Moore County Partners in Progress recently completed the 2020 Strategic Action Plan for Economic Development. It calls for economic diversification by attracting defense and military businesses, manufacturing, R&D and headquarters of golf and sports businesses, and expanding health care. Partners in Progress engaged Creative EDC to complete a trends analysis that would support implementation of the strategic plan.
On the surface, the Moore County economy was doing well. Population and the labor force were growing, and unemployment was declining. Residential building was strong, home values were increasing, and income was growing. However, future trends in wages, concentration of employment, age demographics, housing, and commercial tax base showed signs of concern. We identified five key findings from the research that support implementation of the strategic plan. Moore County is now prioritizing strategies from the strategic plan and aligning with resources.