Clayton Whitson, President & CEO, Union County Chamber of Commerce

In an interview with Invest:, Clayton Whitson, president and CEO of the Union County Chamber of Commerce, discussed Union County’s growth, workforce strengths, and efforts to build a stronger countywide identity. “Everybody has their specialties — and we build some really cool, exciting things here,” Whitson said.

What are your impressions of Union County, and what are your top priorities?

Union County is a little microcosm of the entire Charlotte region. There is so much momentum across a diverse set of industries here that it is absolutely booming, and it is really exciting to be part of it while this ball is rolling.

Everything from aerospace and life sciences to professional services and real estate is seeing activity. One of my top priorities is finding how we can best support our existing industries and continue to create some of these expansion opportunities.

That is especially true in aerospace. We are one of the largest aerospace clusters, not just in this region but really in the entire United States, and that separates the Union County market a little bit from the rest of the Charlotte area. Everybody has their specialties — and we build some really cool, exciting things here.

How is Union County’s growth changing the local business environment, and what opportunities do you see ahead?

Anytime you see a growth rate at the Union County level, which is one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, there is an abundance of opportunity and new markets that open up, specifically for our small business base.

This growth also lends itself to strong workforce support. As we continue to have this workforce supply, industries recognize that we are a competitive market for them to relocate to. There continues to be a lot of activity with new businesses coming in.

For our existing base, our small-business companies are the people that really give our county its unique flavor. One thing we are committed to is coming alongside them and helping them tell their story to the new markets we are seeing as people move into this area.

We are also looking at new programming and the creation of a new organization outside of the chamber focused solely on external marketing. It will be a tourism-related organization focused on all of the new people coming here, our existing amenities, and how we can highlight this region to tell Union County’s story and create our own unique brand here.

What sectors are strongest for growth, and how are you supporting them?

The aerospace cluster has been an amazing opportunity for this region. It brings economic opportunity at a high level. These are technical and well-paying jobs, and that has been a boost to the entire region.

Another emerging market is the biopharmaceutical area. We are working with South Piedmont Community College and serving as a liaison between industry and workforce providers.

We have established the Union County Workforce Development Task Force to pull together all of the service providers within our region and make sure we have a coordinated effort around the types of technical training we are providing. The goal is to shore up that workforce base and make sure we are always on the cutting edge of what our major employers are going to need.

What are you seeing in terms of workforce availability and partnerships with local academic institutions?

One of the driving factors in our growth is that we have not seen a lot of our K-12 students graduate, go to college, and then never come back. Because we have such amazing economic opportunities, they know they can find a well-paying job right here.

At the higher education level, we have two remarkable institutions in our county: South Piedmont Community College, which continues to innovate, and Wingate University, which has robust programming tailored around many of the workforce opportunities here in Union County.

Another area we are working to support is quality of life. We want to make sure we are continually building out amenities so people know they can do everything they need and want to do right here in Union County, from employment opportunities and livability to recreation.

What quality-of-life assets separate Union County from other markets?

The one thing that sets us apart is that Union County has a pace of life more reflective of rural Southern charm, but with access to major metro amenities.

It is a unique environment to have wonderful, walkable downtowns in Monroe, Waxhaw, Marshville, and other areas within our county that make you feel like you are in a small town, all within a 30-minute drive of uptown Charlotte.

To be able to come home, go to a restaurant, do local retail shopping, and grab some ice cream in a small-town feel while having access to major airports and downtown amenities is a really unique environment that we have cultivated.

As growth continues, we are also helping local municipalities protect that character so it does not get overgrown. There is a way that we can have both growth and preservation.

How is the chamber helping businesses leverage technology and emerging opportunities?

Emerging technologies are one area where we continue to put together high-level programming for our membership and business community so they can stay on top of it. 

For us in Union County, we are adjacent to Mecklenburg County, which is one of the largest banking hubs in the world. That creates a lot of remote jobs, which is good for us.

As people continue to embrace technology, not only will that help alleviate some of the traffic concerns that come along with growth if they are not having to make that daily commute, but it positions us well as an area where people want to live and can work right from home.

We are also working on the policy side, making sure our municipalities know we need to stay at the forefront and have adequate broadband access and other technology assistance.

How do you see the chamber’s role evolving, and what programs are you rolling out?

We are in the process of building a sister organization called Destination Union County. Whether you are coming to visit, coming to live, or coming to relocate, Union County is going to be your destination.

Through that, we are planning a robust external communications effort so people know about all of the amazing quality-of-life opportunities here.

We are trying to get people to understand that working here is fantastic, but we also want you to live here and utilize our recreation opportunities.

It is about controlling that brand narrative of who we are and all of the amazing assets we have right here in Union County.

What are your top priorities for the chamber over the next two to three years?

Priority No. 1 is to continually find ways to enhance our value proposition as an organization and provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace for our existing businesses here.

Beyond that, we are continuing to build out new partnerships. We have two economic development organizations in Union County, and we are looking at how we can continue to do work that does not compete but assists the people at the county and the city of Monroe in their economic development efforts.

Whether that is business retention and expansion, workforce development, or talent attraction campaigns, we want to come alongside those people to give our entire region a competitive advantage.

Is there anything else you would like to highlight?

One of the biggest advantages we have in Union County is the strength of the Union County Public Schools system. We are one of the highest-rated K-12 systems in the state of North Carolina.

Families are looking at where they want to make the investment of living and raising their kids. Schools are No. 1. We have really low crime rates and really great schools, which are giving us this regional boost that we have seen from Marvin to Marshville.