Moving Mooresville Forward Reinventing for the Future

Mooresville will be the destination for economic growth by creating a climate that grows businesses, cultivates entrepreneurship, creates a world-class workforce, enhances its excellent quality of life and collaborates within its community and the Charlotte region.

What has to be done to build the capacity to compete and a community that thrives in a changed and changing economic environment? Mooresville and the world are different than they were in 2006: What is driving the transformation today and for the next 5 years?

Mooresville seeks to maintain and enhance the communitys high quality of life; attract young professionals and provide quality educational opportunities at all levels for a high quality and educated workforce.

Share of Residents Aged 35-44, Share of Population with Undergraduate or Master Degree, 2010

Mooresville seeks to enhance its role as an employment center in the region through its support of existing industries, entrepreneurship, the attraction and recruitment of its target industries; the provision of the necessary infrastructure and efficient, collaborative service delivery.

Core Strengths Location Persistent Growth Good Transportation Network Low Cost of Doing Business Infrastructure

Competitive Assets Existing Industry Excellent K-12 Education High Quality of Life Skilled Labor Supply: Excellent Community College Reliable, Fast Data Infrastructure

Barriers Lack of Young Professionals Lack of an Entrepreneurial Climate Out of ED Product: Sites, parks, buildings… Availability of Capital: Venture, angel… Traffic Congestion

Education Workforce Transportation

Recommendations must be: Focused Meaningful Proscriptive Implementable

Create a Plan Review Team Consisting of citizens, educators, elected officials, business people, non-profits and the arts and cultural community. The purpose of the Plan Review Team is to discuss the plan, its recommendations and make suggestions to improve it. As the plan is implemented, the PRT would change its focus to following the progress of the plan, making suggestions for course correction and the development and implementation of an annual Economic Development Scorecard for presentation to the community.

Economic Development A comprehensive strategy for sustainable product development. Professional assistance to match product development to the ED plan and avoid regional redundancy. Employment Center Catalyst Fund

Small Business Identify best-practices for a successful entrepreneurial program including incubators, accelerators, etc. that is driven by the private sector. Involve the business community in offering resources to small businesses that face challenges.

Workforce Development Form the MSI Education & Workforce Alignment Council. Workforce development and workforce preparedness should become a priority of the Mooresville Town Board.

Transportation Focus on facilitating the movement of people and goods to and from industrial parks. Remain engaged regionally. Aggressively advocate for the widening of I-77 to I-40. Plan for the development of 2 east/west connectors.

Quality of Life & Business Climate The Town of Mooresville should review all existing plans. The Town of Mooresville should step-up code enforcement efforts. The Town of Mooresville should continue revitalizing and rejuvenating the Downtown.

Read the report and share it with your colleagues Recommend people for the Plan Review Team Support the plan publicly and attend the public roll out

Thanks to the Town of Mooresville for the financial support that made the production of this report possible. The MSI Chamber staff, the Public Policy Division and everyone that attended a meeting, completed a survey or participated in an interview all deserve a big thanks. Individual contributors: Grace Phillips, Frank Rader, Steve Husemann, Bill Thunberg, Karen Shore, Robby Carney and Mary Speir. Other Organizations: MSIEDC, NC Department of Commerce, The Charlotte Regional Partnership, The Centralina Economic Development Commission, Garner Economics, Rosenow Spevak Group, Warren and Associates If you would like to stay involved and help implement the recommendations, please Thanks for your help!