opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate Latin culture. There is incredible value in utilizing the relationships the chamber has built over time with our desire to bring our community together
One of the top challenges facing businesses of all sizes and in all industries is recruiting and retaining talent. The chamber’s Workforce Development Task Force convenes business leaders, workforce partners, and educational institutions to creatively work on workforce solutions for now and the future. This group leads several initiatives, including a middle school speakers bureau to build a future talent pipeline by encouraging middle schoolers to explore various careers before they choose their high school courses. This initiative aligns with recent legislation requiring pathways to be established for all seventh graders.
During the past five years, we have trained hundreds of business leaders to communicate effectively with middle schoolers, emphasizing soft skills, career progression, and hands-on activities. Our surveys show that 94% of students learn something new about career opportunities available right here in our community. This work helps students connect with potential careers and encourages them to stay in, or return to, our community after college.
What challenges are impacting the community?
While our local economy remains strong, there are challenges. The first revolves around growth. While growth is positive for our community, long-term sustained growth places stress on infrastructure such as roads, sewer systems, and water supply. To address this challenge, the chamber convenes business leaders, community leaders and policymakers to work together on solutions.
Businesses continue to face headwinds from inflation. Recent measures in the General Assembly, such as lowering corporate tax rates and removing the franchise tax, have been positive steps to offset rising costs for business and industry.
Recruiting and retaining talent continues to be a challenge for business expansion. Fortunately, our community continues to be a place where families want to relocate because of lower taxes, outstanding schools and post-secondary education institutions, as well as an excellent quality of life. Although business thrives on certainty and election years can bring uncertainty, the strong economy and collaborative support system in our region place us at an advantage.
How does the chamber work with emerging businesses in the arts, tourism, sports, and culture sectors?
One of the most essential functions of the Chamber is to be a cheerleader for our community. Sharing the story of Union County’s robust arts community and recreational assets is a job we relish. Attracting visitors to our community to celebrate, recreate, and relax is how we can best support our growing hospitality industry.
Locally, our fourteen municipalities offer unique recreational experiences, from rural farms and green spaces to walkable downtowns with spacious parks. Our municipalities offer world-class amenities for ice skating, fields for a wide variety of sports, and a wide variety of parks. Downtown Monroe features attractions like the revived Dowd Center Theatre and the Monroe Science Center Honoring Dr. Christine Mann Darden.
Union County is great for young families, offering numerous parks, dining, and educational experiences. At the chamber, we cheerlead and advocate for the community, reminding residents and visitors of the great activities and amenities available right here in our community.
What are your key priorities for the chamber over the next couple of years?
One of our top priorities remains workforce development, addressing the primary need for business and industry. We collaborate with business partners to fill their current pipeline needs and focus on future workforce development, starting as early as middle school. The chamber will continue to advocate for accessible early childhood education and childcare.
Public policy remains another critical area. Working with policymakers to meet the needs of our business community and aligning our public policy efforts to create a supportive environment for our members is critical to the continued success of our community.
Leadership development is also a key initiative. Our members rely on the chamber for leadership programs like the Emerging Leaders and Leadership Union to cultivate the next generation of leaders. In addition, the chamber is focused on providing existing leaders with the skills needed to cooperate and communicate with each other to move our community forward.
Our three strategic areas at the chamber are bringing value to our members, being the voice of business, and enhancing organizational capacity. We’re focused on operating as a world-class organization, and we are committed to providing top-tier service and support to benefit our members and the community.
