PITTSBORO — When Chatham’s new Economic Development Corporation president drives to his office for the first time on Jan. 25, he won’t have far to travel.
It’s just 23 minutes from his driveway in Lee County.
Michael Smith, whose 20 years of economic development experience includes leadership positions at the Sanford Area Growth Alliance (SAGA), has been named by the Chatham County EDC board as the organization’s new president.
Smith currently serves as the economic development executive director with SAGA, and prior to that, CEO of the organization, which includes Sanford’s Chamber of Commerce.
He replaces Alyssa Byrd, who left the post in late August for a similar position in Fuquay-Varina.
“We are excited that Mike will be leading the economic development efforts of Chatham County,” EDC Chairman Jeff Wilson said in a statement last week. “Our community is poised to grow, and we believe he is the ideal person to facilitate that growth. His experience, leadership, and vision align with the goals of Chatham County.”
Smith, who’s also worked for the N.C. Dept. of Commerce, was part of a team which generated significant success in business recruitment and product development in Lee County — including landing Bharat Forge, part of India-based industrial giant Kalyani Group, which is investing $170 million in an electric vehicle parts operation in Sanford.
That announcement alone means more than 450 new jobs in Lee County.
The move means that Smith is “changing teams,” as he says, and he’s excited about the prospect — particularly the fact that Chatham County has two megasites. The 2,500-acre Moncure Megasite and the Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) Site, a 1,802-acre industrial site in western Chatham County, near Siler City, provide Smith and the EDC team with lots to show industrial prospects.
“We’re very well positioned,” Smith said. “Chatham County, with its available industrial real estate, is very well positioned. Having two sites in the 2,000-acre range is pretty dramatic. I mean, nobody else in the state has anything like that. And so I’m going to be really excited and talking to those two different ownership groups to get their ideas about the best way to move forward.”
Chatham County Manager Dan LaMontagne called the EDC a “key strategic partner of Chatham County and its municipalities.”
“We rely on the EDC to develop and implement a strategy for business attraction and retention as well as job creation in our community,” LaMontagne said. “We look forward to working with Mike in carrying out that strategy.”
Smith has served as the President of the North Carolina Economic Development Association (NCEDA). He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Geography with a concentration in Urban/Regional Planning from East Carolina University.
He called his selection to the Chatham position an honor.
“This is an exciting opportunity to work in a fast-growing area that has an amazing group of assets in place, including the Chatham Park live/work/play community,” Smith said.
The Chatham County EDC is the lead economic development agency for Chatham County. Its mission is to build on Chatham County’s strategic location between the Triad and Triangle regions, positioning Chatham as the preferred location for emerging growth companies. The organization says its policy-driven approach leads it to focus on targeted attraction, retention, and entrepreneurship to improve the lives of County residents. The EDC supports infrastructure improvements and preservation of Chatham County’s strong quality of place.
Smith will start work at the Chatham EDC on Jan. 25.
He came to Sanford from his position as director of economic development in Stanly County. Prior to that he served in Davidson County economic development and led economic development in the Statesville Region for 10 years.
Before working in Iredell County, Smith worked with the N.C. Dept. of Commerce in Raleigh for seven years as a project manager and in marketing and business development.
“I am grateful to have held a leadership position in Sanford where our team had a record-setting year,” he said. “I look forward to building on this regional momentum in a location that’s a part of the Research Triangle Region and the center point of the Carolina Core.”