More than 270 years ago, the first European settlers discovered the 574 square miles that would one day make up Iredell County. Attracted by the rich soil, abundant wildlife, and fresh water, they sank deep roots into the county and began creating the communities of Harmony, Love Valley, Mooresville, Statesville, Troutman, and Union Grove. Over the subsequent 100 years, multiple railroads converged in the county, linking it to points east, south, and north. By the 1880s, Iredell’s County seat, Statesville, North Carolina, emerged as the jumping off point for distilleries from throughout the Carolinas as the westernmost point for railroad service, and Iredell County was the perfect crossroads for travelers and businesses moving goods from all directions.
Iredell County solidified its position as a “Crossroads for the Future” when two major interstates, I-40 and I-77, intersected in what is considered to be the center part of the state. As Iredell County’s reputation for being an ideal location for businesses grew, people were drawn to the beauty of its rolling foothills in the north and the vast shorelines of Lake Norman to the south. Today, this perfect blend of business, life, and location continues to make Iredell County attractive to businesses regionally, nationally, and even internationally.
In 2018, Iredell County’s primary municipalities, Mooresville, Statesville, and Troutman, along with business leaders vested in the economic growth of the county, made the strategic decision to unify their individual efforts into one countywide economic development organization, Iredell County Economic Development Corporation, tasked with boosting Iredell County’s upward trajectory to become an economic powerhouse and connecting future business prospects with local opportunities.
With a population that now exceeds 200,000, Iredell County still offers all the joys and conveniences of small-town life while welcoming new businesses and residents. The result has been vigorous economic growth, with approximately 130 “new” or “expanding” announcements by businesses over the past seven years, representing 6,000 new jobs and $2.2 billion in investment. Subsequently, the county itself has grown by seven percent since 2020 and expanded its tax base by 60 percent by 2024.
Ideally located just 30 miles north of the major metropolitan city of Charlotte, North Carolina, Iredell County offers a variety of lifestyles and a diversity of industries. With agriculture at its roots, Iredell County leads the state in dairy production while Statesville is home to robust industrial activity as well as the interchange for Interstates 40 and 77. While a smaller, quaint town, Troutman has doubled in growth due to a sharp rise in residential development, and Mooresville is home to a rich blend of manufacturing, tech, and finance companies as well as all the support services its residents require for their more suburban lifestyle.
With all Iredell County has to offer, it is no surprise that once businesses select the county as their home, it becomes where they focus their growth and expansion efforts. In fact, some of the largest investments in Iredell County have been from existing industries and their expansions. Bobcat Company, a manufacturer in Statesville, for example, more than doubled their footprint with a $70 million investment while the paint manufacturer, Sherwin Williams, invested $350 million in both manufacturing and distribution.
C.R. Onsrud, the leading designer and manufacturer of CNC machinery for industries like aerospace, marine, composites, and woodworking, recently celebrated their fourth expansion since locating in Troutman in 2006. This expansion represented an investment of $17 million and increased the company’s footprint to in excess of 250,000 square feet. “The recent support we received from the Iredell County Economic Development Team goes beyond the expansion of our company, C.R. Onsrud Inc.,” stated Tom Onsrud, C. R. Onsrud’s Chief Executive Officer. “Their support, along with the considerable support from Iredell County and the Town of Troutman, has created a ripple effect, helping manufacturers across a wide range of industries who use the machines we build. We thank the EDC for investing their time, knowledge, and experience in us and the future of American manufacturing. Their help has better positioned us to continue to grow and positively impact Iredell County and the landscape of manufacturing for years to come.”
As Fibreworks Composites, a research and development firm and a manufacturer for the motorsports, defense, and aerospace industries, completed their expansion in Mooresville, Joe Hofmann, their Chief Executive Officer, shared, “Iredell County is a talent-rich region that has provided opportunities for growth in various business sectors. Fibreworks Composites has greatly benefited from working with the Iredell EDC team, who have helped link us with the necessary resources within the community. Iredell EDC is a valuable resource to any growing business within Iredell County.”
This $5 million investment in the Fibreworks Composites state-of-the-art facility was a catalyst for the creation of 60 new jobs.
