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Pinnacle Properties Newsroom
Town Earns Top Honor for 2nd Straight Year
Mooresville Tribune - Mooresville, NC - 2006-03-03
According to "Site Selection" magazine, Mooresville and Statesville are a dynasty in the making.
The magazine, a publication fo the International Development Research Council (IDRC), announced in an article entitled "Another Tar Heel Dynasty" in its March issue that the Mooresville-Statesville area has been named the number one "Micropolitan Area" in the nation for the second consecutive year.
"Statesville and Mooresville, two small towns north of Charlotte, have accomplished for economic, development what (Dean) Smith did for UNC basketball," stated the article.
The Norcross, GA. based publication annually honors both metropolitan and micropolitan areas for their ability to secure new and expanded corporate facility projects. The micropolitan awards honor communities of 50,000 or fewer; the magazine cites 647 counties in teh U.S. as micropolitans because "their local economies are largely self-sustaining."
Being designated to a "Site Selection" top spot is not to the area, said Mooresville Mayor Bill Thunberg - it is an acheivement that has happened numerous times in the past. In recent years, Mooresville and Statesville were ranked separately among the top small towns in the United States for economic development. Mooresville took the top spot in "Site Selection" 2001 small towns ranking; it won the number one mircropolitan area for the first time last year.
"Since 1999, no micropolitan in America has done the job of economic development better than Statesville-Mooresville," stated the article.
The designation of number one for 2005 does, however, highlight the fact that Mooresville and Statesville are doing something right when it comes to the economy.
"Iredell County has earned its recognition as a place to do business," said 95th District Rep. Karen Ray, who was just appointed to serve on the N.C. House Select Committee on Economic Development.
"It's a tribute to the partnership we have....it just proves that working together makes good things happen," said Thunberg.
The "Site Selection' ranking, which groups Mooresville and Statesville in the same area, also places Lincolnton in its Top 10 for the second straight year. Mooresville and Lincolnton are both located within the 16-county area known as Charlotte USA. The Charlotte Regional Partnership, a non-profit, economic develppment organization, serves the area.
"Being recognized by 'Site Selection" again this year is a testament to the importance of collaborating with our economic development leaders and surrounding counties on a regional level," said Melanie O'Connell Underwood, executive director of economic development for the Mooresville-South Iredell Chamber of Commerce.
The Statesville and Mooresville Chambers of Commerce, and their respective economic development groups, will receive the Mircopolitan award from "Site Selection" officials at the Iredell County Board of Commisioners meeting in Statesville on Tuesday, March 14 at 7p.m. For more information, visit www.mooresvillenc.org.
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