Susan Phelps, Economic Development Director, Nash County

Invest: spoke with Susan Phelps, economic development director of Nash County, about the county’s economic momentum, workforce strategy, infrastructure priorities, and long-term growth plans. “Our role is to connect people and help move projects forward,” Phelps said.

How would you describe Nash County’s economic development efforts, and how do they reflect broader trends across eastern North Carolina?

I have worked with Nash County and specifically in economic development since 2017, before we were an established department. Since then, I have been involved in building our economic development program, marketing, and branding to help tell Nash County’s story around industry, quality of life, education, and workforce development.

Stepping into the director role from the manager position was a natural transition because I was already familiar with the relationships we had built and the direction we were moving in. Overall, we are busy. The pipeline is strong, and that reflects North Carolina’s success in recent years.

Nash County has benefited from being a halo county and part of the Research Triangle region. We aligned ourselves with that region when we established our department in 2020, and we are seeing spillover from the Triangle, especially in commercial and residential growth. We may not be growing as quickly as some neighboring counties, but we intend to grow in a way we can appropriately manage.

We are seeing activity in industrial recruitment, but some of our greatest successes have come from existing industry expansions. Long-term companies have added capital, jobs, and new product lines, and we want to continue supporting those industries while also recruiting new ones.

What sectors are driving momentum for Nash County?

We have four targeted industry clusters: advanced manufacturing, life sciences, logistics, and food processing.

Advanced manufacturing is a major strength for us, with industries such as Cummins Rocky Mount Engine Plant and Honeywell already established here. Nash Community College directly supports those types of industries through workforce development and customized training.

Life sciences is an important sector as well. Pfizer is our largest employer, and we want to continue growing within that industry, particularly through supply-chain opportunities connected to RTP and the five-county Biopharma Crescent. We may not land the biggest fish, but if we can support biopharma manufacturing’s supply chain through recruitment of support companies, that would be a win for the region.

Logistics is also strong because I-95 runs through the county, and U.S. 64 and U.S. 264 are moving toward interstate standards. That connectivity makes Nash County a strong logistics hub.

Food processing is another major area for us. We call ourselves a sweet spot for doing business because we have local, national, and international food processing companies ranging from pastries to dog treats to barbecue sauce.

Agriculture is also important and deserves its own recognition. We are still an agriculture-centric county, and we have worked with ag-tech-related projects that support the local farming industry and create value-added processing opportunities.

We are also seeing growth in technology, electrical components, and defense-related supply chains, and we are focused on positioning ourselves for those opportunities as they grow in the future.

What does recent investment activity signal about Nash County’s competitive positioning?

The BuildLabs project is a good example of the advantages we offer. It combines our logistics, access to markets, and skilled workforce. The company will be building custom homes in a high-tech, innovative facility and assembling them on-site, so it is a good fit for Nash County.

We continue to market ourselves as a great place to do business because we still offer cost-effective labor, land, and buildings while also providing access to larger markets.

We also have to carefully evaluate projects. We want good jobs and wages, but we also want to ensure those positions can realistically be filled.

Infrastructure is another major focus. We are still rural in many ways, even though we are on the edge of a metropolitan area, and we have utility constraints around water and sewer. Preparing industrial sites and planning for future infrastructure needs has been a major priority.

We cannot do this alone. We rely heavily on strong relationships with funding partners, workforce development partners, and state agencies. Our role is to connect people and help move projects forward.

How is Nash County approaching the growth of data center development?

We are in an education phase. We know this sector is not going away, so we need to fully understand it before making decisions.

We are evaluating what these projects require from a utility and infrastructure standpoint and determining where they may or may not fit within the county. Nash County is large, and different areas have different capacities and needs.

We are also updating our development code and studying how other communities approach these projects. We want to ensure that if data centers move forward here, they do so in a way that makes sense for the county and does not create additional strain on infrastructure.

We do not want to make decisions simply because we see potential tax revenue. We want to make informed decisions that fit our long-term planning goals.

How are you strengthening partnerships between education providers and businesses?

Our education and workforce development partners are critical. Nash Community College often refers to education as part of the three-legged stool of economic development, combining K-12 education, the Community College, and Business and Industry.

Since COVID, the workforce has changed everywhere, so we are asking how we can connect people to careers locally. We are focused on students who may not want to attend a four-year university but could benefit from credentials that lead directly to work opportunities.

Nash Community College has been a great partner through customized training programs and trade-related education. We also have North Carolina Wesleyan University here, which gives us access to a strong international student population, and we are focused on creating connections between those students and local employers.

K-12 education is equally important. Through partnerships like the Strategic Twin Counties Education Partnership, or STEP, students are exposed to careers as early as elementary school and connected to work-based learning opportunities in high school.

We want students to understand what is made and produced in Nash County. Many drive past these facilities every day without realizing what happens inside them.

We also created a marketing platform called Work in Nash to tell career stories rather than simply posting jobs. We highlight employees who started in entry-level positions and advanced into management roles so students can see what career growth looks like.

How does workforce development connect to quality of life?

Nash County has 11 municipalities, many with small-town charm and strong downtowns. We want to recruit jobs and wages while also creating communities where people feel comfortable living, raising families, and enjoying amenities.

Companies also look at those quality-of-life factors when considering investment. They want to know what their workforce will experience outside of work.

Capitol Broadcasting Company’s investment in Rocky Mount is a strong example. Its long-term commitment helped create a live, work, and play environment that has encouraged additional development, from coffee shops to larger commercial projects.

Small businesses are also extremely important to us. One example is the Junction in Nashville, where an old building was renovated into mixed-use units designed to help small businesses get started with manageable costs. It has been successful.

It’s a team effort, and relationships mean everything.

What are Nash County’s top priorities over the next five years?

Infrastructure is the priority. We cannot support residential or commercial growth without having the necessary infrastructure in place.

The second priority is continuing to grow in a smart and targeted way while recruiting good-wage jobs and opportunities for residents.

The third priority is maintaining quality of life. That includes supporting amenity-based businesses, encouraging a variety of residential development, and creating housing opportunities for both current and future residents.

The challenge is bringing all of those priorities together while maintaining the county’s charm and rural nature. That is both our challenge and our goal moving forward.