Business Today
14 October 2016
704-467-3062 | FruitfulCatering.com | FruitfulCatering@cs.com
“We bring great taste to your event!” Corporate events - Holiday parties - Private parties - Wedding celebrations Showers - Luncheons - Church events - Buffet dinners
Serving the Copperfield Room at 720 Copperfield Blvd., Concord
NEWS - e
Concord ranks No. 9 in US for high-quality growth Photo by Marty Price
We accept all major credit cards
Experts might not agree on the best or the right recipe for rapid economic growth, but some cities have figured out the key ingredients and how to stir the pot just right to sustain long-term prosperity. Patterns emerge within those cities, allowing people to identify the contributing factors that perpetuate quality growth. Our very own Concord is No. 9 on a national list of fast-growing cities. Frisco and League City in Texas came in first and second, while Lehigh Acres, Fla.; Kent, Wash.; and Surprise, Ariz. round out the Top Five. There were no other North Carolina cities in the Top 10. On the flip side, Jacksonville, N.C., came in No. 515 on the list. Charlotte came in at No. 49. The study was conducted by WalletHub, a personal finance website that launched in early August 2013. It is based in Washington, D.C. and owned by Evolution Finance. Tim Vaughn, chairman of the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce, said Concord government is very proactive and growth-oriented, as well as the Cabarrus County government. “Combine the Chamber, the Economic Development Corp and Cabarrus Convention and Visitors Bureau…and it is one heck of a cohesive strong team. This news to me is not surprising at all,” Vaughn said. In order to identify the fastest-growing
local economies, WalletHub’s analysts compared 515 U.S. cities of varying population sizes based on 14 indicators of rapid economic growth. The data set — from a period spanning 2008 to 2015 — ranges from “population growth” to “unemployment rate decrease” and “growth in regional GDP per capita.” Concord has successfully attracted millennials and new companies and employers—a conscious and deliberate effort, according to Mayor Scott Padgett. “Bringing employers to provide jobs for the new people and those who already live here are so important,” Padgett said. “We’re investing in the historic downtown while enhancing the quality of life they Vaughn are searching for.” The Cabarrus Arts Council, festivals and tree lighting are things that are making Concord a vibrant, diverse community. “The millennials like nostalgia and historic places,” Padgett said. “Not one of them has ever said ‘Hey I’d like to see your mall,’ but they do want to see Union Street.” WalletHub analysts compared 515 cities of varying population sizes based on two key dimensions, including “Sociodemographics” and “Jobs & Economy.”