Similarly, Iredell County has enjoyed significant success in attracting new investment from businesses anxious to establish themselves in a county with such a business-friendly environment, a skilled workforce, and available buildings and sites. Iredell EDC works in conjunction with partners like the Economic Partnership of North Carolina and the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance to market the county to prospective companies considering investing in Iredell County. In 2021, Walmart e-commerce purchased a one million-square-foot industrial speculative building in Troutman, and in 2024, DEHN, a German company that manufactures surge- and lightning-protection equipment and safety gear designed to protect infrastructure, announced their plans to invest $38.6 million in establishing their United States headquarters in Mooresville. Proximity to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, strong regional highways, and abundant internet infrastructure helped attract the company to Iredell County. “The search for a new headquarters location was a very intense project for DEHN,” said Ingo Rutenberg, Chief Executive Officer for DEHN. “We received over 300 bids from numerous counties and states across the country. As a technology company, we prioritized an area with access to great talent, a solid standard of living for our team, and quick access to transportation that linked us to the rest of the country and internationally. We found that perfect balance in Iredell County,” he shared.
“Beyond the location itself, the Iredell County EDC team has been extremely helpful in navigating the local processes, securing local support for us, and providing support after we announced Mooresville to be our new home. Overall, the project was very successful and working with the Iredell County EDC has been a large part of that success.”
The significant industrial growth in Iredell County has also spurred substantial private investment from the real estate development community, representing an industrial development pipeline of 15 million square feet of development across the county. With demand for industrial and commercial properties rising, Iredell’s communities have recognized the need to establish shovel-ready sites to expedite sales and development. And naturally, communities have a sizable stake in establishing the infrastructure to support such large projects, as in the City of Statesville, which owns its own electric co-op. Park 40/77, for example, is a 3.2 million-square-foot industrial park strategically located in Statesville within easy reach of three deep water ports and a maximum two-day drive to over 70 percent of the United States. With excellent access to intermodal transportation options, two large transportation arteries, and its convenient proximity to the world’s fifth-most frequented airport, this outstanding project promises to bring even more prosperity to the region.
Similarly, the North Charlotte Commerce Centre in downtown Mooresville offers access to Interstates 40, 77, and 85. This 723,533-square-foot facility provides 176 docks with 40 feet of overhead clearance, 166 truck parking spaces, and more than 300 parking spaces for cars. Comprising three separate footprints ranging from 89,920 square feet to 723,533 square feet, this facility offers tremendous expansion possibilities for businesses looking to grow.
Then there is the South Iredell Community Development Corporation’s Mooresville Business Park East. Developed in collaboration with the Town of Mooresville and Iredell County, this 450-acre industrial park currently offers approximately 180 acres for sale, with parcels ranging from 22 to 122 acres. With all the benefits of being well-thought-out and well-appointed, this facility is also close to the area’s retail zones and other manufacturers.
Nationally recognized for the strength of its economy, Iredell County ranks among the top five regions for its competitive approach to advanced manufacturing, which is also its largest earner. Its financial industry is similarly robust. Boasting 1,200 employers, it is classed as the second strongest sector in the county, and according to the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Iredell County has the fifth fastest growing tech talent pool in the United States.
As new industries locate in Iredell County, and businesses grow, their need for a skilled workforce also grows exponentially. To satisfy this increasing demand, Iredell EDC along with Iredell County, Iredell-Statesville Schools, Mitchell Community College, Mooresville Graded School District, and other community partners and local industries launched Iredell Ready, a workforce initiative to boost the area’s economic prospects by focusing on building a future workforce pipeline to meet the needs of local industries in Iredell County.
Iredell Ready is integral in helping students identify a career pathway and understand what it means to work in the real worlds of healthcare, manufacturing, finance, technology, and logistics. One key component of this mission that is tremendously popular throughout Iredell County is the career exploration event, Careers on Wheels, which exposes 2,000 sixth graders to more than 60 Iredell County companies and the many career opportunities they have to offer.
This persistent investment of time, effort, and imagination to engage the youth of Iredell County is already paying dividends as both Iredell-Statesville Schools and Mooresville Graded School District were selected to help pilot the Skills for the Future Project in North Carolina, an initiative to incorporate durable skills as they are outlined in the portrait of a graduate into education systems, equipping students with the competencies needed for success in college, careers, and life. According to North Carolina Deputy State Superintendent Andrew Smith, “We were looking for unique leaders—superintendents, specifically—who had already kind of dove into this work, who were familiar and who were innovative in the way they were thinking about the work of their high schools. We also wanted to make sure that these schools were already using the durable skills and the portrait of a graduate in their schools. That was really important to us because these are really the trailblazers.”
While in 2018, Iredell County Economic Development Corporation was charged with the task of boosting Iredell County’s upward trajectory to become an economic powerhouse, the trajectory was set many years prior by the countless leaders, men and women who, like those first settlers, sank deep roots into a fertile soil. Because of their efforts, Iredell County is far more than a crossroads. It is a location for business and for life.
