Roger Johnson, Director of Economic Development, Mecklenburg County

In an interview with Invest:, Roger Johnson, director of economic development for Mecklenburg County, discussed the significant investments that have been made by companies like TTX and Siemens Energy, how high office vacancy rates are driving the repurposing of vacant buildings, and why Charlotte’s diversity offers a competitive advantage in the job market.

What have been some major highlights for the county over the past 12 months?

There has been continued investment and industrial growth in our community. Let me provide a few examples to illustrate this. In July 2023, TTX, a railcar pooling company owned by leading rail carriers in the United States, committed to investing approximately $14 million in our community. This investment is expected to create about 150 new jobs in our Uptown Central Business District, which is crucial for the economic health of the area.

In February 2024, Siemens Energy, one of the largest energy technology companies in the world and a long-standing North Carolina employer, announced an investment of around $150 million in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County area. This will generate roughly 475 jobs in Mecklenburg County, all offering above-average pay and career growth opportunities for residents. These projects also indirectly support small businesses.

Additionally, the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance reported that 37 of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in the United States are located in the Charlotte area, underscoring the strong industrial and manufacturing growth in our community.

Our office also focuses on small businesses, helping connect minority- and women-owned enterprises to opportunities through certifications, small business coaching, and construction projects. In 2024, we launched a pilot program called Township Connections, working directly with the northern towns of Davidson, Cornelius, and Huntersville, as well as the southern towns of Pineville, Matthews, and Mint Hill. This program connects town leaders, chambers of commerce, and key stakeholders with county resources to support local businesses.

How has the county’s growth impacted your economic development strategies?

The influx of people has certainly influenced our strategies. While our regional economy is growing, it has not always done so equitably. We aim to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate in the economic success of our community.

We are beginning to look at how Mecklenburg County can identify areas in need of investment and partner with the private sector to direct resources to these identified areas. This is intended to help these communities achieve the same quality of life as others in the region. Since we are a small local government, we cannot address all areas simultaneously. So, we will act strategically and sequentially.

How have macroeconomic conditions affected businesses in the region, and how are you helping them navigate these challenges?

There are several key macroeconomic trends impacting us, such as the green economy and sustainability, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, inclusive growth and social equity, and supply chain disruptions.

Our programs reflect these trends. For example, we support green initiatives like solar energy and electric vehicles, leveraging partnerships with institutions like the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s research programs. We also focus on digital transformation and AI, offering workforce development programs in collaboration with partners like Charlotte Works to equip residents with the skills needed for emerging job markets.

In terms of inclusive growth, we have programs such as a lending initiative called Meck Lending. The county manages a $5 million revolving fund, offering loans of up to $75,000 to small businesses that may not qualify for traditional bank loans. These loans come with favorable terms, such as a six-month payment deferral and below-market interest rates, to support businesses as they grow.

Additionally, with the global trend of onshoring supply chains, whether for microchips, batteries, or other green technologies, we are working in partnership to create local workforce pipelines, ensuring that residents can access careers in these sectors.

What are some of the infrastructure challenges in the county, especially with the rapid population growth?

We have over 100 people moving into our community on a regular recurring basis. That does not come without complications, and some of those are related to infrastructure. There are quite a few issues that our community faces as a result of our successful economy, which attracts a lot of people who want to move here and live here. This results in some infrastructure supply and demand issues.

One particular area is transportation. I know that there are quite a few folks locally who are very interested in expanding the rail system, including the Red Line commuter rail. For those who may not be familiar with Charlotte, the Red Line would run from southern Iredell County and northern Mecklenburg County to Uptown Charlotte, bisecting a large portion of our community. This expansion would complement an existing rail line. The importance of this rail line, as well as multimodal transportation, lies in the fact that the surrounding communities provide a workforce and create opportunities for our existing businesses to be successful. It is important that qualified workers can easily and readily travel in and out of our community and job centers.

So, multimodal transportation is something that is very important to our community, and it is something that most economic development experts, as well as business leaders, support. I do know that there is an initiative to see if this area can fund the rail line locally. There are some leaders, albeit not with unanimity, who are asking the state to enable a countywide referendum on a 1% sales tax to support different transportation modes, including bus rapid transit, funding for rail, as well as fixing some other local issues with our roads. This will help improve the flow of transportation.

What makes Mecklenburg County distinct from other communities?

Being relatively new to the community, I see it as an asset that our county, particularly the Charlotte area, is a minority majority. There are more people of color than there are folks like myself. This diversity brings a variety of opportunities, cultures, and foods, creating a vibrancy in our community that is different from other places where I have lived.

Because of this diversity, I believe that Charlotte is a place for all people, where everyone can find something of interest. For me, this is a competitive advantage for our community regarding recruiting new businesses and attracting foreign direct investment.

How do you see the county’s economic landscape evolving over the next few years?

One thing I do not see changing is the success of this particular community. It is built on partnerships, both at the state level and through local economic development partnerships. We have a good partnership with the city of Charlotte. We participate in the Economic Development Advisory Committee, locally known as EDAC, where there are 14 other counties involved. We discuss regionalism and how we can partner together. I do not see this type of collaboration failing to be successful.

However, like any community, we have our challenges. One challenge I would probably highlight, which is similar to many urban areas across the United States, is the high office vacancy rates. Charlotte was booming, and we built a lot of office space. With hybrid work and remote schedules, along with increasing interest rates and economic uncertainty, there is a lot of vacant space as a result, and sometimes it is difficult for that vintage office space to be competitive.

In the future, we must be creative and innovative, learning how to adaptively reuse these spaces. We are not certain that the future will have the same demand for office space, so we need to utilize these existing assets in a way that sets us up for a successful future. This might involve adaptively reusing them for housing, affordable housing, or hotel space to address the demand generated by our sports events and other attractions. As it relates to overall economic certainty, I think our economy is headed in a really good direction, with that one caveat.