September 16, 2024. Veetee Foods, Inc., a global seller of heat-and-eat rice meals, plans to establish a 200-job production facility in Johnston County. The privately held company, headquartered in Kent, England, will invest $36 million at Eastfield Crossing in Selma. Jobs at the new facility will average nearly $60,000 in annual compensation. “We welcome Veetee Foods to Johnston County and are excited by the addition of this growing consumer foods company to the ranks of our agribusiness industry and our community of international companies,” said R.S. “Butch” Lawter, Jr., Chairman of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners. “The company’s selection of Johnston County for this significant investment builds on the economic momentum we’ve been experiencing along the I-95 corridor, which is energizing job creation and business growth in communities like Selma and the eastern side of the county.” Commissioners, along with Selma Town Council, voted this afternoon on a competitive schedule of performance-based financial incentives to support Veetee’s move to Eastfield Crossing. The company also will receive a $996,750 Jobs Development & Investment Grant (JDIG) from the N.C. Department of Commerce. Governor Roy Cooper announced the company’s decision shortly after a vote by the Economic Investment Committee, which oversees JDIG…

In a significant and historic step for public safety, all fire departments across Johnston County now offer first responder services, providing crucial medical assistance in support of the Johnston County EMS System. This is the first time in Johnston County history that every fire department in the County is collectively providing these live-saving services. The milestone was officially marked on September 3, 2024, when Bentonville Fire Department began delivering these vital emergency services. With Brogden and Stricklands Crossroads Fire Departments implementing their programs earlier this year in July, all areas of Johnston County now benefit from local fire departments’ medical response capabilities. The expansion of these services has been made possible by the creation of the countywide Fire Protection Service District and the continued support of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners. With additional funding allocated, fire departments were able to enhance staffing, training, and acquire essential equipment, ensuring that the critical first responder support could be extended to more communities. “We are extremely proud of the dedication shown by the Bentonville, Brogden, and Stricklands Crossroads Fire Departments in expanding their services to include first responder capabilities,” said Kevin Hubbard, Director of Johnston County Emergency Services. “We also want to express our gratitude…

Johnston County will host the second phase of public input for the Countywide Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) on Thursday, September 19 from 4:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. at the Great Hall at Johnston Community College.  The CTP is a multimodal transportation plan that helps guide transportation decision-making and multimodal priorities for the County. The meeting will allow participants to review and evaluate potential transportation projects and make recommendations that could possibly be included in the plan. We encourage residents to share this event with friends, family, and neighbors! We want to hear how Johnston County citizens envision the future of transportation and connectivity in and around the County.If you are unable to attend the meeting but would like to provide feedback, the CTP survey is still available online. Additional information can be found on the Johnston County CTP website: https://www.johnstonnc.com/CTP/.

The Johnston County Finance Department has been awarded the prestigious Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for the 14th consecutive year, recognizing their outstanding work on the comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). This honor represents the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, marking a significant accomplishment for our County and its management. The report was judged by an impartial panel to meet the program’s high standards, showcasing a “spirit of full disclosure” and effectively communicating Johnston County’s financial story. This award reflects the department’s continued dedication, having earned this recognition in 1993-1994 and then again from 2010-2024. The GFOA serves approximately 17,500 government finance professionals across the U.S. and Canada, with offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C. The team primarily responsible for preparing the award-winning CAFR is pictured in the attached file, from left to right: Chad McLamb, Deborah Fields, Robin Hartley, Fay Benavidez, Kathy Kyle, April Wilkinson, Martha Lasater, Pam Radford, and Tyson Radford.

Statewide, visitor spending in 2023 rose 6.9 percent to reach a record $35.6 billion and direct tourism employment increased 4.8 percent to 227,224. These statistics come from the “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2023” a study which can be accessed at partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies. “The new study underscores the importance of tourism to every county in North Carolina,” said Wit Tuttell, Executive Director of Visit NC. “There’s a lot of competition for travelers’ time and money, and we owe our success to everything from the state’s scenic beauty and outdoor adventure, to our mix of tradition and innovation, and our welcoming spirit. Those qualities might be hard to measure, but we can follow the trail to a measurable impact on our workforce, our businesses, and our tax base. We look forward to continued success.” In Johnston County, visitors spent $298.95 million in 2023, which is a 4.9% increase over 2022 spending. This places the county 28th in the state in total spending, and third in the Triangle behind Wake ($3,288.36) and Durham ($1,125.62), with Orange in fourth place ($266.92). “Johnston County’s tourism industry is certainly growing, with two new hotels opening soon in Benson and Smithfield and several under development in the county. We…

