Phillip Allen, Vice Chairman, Economic Development Commission, Person County

In an interview with Invest:, Phillip Allen, vice chairman of the Person County Economic Development Commission, discussed the county’s recent economic development momentum, infrastructure assets, workforce priorities, and quality of life. “Person County is the right place at the right time,” Allen said.

How has economic development activity in Person County evolved over the past year?

Person County has had a significant year, but it is important to understand the background of our community. I have been an engaged citizen here for about 50 years. I grew up here, came back, and got engaged in our community. This engagement includes serving on the Economic Development Commission off and on for almost 20 years, serving as a trustee for Piedmont Community College for about 15 years, a board member of the Piedmont Community College Foundation Board, Person Memorial Hospital Foundation Board, Roxboro Chamber of Commerce Board, and Person County Museum of History Board.

So one of the most important things about Person County is the amount of electrical power that is generated from our county. Our U.S. Congressman, Brad Knott, came to the Piedmont Community College South Campus several months ago, and I suggested to him that of all the counties in the state, and of all the counties in the Research Triangle and all the counties in his district, Person County is without question one of the most important. That is because of the power generated here. During peak periods over 15 percent of the power generated in our state comes from Person County.

In 2024, we had a major announcement from Duke Energy, which is building two natural gas facilities in Person County. Voltage Energy, a solar corporation, announced its global headquarters here in early 2026. We also have a major presence from Dominion Energy now through Enbridge. Microsoft recently announced plans to build a data center here after purchasing roughly 1,350 acres, which was considered our mega site.

We are on the northern periphery of Research Triangle Park. We are a rural county, but we have much to offer. Wake, Durham, and Orange and other counties contiguous to the RTP have seen significant growth. We have not seen that growth yet, but we are certainly preparing for growth. There are many big things going on here, and Person County is the right place at the right time for economic development and quality of life.

What infrastructure assets are helping Person County attract large investments?

Companies like Duke Energy and Microsoft have not made announcements here without knowing that certain things are in place. We do not have an interstate, but we are about 20 miles from one right down our four-lane U.S. 501. From a speed-to-market standpoint, we are not as fast as some places, but we are not far behind. Being 20 minutes from an interstate is not a major issue.

We also have a great regional airport. There is commercial traffic coming in and out of that airport, and that will only grow as more pressure is put on Raleigh-Durham International Airport. We have plans to expand the runway, which will make our airport similar in size and potentially longer than other major regional airports in our area.

Water is another strength. We have great water capacity, and the city of Roxboro has two lakes. The city is also expanding wastewater capacity. We are always working on infrastructure needs, but we are in good shape when it comes to water. We also have a lot of power capacity here.

How are you addressing workforce needs tied to major projects?

Workforce development is critical. At our new South Campus for Piedmont Community College, roughly 1,000 jobs will be created for the construction of Duke Energy’s natural gas facilities. Zachary, one of the largest contractors in the world, is the contractor, and we have leased space to them. They will be doing their hiring there, and because it is also a community college facility focused on workforce development, their workers will also be trained there.

The accommodation by our Piedmont Community College for workforce development will be a major attraction for new industry. It is important to note that we will be training the people that will be employees of our utility companies that will provide the power all across the state of North Carolina. So the continued growth of our state is dependent in large measure on Person County, and I have said on numerous occasions that we play a major role in “Keeping the Lights On across our great state.”

Within our economic development structure, Bryan Eatman is doing a great job going out and visiting our industries, along with Briana Whitt. We also have Dean Jody Blackwell, of Piedmont Community College, who is also a member of our Economic Development Commission and who is in charge of workforce development. Our industries know who we are because we are showing up, assisting them, and helping train their employees. Our new president of Piedmont Community College, Kevin Lee, has a background in workforce development, and under his leadership it will be an even greater focus for the college. We have the right people in the right place at the right time to meet those needs.

How are housing and cost of living affecting your ability to attract talent and residents?

Housing and cost of living are challenges throughout the region. We have a lot of planned developments that will hopefully get started and developed soon. Much of that is tied to the southern part of our community and having the proper infrastructure in place. Wastewater and other infrastructure are being built as we speak so that we can have the capacity to build single-family dwellings. That will allow people to come here and not just drive in and drive out. They can live here and enjoy the immense quality of life that Person County has to offer.

How do you position Person County as growth expands into more rural communities?

It is a balancing act. I would submit that we have the best of both worlds. We have the rural flavor of a small county, but we are less than 30 minutes from Durham and Chapel Hill and less than an hour from Raleigh.

If you want the best of both worlds, come to Person County. We have so much to offer. The cost of living here is lower than it is in many surrounding RTP areas and we have great schools with outstanding leadership.

What are your top priorities for economic development moving forward?

Having been involved in this for a long time, the main thing you have to have to land industries is product. We have been quite successful over the past year, but we need additional industrial sites that can be developed or shown to larger industries. That is a top priority. That is also a challenge. We had our mega site for several years, but it is not easy to put 1,500, 2,000, or 2,500 contiguous acres together. We have a lot of rural land, and hopefully, as we move in that direction to develop more attractive industrial sites, at the same time we will and we must maintain the rural beauty, balance, and flavor of our county.

What else makes Person County special?

One thing that is special about Person County is that we have a great number of people who are from here and have decided to stay here. These folks show up and they give back. We also have a great number of people who have come to Person County, live here now, and love the rural flavor.

Duke Energy built beautiful Lake Hyco and Mayo Lake, and they are absolutely gorgeous. From a quality-of-life standpoint, that is difficult to beat.

The people who grow up here, and many of the people who come here, are the ones who teach our Sunday schools. They coach our midget teams. They participate in our civic clubs. They are involved in scouts, civic activities, recreation, sports, civic clubs, and churches. There is, in many ways, a growing sense of community here because people can identify with this community. They are not just a family living in a row of houses that all look the same, without knowing who lives next door. We have neighbors here, and that is a big advantage. We have a sense of community and a sense of pride. We have a saying here: It is always better in Person!