Joanna Helms, Economic Development Director, Town of Apex

In an interview with Invest:, Joanna Helms, economic development director for the Town of Apex, discussed how infrastructure investment, long-term planning, and support for small businesses are shaping the town’s growth strategy. “We benefit from proximity to strong talent, infrastructure, and Tier 1 universities, while still maintaining an authentic community and business ecosystem,” Helms said.

What changes over the past year have most shaped Apex’s economic development priorities?

One of the biggest developments has been the selection of Apex by NC Children’s Hospital as the site for the state’s first standalone healthcare campus specifically for children. It is a major project that will be built out over many years and will require significant coordination and infrastructure, not just in Apex but in the surrounding region as well.

That project will shape many of our processes and priorities over the next several years.

How is Apex balancing growth and infrastructure needs with preserving community character?

Infrastructure has always been a major focus, and fortunately, leaders before me planned. Projects like the water reclamation facility in New Hill and improvements to Apex Peakway were designed with long-term growth in mind.

We are also investing in our historic downtown. The Salem streetscape project is underway now and is focused on preserving the historic character while modernizing infrastructure.

We work hard to maintain community identity. Festivals and special events are a huge part of that. We have embraced those events to the point where we created a dedicated special events department. The town supports events like the Asian Arts Festival, Latino Festival, and Pride Day by providing services through public works, public safety, communications, and other departments.

Those events help residents feel connected and welcomed. We also invest in community assets like our Senior Center, which has become a major gathering place for residents.

What industries are showing the greatest interest in Apex today?

Our target sectors are aligned with broader regional trends. The industries we see the most interest from include life sciences, advanced manufacturing, cleantech, distribution, and food and beverage.

Within those categories, we focus on what makes sense for Apex. For example, in manufacturing, we are more focused on light industrial uses than heavy industry.

One of our biggest competitive advantages is leadership support. Many communities say they are business-friendly, but companies want to know whether leadership is truly committed. That includes investing in infrastructure, maintaining available sites and buildings, and ensuring approval processes move efficiently.

We have worked hard to make sure we have the staffing and systems in place to support businesses and help projects move forward quickly.

What role do small businesses and entrepreneurs play in Apex’s economic strategy?

Small businesses are really our bread and butter. For many years, Apex was known more as a small town than a place for major industries, so our small-business community became central to our identity.

That focus is reflected in our staffing and programming. In my department, there is one person focused on industry recruitment and two dedicated to small business support. We provide programming, events, and promotions designed to support entrepreneurs. Restaurant Week is one example where the town handles the marketing and promotion to help spotlight local businesses.

We also partner with Wake Tech to provide educational programming for startups and entrepreneurs. Many small businesses are just getting started and need guidance, so we try to connect them with the right resources at no cost.

How is Apex addressing long-term affordability and sustainability challenges?

The town created a department called Community Development and Neighborhood Connections, which focuses heavily on affordable housing. That includes looking at grants, housing initiatives, and long-term affordability strategies.

We also established a sustainability division to focus on sustainable development and reducing our environmental impact.

More broadly, our leadership works hard to stay ahead of growth rather than reacting after the fact. We continue investing in staffing, police and fire facilities, and other services to maintain quality of life as the town grows.

We are also currently working on Peak Plan 2055, our long-range master planning effort. The plan looks ahead to what the town may need through 2055 and includes community engagement as well as input from experts in transit, utilities, environmental planning, and economic development.

What are your top economic development priorities over the next few years?

One major priority is expanding educational programming for small businesses. We have a program called Launch Apex that has already graduated more than 100 entrepreneurs through nine cohorts. Now we are exploring what the next phase of programming should look like for businesses that are further along in their growth journey.

We are also focused on expanding industrial development opportunities. One industrial park project is moving into Phase 2, which will include larger buildings geared toward life science uses.

Downtown redevelopment is another important focus. One key project involves redeveloping the historic fire station site into an economic engine for downtown Apex.

We will also spend significant time supporting the Veridea development, a 1,200-acre mixed-use project that includes residential, retail, office, industrial, healthcare, and educational components, as well as the NC Children’s Hospital project.

What makes Apex stand out within the Triangle region?

The town of Apex is blessed to be in the Greater Triangle region. We benefit from proximity to strong talent, infrastructure, and Tier 1 universities, while still maintaining an authentic community and business ecosystem.

We have worked hard to support both small-business growth and the attraction of high-tech industries and higher-paying jobs.

We are also expanding tourism and entertainment offerings. In recent years, the town established a tourism division because we saw more people visiting and relocating to Apex. We want to continue bringing experiential businesses and entertainment options to the community, whether that is event venues, golf simulators, splash pads, or other attractions.