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Economic Development

In an economy where bleak times seem ongoing, business as usual continues in Kernersville.

“Even in the worst of times, Kernersville is better positioned than any of the other communities in the Piedmont Triad,” says Kernersville Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Bruce Boyer. “Because of our transportation network, new major anchor industries and our wide variety of businesses, we will come out ahead.”

The diversification of business in Kernersville has led to more security than found in nearby communities. Where some communities grow stagnant with dependence on one field, Kernersville is seeing growth.

Healthcare, a vital field anywhere, has propelled to the front line of growth in Kernersville. High Point Regional Hospital opened a satellite location for health and wellness on Old Winston Road. Moses Cone Health System built the technologically advanced Moses Cone MedCenter Kernersville on Highway 66, with a multitude of specialty medical offices. Novant Health has constructed an office building on Pineview Drive and Novant’s Kernersville Medical Center, the town’s first hospital, is being built on Macy Grove Road.

Town of Kernersville Community Development Director Jeff Hatling notes that economic development is the crucial element for any community’s long-range success. The health of a community hinges on growing quality jobs. Despite a floundering national economy in recent times, Kernersville is fortunate to have several areas under development in fields that are growing rather than receding in today’s market. This growth should bring a diversity of career opportunities.

A DIVERSE BASE
“The Town of Kernersville’s development plan goals recognize a need for a diverse business base. Diversity allows for residents to have a wide variety of job options and lessens the impact of economic boom and bust cycles of a few industries. Through the adopted land use plan, a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial properties are made available for future developments. The Town has also strategically invested in major road and sewer improvements to open up over 5,000 acres of potentially developable property,” says Hatling.

The 190-acre medical/business park anchored by Kernersville Medical Center is slated to open in 2010, providing Kernersville with new medical service jobs as well as convenient healthcare for surrounding citizens. In turn, the new medical center is attracting support industries for Kernersville Medical Center and the Moses Cone facility on Highway 66.

In addition, the new Triad Business Park provides ample space for new industries choosing Kernersville. Over 360 acres straddle the Forsyth/Guilford County lines, land that was annexed into Kernersville as town leaders began planning for future growth.

“Many people don’t realize that county lines don’t influence town lines. The Triad Business Park will spur on business emanating from the airport and businesses attracted here because of the new FedEx hub there,” says Arnold King, owner of AK Commercial Realty and chair of the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Advisory Committee.

King notes that when FedEx built similar hubs in Indianapolis and Memphis, growth exploded in a 50-mile radius. Given the proximity to the airport, Kernersville will be one of the immediate beneficiaries of commercial development associated with FedEx and the arrival of companies such as Dell. The 2005 opening of Dell’s computer manufacturing plant at the Kernersville/Winston-Salem border began a chain of significant economic investments into the area.

Not only is the FedEx Air hub impacting Kernersville, but the announcement of FedEx Ground building a new southeast hub at Triad Business Park is solid evidence of the hub theory in practice. Reports indicate that the $100 million dollar investment into the Triad Business Park will result in a facility capable of handling 45,000 packages per hour. At the groundbreaking ceremony, FedEx Ground officials cited the growth that they have witnessed when opening a hub. Currently, FedEx Ground has over 500 centers in the United States and Canada and chose the Kernersville location over competing spots in Tennessee and South Carolina. The FedEx Ground hub should employ approximately 500 workers.

Kernersville’s commitment to courting new businesses to the Triad Business Park meant forming a private-public partnership between the town and a development group to allow for road development and sewer improvements so that businesses could build in the park. This proactive approach, rather than waiting for businesses to come and then getting ready, keeps Kernersville in the forefront of economic development even during difficult times.

On the retail side of growth, the new Carrollton development is a 400-acre mixed-use community, an exciting blend of residential condominiums and single-family residential, specialty retail, and entertainment.

What makes the Kernersville area so attractive? Mayor Pro Tem and Kernersville businessman Kevin Bugg cites the location as the key factor for any business coming to Kernersville. The town’s size is what attracted Bugg and his wife Lisa to relocate to Kernersville.

“I like the small town atmosphere but with the proximity to larger cities. You can get what you need or want from them without having to live there,” says Bugg. Another plus for Kernersville’s business climate is the access to the Swisher Center branch of Forsyth Technical Community College, says Bugg.

“Several businesses interested in Kernersville like the fact that Forsyth Tech is in the backyard of Triad Business Park,” says Bugg.

Close access to educational programming leads to opportunities for continuing education for workers as well as retraining for workforce needs.

Jeff Hatling points out that Kernersville is a major commercial, industrial and residential center in the Piedmont Triad Metropolitan Region. “With Kernersville’s central location within a metropolitan region of 1.3 million people, it is able to attract small businesses that serve the region and large businesses that need a strong work force. Along with its strategic central location in the Triad, Kernersville is located along two major interstates and is within a 15 minute drive of an international airport, thus attracting additional industries and residents,” Hatling explains.

As the Piedmont Triad develops, Kernersville’s location pushes our town to the forefront from a convenience standpoint alone. With easy access to both Business 40 and the newer Interstate 40, businesses find access to the airport and to ground transport a viable way to move goods. Logistically, operating from a Kernersville address allows several opportunities for efficient operations. With companies such as TCI Logistics, Roadway and the new mammoth FedEx hub in Kernersville’s “Heart of the Triad” location, transportation remains a key industry for Kernersville as other businesses enter.

The future of Kernersville remains pivotal on our town’s ability to continue to embrace change while monitoring growth, holding tight to small-town charm while not being crippled with a small-town mentality. This balancing act requires great cooperation between multiple departments, volunteer boards and elected officials to keep Kernersville beneficiary of our ideal location.

Jeff Hatling predicts great progress ahead for Kernersville. “With a large amount of undeveloped land that is served by excellent road, sewer and water systems, Kernersville will continue to experience growth. Through its growth management regulations and plans, the town is committed to guide growth towards establishing Kernersville as a unique high quality community within the Triad.”