Russ Rogerson

The executive director leading the re-structuring of Iredell County’s two major economic development organizations says the​ir​ merger, ​now one year old, ​will mean more success in the new year.

In October 2016, Russ Rogerson was selected by both boards of directors of the Mooresville South Iredell Economic Development Corporation and the Statesville Regional Development to oversee Iredell County’s economic development efforts as a whole.

The main principle behind combining the two economic development organizations was to create a single point of contact to market the entire county, Rogerson says.

The merger “truly has proven to give us the flexibility and the diversity to serve our existing industries as well as new industries looking at the community,” he says.

The county’s different regions, each with unique strengths, play vital roles in attracting and retaining corporate headquarters and offices, advanced manufacturing, logistics and operations, Rogerson explains.

By promoting the entire county, from Troutman to Statesville to north Iredell, ​the organization can provide a better fit to companies initially seeking specific requirements but that end up needing something very different.

Rogerson hopes to announce as many as eight new and current expansion opportunities for the county by the end ​of the first quarter​ of 2018.

In the new year, several factors will continue to benefit Iredell County, including road improvements in Mooresville and along I-485 throughout the metro-Charlotte area, Rogerson says.

And despite the “transitioning” of the motorsport industry’s popularity over recent years, Rogerson said the industry will continue to contribute significantly to the region’s economy.

Heading into the new year, transitional board members of the Mooresville South Iredell Economic Development Corp​.​ and the Statesville Regional Development will continue to work together to come up with new bylaws to carry a new, single organization forward into 2018, Rogerson said.

By July 1, 2018, this new, re-branded economic development organization should be launched, Rogerson says.