Pete Parnian, Mayor, Town of Holly Ridge
Invest: sat down with Pete Parnian, mayor of the Town of Holly Ridge, to discuss rapid growth, infrastructure, workforce housing, industrial recruitment, and the town’s long-term plans. “We are in step one of 100,” Parnian said.
How would you characterize Holly Ridge’s position today?
We are the fastest-growing town in Onslow County, which is also among the fastest-growing counties in the state. Holly Ridge was selected as the eighth-most-popular location to move to. North Carolina has been successful in attracting businesses, and state leaders are trying to direct more of that business growth toward eastern North Carolina. It is important for us to be ready to accept that growth.
Over the past year, we developed a five-year strategic plan that includes economic and business growth based on the opportunities available here. We are still in the infancy of that business growth. We have designated an industrial park that we expect to develop over the next three to 10 years, potentially opening space for up to 70 light-industrial units. We have also annexed and authorized 2,500 workforce housing units intended to support the 2,500 jobs we expect the industrial park to create.
We are planning to move the Town’s functions into a civic center. Beyond simply bringing services together, this opportunity could also serve as a catalyst for the Town’s broader vision of creating a more modern and connected downtown area. That area could accommodate restaurants, healthcare, professional offices, other businesses, and potentially residential development. We are in step one of 100, but we need to introduce Holly Ridge and its business opportunities to a wider range of industries.
How has the town’s history influenced its current growth?
Holly Ridge housed military personnel during World War II, when approximately 100,000 people were at Camp Davis. After the war, the population fell to about 250. Growth was gradual for many years, but it accelerated during and after the COVID era. We are close to the beach, which makes this an attractive place to live, and Jacksonville Onslow Economic Development helped us prepare an economic plan.
Our economy is now about $600 million, and the expectation is to add more than $1.5 billion as industries locate here. We are not pursuing smokestack industries. We are looking for light industry, including distribution, assembly, and similar operations. We already have some of those businesses, and the industrial park could accommodate as many as 70 additional units.
Residential growth is currently ahead of industrial growth. Families from around the country are moving to eastern North Carolina. Beach property may be beyond their budget, so they move one step inland. Holly Ridge is about five miles from the beach, allowing residents to live or retire here while working in Wilmington or Jacksonville. That population growth gives us a strong foundation, but it also makes the timing of housing, schools, roads, and employment especially important.
How are transportation, schools, water, and sewer keeping pace?
Residents and future residents are understandably concerned about schools and transportation. The reality is that those systems are usually a phase or two behind development. Schools are not built in anticipation of housing; they are generally built after enrollment exceeds capacity. School construction is controlled by the state and county, and 37 cents of every county tax dollar goes to education. As the tax base grows, that growth generates additional school funding.
The county has a 10-year plan for additional schools, and a new elementary school is planned in an area we annexed. Even so, school capacity is five or six years behind what growth requires. Holly Ridge is in both Onslow and Pender counties, and both systems are over capacity.
The tax base generated by development helps fund education, but school construction still follows demand rather than leading it. Our town can demonstrate where people are moving and what future enrollment will look like, while the county and state make the construction decisions.
Transportation is under the North Carolina Department of Transportation. We continue to press the agency, but roads are often built only after existing routes can no longer carry the demand. The Hampstead Bypass, for example, was roughly 20 years behind schedule before construction began. Our role is to present the demand and growth potential to partners at the state, county, and federal levels.
Water and sewer are different because we work with ONWASA. Residential and industrial projects cannot proceed without those services. ONWASA understands our growth plans; some areas already have infrastructure, and incoming industries work with the authority to secure the water and sewer capacity they need.
What types of businesses and investment are you seeking?
The industrial park is essentially a blank sheet, so we are open to different industries. We have seen interest from assembly operations and distribution centers. UPS had considered coming here, but it changed course after ending an agreement with Amazon and closing distribution facilities elsewhere. That was a company-specific decision rather than a reflection of Holly Ridge.
Our costs compare favorably with Wilmington, Jacksonville, Raleigh, and Charlotte. We have highway access to Raleigh and other markets, and state incentives are encouraging businesses to consider eastern North Carolina. Raleigh and Charlotte are more expensive and increasingly constrained for facilities such as distribution centers. We can offer alternatives for assembly, light manufacturing, distribution, and potentially more efficient new-generation data centers, depending on their water, power, investment, and location requirements.
Holly Ridge has not historically been well known. When I became mayor in 2024, one of my first priorities was introducing the town at the county and state levels. We have made progress because people now recognize that we are growing quickly and can support both residential and industrial development.
Why is workforce housing such an important part of the plan?
Our population is young, with an average age of about 34, and average family income is approximately $120,000. Many residents are connected to the military or work in Jacksonville or Wilmington. We have roughly 19 or 20 industries in town, but many of their employees live in places such as Sneads Ferry because Holly Ridge does not have enough workforce housing.
Workforce housing is not low-income housing. Here, it generally means homes priced from about $250,000 to $400,000 or $450,000. Retirees moving into the area often bring retirement income and may live in either high-income or lower-income housing, leaving a shortage for middle-class households. That is why we are trying to build more workforce housing.
Onslow County has a shortage of roughly 12,000 workforce units, while North Carolina has an estimated shortage of 800,000. The 2,500 units we have authorized are an early contribution toward addressing that deficit while supporting the employees our industrial park will need.
What would success look like over the next three to five years?
First, we need to complete the civic center. We acquired a manufacturing facility after its former occupant left Holly Ridge because of economic conditions. We plan to consolidate town services there and add recreation, indoor courts, meeting rooms, gyms, and other community functions.
Second, we want to begin building the downtown area. We expect to make a 14-acre property available for a developer to create a mixed-use center. Third, we want the industrial park to begin adding businesses during the next three to five years and reach full development over approximately 10 years.
The scale of the projected economic growth is exciting, but it is also intimidating. We are preparing the organization, strengthening economic development contacts, and responding to significant commercial interest. Increasing the economy three- or fourfold is a major undertaking, and our job is to build the capacity to handle it responsibly.
