Business leaders, educators and regional planners outline a sweeping vision focused on workforce, manufacturing, housing and infrastructure.
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By Annie Dance | Lake Lure News | Cops & Congress | News & Commentary
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RUTHERFORDTON, N.C. — Western North Carolina leaders are beginning to sketch out what long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene could look like — and they say the region’s future depends on far more than rebuilding roads and bridges.
During a recent GROW NC planning session focused on economic recovery and regional development on May 19, business leaders, educators, nonprofit officials and local planners outlined an ambitious framework aimed at transforming western North Carolina into a stronger economic and workforce hub in the years following the storm.
The discussions centered on workforce development, advanced manufacturing, education pipelines, housing affordability, infrastructure investment and regional coordination. Participants repeatedly emphasized that Helene created not only destruction, but also what several described as a “moment” for long-term transformation across the mountains.
Economic development leaders said western North Carolina already possesses many of the foundational assets needed to compete nationally, including community colleges, manufacturing infrastructure, entrepreneurial networks and emerging industries tied to forestry, life sciences and technology.
The committee highlighted existing manufacturing corridors and business anchors already operating in the region, arguing that recovery efforts should focus on strengthening what already exists while simultaneously building new industries. Participants discussed expanding opportunities in forestry, biomass and life sciences while also investing in small businesses tied to regional supply chains.
But leaders also warned about major obstacles facing the region.
Among the biggest concerns raised were workforce shortages, lack of capital access, limited economic development staffing in rural communities and a shortage of “middle-scale” industrial sites capable of supporting growing businesses.
Housing affordability emerged repeatedly throughout the meeting as a barrier to economic growth.
“If you can’t live here, you can’t work here,” Subcommittee Co-Chair Laura Leatherwood said during the workforce discussion. She is the President of Blue Ridge Community College.
The comments came on the same day as Governor Josh Stein issued an executive order on housing and announced a housing policy advisor.
The Long-Term Economic Subcommitte members include:
David Jackson (co-chair), President and CEO, Boone Area Chamber of Commerce
Laura Leatherwood (co-chair), President, Blue Ridge Community College
Jim Beeler, Executive Director of College Access Partnerships
Preston Blakely, Mayor, Town of Fletcher
Jack Cecil, President, Biltmore Farms, LLC
Molly Hemstreet, Executive Director, The Industrial Commons
Casey Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority Healthcare
Cynthia Deyton, Career and Technical Education Director, Yancey County Schools
Chuck Kaylor, Chief of Staff, John M. Belk Foundation
Kevin Leonard, Executive Director, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners
Dee Dee Perkins, Business Owner and Community Leader
Hillary Sherman, NC and SC Economic Development Representative, U.S. Economic Development Administration
Sharon Decker (staff), Senior Advisor, GROW NC
Desiree Kennedy (staff), Program Officer, GROW NC
The group identified workforce development as the common thread running through nearly every sector of the recovery strategy, from manufacturing and infrastructure to education and entrepreneurship. Members discussed the need to begin workforce preparation much earlier, including in middle school and high school STEM programs.
Participants proposed stronger apprenticeship pipelines, expanded dual-enrollment programs and closer partnerships between public schools, community colleges and regional employers.
Advanced manufacturing emerged as a major centerpiece of the long-term vision.
Leaders described western North Carolina as strategically positioned for future manufacturing expansion because of its location, transportation access and proximity to major population centers across the Southeast. One speaker noted that much of the nation’s population is within a day’s drive of the region.
Participants also discussed the possibility of revitalizing vacant industrial facilities across the mountains rather than relying solely on new industrial parks.
Committee members emphasized the importance of creating “value-added manufacturing” jobs rather than low-wage production work. The strategy focused heavily on aerospace, advanced manufacturing supply chains and export-based economic development that would allow the region to sell products nationally and internationally while retaining profits locally.
The discussions also explored potential policy tools that could accelerate recovery and investment.
One proposal involved pursuing disaster-area opportunity zones for western North Carolina in order to attract investment capital into communities still recovering from Helene damage. Participants also discussed tax increment financing and other incentive strategies aimed at attracting new business development.
Infrastructure remained another dominant concern throughout the meeting.
Leaders stressed that economic recovery depends not only on repairing roads, water systems and broadband infrastructure damaged by Helene, but also on strengthening “social infrastructure” such as workforce training, child care and education systems.
Education leaders described western North Carolina’s educational ecosystem as “uncommonly strong,” citing the region’s community colleges, universities and K-12 systems as major assets for long-term recovery.
The group repeatedly emphasized that rural counties must remain central to the recovery strategy and not be overshadowed by larger population centers such as Asheville or Hendersonville.
Participants also highlighted philanthropic support already flowing into the region through organizations including Dogwood Health Trust, Golden LEAF Foundation and The Duke Endowment. One speaker described western North Carolina as having “one of the strongest rural philanthropic ecosystems in the state and the country.”
Education proposals included stronger career pathways connecting K-12 education to college and workforce credentials, expanded FAFSA completion efforts, educator retention programs and “grow your own” teacher pipelines designed to recruit local students into teaching careers.
Mental health and trauma recovery also surfaced as major concerns in the aftermath of both COVID-19 and Hurricane Helene.
Participants said schools and colleges are already beginning to see the early effects of long-term trauma among students and communities and argued that mental health support must become embedded in future educational infrastructure rather than treated as temporary emergency aid.
The group even discussed broader long-term concepts, including a regional artificial intelligence strategy, free community college tuition initiatives, teacher housing partnerships and the possibility of eventually developing an R1 research university or medical school presence in western North Carolina.
Throughout the discussions, participants repeatedly returned to the same central message: Western North Carolina’s recovery from Helene cannot simply be about restoring what existed before the storm.
Instead, leaders argued the region has an opportunity to fundamentally reshape its economy, workforce and infrastructure for the next generation — if momentum, funding and coordination can be sustained long after the immediate disaster response fades.
For the transcript, read the captions in the player above or visit my DocumentCloud.
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