In the early 1980s our town fathers had a vision for the town. It was not the vision you would first think, it was a vision that terrified them. A total of 5,500 employees worked in textiles, in a town with a population of 9,000. The leaders knew they needed change. The town's vision was replaced with a dream — industrial parks filled with companies that would diversify the tax base and employ thousands.
      With visionary leadership and a "can-do" attitude, this dream became a reality. Jack Schultz, in his book Boomtown USA: The Seven-and-a-Half Keys to Big Success in Small Towns, recognized visionary leadership and a "can-do" attitude among his keys to a community changing their destiny.
      Mooresville Business Park, a 500-acre park, is the work of a true partnership of government and private, non-profit. Securing a loan from Iredell County and with the proceeds of the sale of the county hospital, the development corporation secured the land. Our first company, a Japanese company, promised to build a $125 million manufacturing facility if the community and state would put in the roads and utilities.
      Additional land sales to five more companies enabled the development corporation to build the park in stages. Norfolk Southern Railroad came forward and contributed significant free engineering and design services, helping us build an industrial park to serve four rail industries.
      Working with our "can-do" attitude and the mission of serving the community, over a dozen companies or government entities have worked to make Mooresville Business Park a true community asset.
      The results of this facilitated dream, vision and "can-do" attitude are two industrial parks, 20 companies, 2,000 jobs and $400 million in investment.
      The future continues to look positive for Mooresville Business Park. Approximately 150 acres remain available. The local development corporation will continue to use land sales to buy land for future parks, and the legacy continues of tax base for the community and jobs for our citizens.
      A selection of companies includes:
      BestSweet
Cardinal FG
Duke Power
NGK Ceramics USA
Nemco Motorsports
PGI Non-Woven
Penske Racing South
Southern Container
Spectrum Financial
Toyo Seal of America
WinCup
     

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