Ken Bowman, Economic Development Director, Caswell Count

In an interview with Invest:, Ken Bowman, economic development director for Caswell County, discussed efforts to market available sites, strengthen workforce preparation, support existing businesses, and establish a long-term economic development strategy. “Economic development in Caswell County is about building a stronger future while preserving what makes our community unique,” Bowman said.

What have been the most significant economic development milestones for Caswell County over the past year?

The county has been fortunate to have announced one of the first large companies to locate in the Pelham Industrial Park. Cherokee Tobacco has completed a 60,000-square-foot building. The new operation will process locally sourced tobacco and prepare it for shipment to markets both domestic and international. They’re getting ready to move furniture in and hold a ribbon cutting in the very near future. That site had sat there for years without much luck recruiting anybody, so this is a big win for the county. The workforce will include about 17 to 18 full-time people. The owner commented that “Cherokee Tobacco is proud to call Caswell County home.

Our goal is to build not only a successful business but also lasting relationships with local stakeholders who share in our vision for quality and integrity.” In addition, the Center for Educational and Agricultural Development (CEAD) has broken ground across the highway from Cherokee Tobacco near Highway 700 in the Pelham Industrial Park near the NC/VA line.

The CEAD concept started years ago with an emphasis on building a strong community presence based on keeping farmers farming. This would be accomplished by supporting systems that connect education, workforce, distribution, entrepreneurship, and economic development. COVID played a huge part in the delay of this moving forward. The county donated approximately 80 acres to Piedmont Community College (PCC) for this project.

Currently, PCC is in the site development and construction phase, which will consist of a food hub and cold storage operated by 4P Foods and Piedmont Progressive Farmers; 14 to 18 incubator farm plots; a storage barn; and major site development to enable future phases. Future phases will include an education building and a livestock arena for demonstrations and events.

This is an exciting project for the county, and everyone is happy this is now taking shape. We’re also working on a brand-new website with plans for it to go live in October, with a first review in September. Having theabove-mentioned projects located within the industrial park is something Caswell County has needed and will be a great opportunity to let companies know that we’re open for business.

My challenge right now is identifying properties and key people in the community, and reaching out regionally beyond Caswell to Rockingham County, Person County, and across the border into Virginia. This entire region is opening up to new business and development. There have been some very significant announcements recently within a 35-mile radius of Caswell.

What strengths make Caswell County attractive for future investment and development?

The big plus for Caswell County, and for many rural communities, is the availability of resources, particularly land and transportation. Highway 29 runs along the western perimeter of Caswell north-south to Danville and up to Lynchburg. It’s a four-lane divided highway, so there’s a good transportation network. Some of the two-lane highways running through Caswell are also built for heavy traffic and transportation.

Land is available, although a lot of it is farmland without the infrastructure that would be needed, such as water and sewer. Broadband is being installed within the county, but broadband is a slow process. It will be difficult to get coverage throughout the county quickly, but they’re focused on where to put it, and it’s going in as we speak. That will be a great asset down the road.

We also have a good leadership team on the board that wants to promote Caswell County as a business-friendly community, and they’re willing to work with people who want to locate here. Housing is desperately needed; however, we’re in a great location for future residential development. The workforce needed for businesses that have been announced in the region will need places to live. Developers could realistically have housing up within about 24 months, whether that means houses, townhouses, patio homes, or whatever they determine is needed.

There’s plenty of land available, and some of the basic infrastructure is already in place.

How is the county working with education and regional partners to prepare the workforce?

I recently met with the new superintendent of schools, and we had a great conversation about workforce development and what we can do to get young people who are getting ready to graduate ready for the workforce, especially those who aren’t going to college.

There’s a great trades program within Bartlett-Yancey High School. The curriculum is strong, and those classes usually fill up. That helps keep young adults local because they can live here and commute to where new businesses are locating.

Piedmont Community College also has a campus in Caswell County close to the high school, and they’re aware of the workforce needs of the companies within the surrounding area. They have programs and curriculum in place to support the county and surrounding region.

Danville Community College in Danville, VA has great success working with young adults and older adults alike to get them trained up and ready for the workforce. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville is also doing a great job, with interactive trainers for over-the-road certifications, commercial driver’s licenses, and mechatronics and robotics programs that many companies need. The entire region has a wealth of opportunities when it comes to educating and training the workforce. I am encouraged to see the amount of energy and dedication being placed in transforming this region and ensuring the workforce is trained to meet the demands. 

How are you approaching business retention and expansion alongside recruitment?

I recently met with a new construction-type business looking to relocate here. They’ve already picked out a place for their office, bought a piece of property, and are upfitting the building to become their permanent office in Yanceyville. I’m excited because it’s a company that will be looking to develop a footprint here, whether through commercial or residential buildings.

Some of the concerns I hear, especially from mom-and-pop businesses, involve keeping the employees they already have and finding low-interest loans that allow them to improve and expand. With the current cost of doing business and inflation, profits are being eaten up by insurance, employee pay, and salaries.

They’re always looking for something like a revolving loan fund with low interest rates that could help them improve their service and increase the bottom line while staying in business. Reliable supply is another concern, particularly for restaurant-type businesses that depend on transportation while maintaining costs. Those are key areas for small businesses trying to keep themselves afloat.

What are the priorities in Caswell County’s longer-term economic development strategy?

The last study the county had was about eight years ago, so over the past couple of months I’ve developed an updated strategic plan for economic development. It takes into consideration the many resources Caswell County has to offer and how the leadership can prepare for the future. I recently presented the draft plan to the board of commissioners outlining the next five to 10 years, identifying some of the goals and objectives.

One priority is marketing industrial and commercial sites. There hasn’t been much marketing, so we want to put together information showing details such as how far a property is from an airport, four-lane highways and interstates, and coastal ports. We want that on our website so site selectors looking for locations have the information readily available.

We also want to recruit and maintain midsize manufacturers. There are a number in Yanceyville and Caswell County, but when one closes, it’s very hard to backfill. We want to get ahead of the curve and get the word out quickly when we learn a business is closing so buildings don’t sit vacant. Several things happen when buildings aren’t being used, such as weeds growing up around them or power systems or HVAC equipment failing. We want to get people into those buildings as quickly as possible while they’re still functioning.

How do small business, agriculture, tourism, and broadband fit into that strategy?

Caswell County totally supports small businesses and entrepreneurship by talking to businesses early to find out how they’re doing and how we can help. Once a business is lost, it is extremely hard to find a new occupant for the building. Recruiting a company is hard work, so it is important to continue to visit with companies regularly and let them know you are available if they need help.

Caswell is also an agricultural county with lots of farmland, including corn and tobacco, so we want to promote agritourism and agribusiness because agriculture is one of the county’s greatest assets and part of its heritage.

We also want to promote tourism and historical assets. The county was formed roughly 250 years ago, and there’s a lot of heritage along with historic buildings and sites. We’re working with the tourism board on a marketing strategy for those assets.

Lastly, we want to make sure broadband is in place and connects not just businesses but people. Many people are working remotely and want to live in a rural area, but they need reliable broadband. We’re also in the process of updating the comprehensive plan and hope to have it in place by early 2027. These priorities form our five- to-10-year plan.