Ron Mahle, Director of Economic Development, Union County
Invest: spoke with Ronald Mahle, director of economic development for Union County, about the county’s strong population and workforce growth, the role of education and partnerships in filling the talent pipeline, and the sectors driving its next phase of expansion. Mahle highlighted how targeted product development, site readiness, and workforce initiatives are positioning the community for long-term success. “Union County is a perfect combination of location, quality of life, and being business-ready.”
What developments over the past year have been most significant in driving Union County’s economic momentum?
What stands out is the consistency of our growth. Union County has enjoyed robust population growth for several years, adding about 5,000 residents annually and now approaching 260,000 people. Within that, our civilian labor force grows by roughly 1,000 eligible workers per year. That steady increase in talent creates a very conducive environment for business attraction and expansion. Over the past year, we’ve seen more than $200 million in capital investment and an estimated 300 new jobs. Those may not be headline-grabbing 2,000-job announcements, but that’s by design. Our strategy is to target projects that can integrate into our existing workforce, grow over time, and create higher-value opportunities without poaching from employers already here. That approach has helped us build a reputation as a productive, welcoming, and profitable county in which to do business — a reputation our existing companies convey more powerfully than any marketing brochure.
What differentiates Union County from neighboring communities when it comes to business attraction and competitiveness?
We believe Union County is a perfect combination of location, quality of life, and being business-ready. On location, companies and residents can enjoy a more rural or small-town lifestyle while being about 30 minutes from uptown Charlotte and within a couple of hours of both the coast and the mountains. Our transportation infrastructure allows people and goods to move efficiently to Charlotte and other regional hubs. On quality of life, we offer a full spectrum of housing options that align with different stages of life and career. In the western and northwestern parts of the county, we have higher-tier housing that appeals to executives and upper management. In our downtowns — places like Waxhaw, Monroe and Wingate — we are seeing a growing number of townhomes and apartments that attract young professionals before they start families. Across the county, there is a wide range of options for young families and established households. From a business-ready standpoint, we have a deep base of more than 200 manufacturing and related companies employing around 15,000 people, and that number continues to grow. When a prospective company sees that so many manufacturers are already successful here, it sends a powerful signal that they can find the workforce they need and build a long-term future in Union County.
How are Union County’s educational assets shaping workforce development and influencing where companies and talent choose to locate?
One of our biggest advantages is that we can make our case to companies using facts and performance, not just promises. Union County Public Schools consistently rank among the top systems in North Carolina, with strong graduation and college placement rates. From a business perspective, the Career and Technical Education program is especially impactful. We have more than a dozen academies across multiple middle and high schools that focus on areas like pre-engineering, accounting, business management, healthcare, agricultural technologies, welding and fabrication. Those programs not only build technical skills but also emphasize what we now call durable or employability skills — showing up on time, communicating clearly, working as part of a team and putting the phone down to engage in real conversation. For decades, employers have been asking for help in reinforcing those fundamentals with younger, tech-driven generations, and our CTE programs are doing that very effectively.
Our partnership with South Piedmont Community College deepens that talent pipeline. The college has been a strong partner for more than three decades, particularly through apprenticeships and customized training. With support from the state, they’ve developed a two-year apprenticeship model that is more manageable for both students and employers than traditional longer programs, and apprentices are productive from day one. On the customized training side, the companies drive the curriculum: they tell the college what skills they need, and the college designs and delivers training — often on-site and after hours — at a highly subsidized cost. When you connect CTE programs in the schools, apprenticeships and community college training, you get a continuous pipeline where companies shape the skills being developed at each stage. That makes our employers more competitive today and gives them confidence to invest in future expansions.
Which sectors are driving momentum in Union County, and where are you focusing recruitment and growth efforts?
We have been very intentional about “sticking with our knitting” in sectors where we have a long track record of success. Aerospace is a prime example. Over roughly 25 years of focused work, we’ve built a cluster of more than 20 aerospace and related manufacturers that employ around 4,500 to 4,800 people. When we pursue new aerospace opportunities, we are careful not to target direct competitors of existing companies. Instead, we look for complementary operations that add capabilities and high-value processes without undermining the employers who invested here first.
More broadly, our focus is advanced manufacturing in all its forms. That includes aerospace, plastics, machine building and construction materials, all of which have been very vibrant. We are also seeing growth in pharmaceuticals. One pharmaceutical company we’ve worked with for about a decade is now firmly rooted in the county, and regional investments like Eli Lilly’s expansion in a neighboring county actually help us by enlarging the specialized workforce our companies can draw from. In each case, we are targeting operations that bring high-value-add processes and higher-paying jobs while aligning with our existing workforce base and industrial strengths.
Looking ahead two to three years, what are your top priorities for sustaining and building on Union County’s momentum?
I tend to think in threes, and that applies to our priorities as well: product development and site readiness, workforce pipeline growth, and targeted industry development. On product development and site readiness, we are actively pursuing and, in some cases, acquiring strategically located land that is close to utilities and transportation infrastructure. Controlling those sites helps us ensure they are preserved for industrial and commercial uses rather than being absorbed by faster-moving uses that don’t generate the same long-term economic impact. It also means that when the right prospect comes along, we can respond quickly with sites that are truly ready for investment.
Regarding our workforce, we will stay consistent with what works. That means deepening our partnerships with Union County Public Schools, South Piedmont Community College, and institutions like Wingate University. Wingate is a growing university whose engagement with the business community is increasing, and that adds another dimension to our talent pipeline. Finally, we see significant opportunity in what we call food systems. Agriculture is a half-billion-dollar sector in Union County, combining row crops and livestock. We are the top wheat producer in North Carolina — the second-place county produces only about half as much as we do — and we are always near the top in corn and soybeans, with major poultry operations from companies like Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s. Our goal is to attract more value-add manufacturing and processing that sits between the crops grown here and the end products sold to consumers. In support of this strategy, County leaders celebrated the March 31, 2026, groundbreaking of the Union County Food Innovation Center. This 25,000 square-foot facility will serve as a hub for food production, distribution, and business development. Clearly, that strategy is beginning to take shape and will complement our established strengths in aerospace and advanced manufacturing.
Another targeted industry is retail. Our growing population supports this sector. Rooftops attract retail, and our Board of County Commissioners has supported a partnership with Retail Strategies, a firm that recruits national chains to local communities. The response from our municipalities has been positive. When you put all of this together — strategic sites, a strong and growing talent pipeline, focused industry recruitment, and expanding retail amenities — we feel we are setting the table for many more productive years of growth in Union County.
