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Forward Rowan 2: A Program of the Rowan EDC

Forward Rowan Plan

The Forward Rowan plan is an aggressive five-year strategy that provides more support for existing industry while proactively marketing the county to companies planning relocations or expansions.  Covid-19 has made it even more imperative for us to implement the Forward Rowan plan to ensure jobs and investment come to Rowan County.

Strategy I: Targeted Economic Growth

Goal: Increase prosperity for all Rowan County residents through business retention and attraction efforts.

Key Objectives

  • Grow existing businesses.
  • Attract new firms and investments.
  • Maintain competitive locational advantages.

Actions

Provide leadership for the coordination of local economic development services.

  • Broaden Expand Rowan, the Rowan EDC’s business retention & expansion program that proactively addresses the needs of Rowan’s traded-sector businesses.
  • Attract new employers in Rowan County’s targeted sectors:
      • Advanced Manufacturing
      • Logistics & Distribution
      • Office & Technology
      • Health
  • Ensure infrastructure and amenities are enhanced to support business expansion and development.

Strategy II - Talent Attraction & Development

Goal: Support lifelong learning endeavors that increase talent levels in Rowan County through the alignment of education, training, business, and social services.

Key Objectives

  • Align education and workforce systems.
  • Develop home-grown talent.
  • Promote the innovation occurring in education systems across Rowan County.
  • Retain the best and brightest workers.
  • Attract talented individuals to Rowan County.

Actions

  • Actively engage in the development of demand-driven education and training programs in high school and post-secondary education.
  • Work with education and workforce development partners to increase educational attainment levels in Rowan County.
  • Increase awareness among Rowan County businesses about available workforce development programs.
  • Attract new residents and workers by promoting the job opportunities available among Rowan County employers.
  • Highlight the favorable working environments and career opportunities available within Rowan County’s major industries.

Strategy III: Brand Identity and Storytelling

Goal: Promote Brand Rowan and serve as the leading marketing organization for communicating the brand message to targeted audiences.

Key Objectives

  • Promote and accelerate the use of the Rowan County brand elements among local organizations.
  • Promote Rowan County to external audiences.
  • Build community pride and understanding among our internal audiences.

Actions

  • Support the Brand Rowan marketing initiative to improve local perceptions of Rowan County and communicate its competitive advantages.
  • Develop high-impact, professional marketing and communications tools.
  • Market Rowan County to site selection influencers and companies within our targeted industries through multiple marketing channels.

Strategy IV: High-Performance Service Delivery

Goal: Build an organizational structure that ensures the delivery of high-performance economic development services that is supported by Rowan County’s public and private sectors.

Key Objectives

  • Increase public awareness of the value of the Rowan EDC and the community’s growth effort.
  • Provide outstanding levels of service to our investors, prospects, and existing industries.
  • Recruit, retain, and develop highly talented staff.
  • Develop an organizational structure that supports outstanding service levels.

Actions

  • Build public support and knowledge of economic growth activities and their impact on the community.
  • Recruit, retain, and train “best in class” staff capable of strategically leading and managing the Rowan EDC.
  • Develop an engaged leadership body comprised of public- and private-sector representatives to provide oversight to the Forward Rowan initiative.
  • Conduct an assessment to identify the organizational structure that supports the complementary goals of the Rowan EDC and Rowan Growth Partners.

Thank You To Our County and Municipal Partners.

204 East Innes Street, Suite 220
Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone: (704) 637-5526
Fax: (704) 637-0173

info@rowanedc.com
Rowan EDC Staff

204 East Innes Street, Suite 220
Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone: (704) 637-5526
Fax: (704) 637-0173

info@rowanedc.com
Rowan EDC Staff