The Johnston County Board of Commissioners voted this morning to approve an amended package of performance-based economic development incentives that will support a major expansion at Novo Nordisk’s [NYSE: NVO] bio-manufacturing campus in Clayton. Several hours later, top officials of the Denmark-based company announced it will invest US$4.1 billion in a new 1.4 million-sq.-ft. (130,064-sq.-m) facility here in a move that will create 1,000 new jobs. “Novo Nordisk has been among Johnston County’s largest private employers since arriving three decades ago,” County Commission Chairman Butch Lawter said. “There’s no over-stating this company’s importance as an economic and fiscal driver here. They continue to bring significant capital investment and high-wage job opportunities. They bring additional civic and community engagement. They bring new ideas, new people, and new energy here. And they are among our closest and most consistent partners when it comes to educational quality and workforce readiness.” Commissioners recognized the need to support growing industries in order to create homegrown career opportunities for Johnston County residents. This morning’s vote amended a pledge of performance-based incentives initially approved in September 2022 as part of the company’s 12-year growth horizon. Novo Nordisk’s presence in the county dates to the mid 1990s and…

The Johnston County Board of Commissioners adopted a $376,345,949million budget at yesterday’s regularly scheduled Board meeting. Commissioners approved a reduction to the property tax rate from 69 cents per $100 of property value to 67 cents per $100 of property value.  “We, as a Board, remain focused on our established priorities and committed to our role as financial stewards of County funds,” said Board Chairman, Butch Lawter. “This budget is the result of extensive planning and in-depth deliberations, anchored by the hard work of Commissioners and County staff. The combination of a healthy fund balance and a robust credit rating puts our County in a strong financial position to accomplish many of our long range goals moving forward.” Commissioner Lawter also emphasized the importance of highlighting the Board’s established priorities in the budget. “Public safety, education funding, infrastructure, land use, County employee retention and recruitment, and financial stewardship remain a focus of this Board and we believe all of these priorities have been addressed in this budget,” stated the Board Chairman. “We appreciate our continued partnership with Johnston County Public Schools and Johnston Community College and value their input in helping us develop this budget.” Commissioners appropriated a total of $104,000,000 to Johnston County Public Schools for current expenses, while also approving $3,500,000 million…

The awards keep rolling in for the team at Johnston County Government. 911 Center Director Brett Renfrow was honored with the distinction of North Carolina’s 2024 Communications Center Leader of the Year this past week. The National Emergency Number Association’s (NENA) North Carolina chapter bestowed Mr. Renfrow with its highest honor at the organization’s annual conference in Wilmington, N.C. Hundreds were in attendance as the Johnston County native graciously accepted the award from his peers.  “I am definitely humbled to receive this award,” said Mr. Renfrow. “The team I work with in the Communications Center on a daily basis makes my job very easy. This award is because of their sacrifice and dedication to 911 and is what makes this such a rewarding career.” Johnston County Manager Rick Hester weighed in on the leadership and experience of the emergency communications director. “Brett is so deserving of this award and is an incredible leader of a totally dedicated team. He has a wealth of knowledge in this arena, which is so important to our community when almost all emergency responses begin with a call to 911 communications.” The Communications Center Leader of the Year award is presented to a manager or…

Business North Carolina magazine has again recognized Johnston County Economic Development Office Director Chris Johnson, naming him to its 2024 Power 100 list. It’s the third time Johnson has made the elite list, having previously been recognized in 2021 and 2022. The Charlotte-based monthly magazine has been published since 1981 and currently reaches more than 122,500 readers.  “The wins keep coming for Johnston County and (Chris) Johnson, who has led economic development efforts here since 2013,” the magazine’s editor wrote, citing industrial product development efforts Johnson has been leading in partnership with several private real estate firms.   County leaders welcomed Johnson’s statewide recognition. “Though Chris is much too modest to mention it, he is considered one of North Carolina’s most seasoned, most successful and most sought-after economic development professionals,” says Ed Aldridge, chairman of the Johnston County Economic Development Advisory Board, a 14-member volunteer body that sets and monitors County strategies for job creation, industrial retention and economic investment. “There is a long list of reasons Johnston County has done so well in recent years, and Chris is definitely on that list, too. In economic development, there’s no substitute for consistently strong execution,” said Aldridge, a Clayton resident who has served on the…

A leading building-products manufacturer has selected Selma for a $93 million production facility that will employ a 500-person workforce. Crystal Window & Door Systems Ltd, headquartered in Flushing, N.Y., plans to invest $93 million in a new manufacturing plant at Eastfield Crossing in Johnston County. The privately held company selected approximately 43 acres near the intersection of I-95 and U.S. Highway 70. Earlier today, the Johnston County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a nearly $1.96 million Economic Development Investment Grant, a performance-based incentive payable over seven years. “We’re proud to welcome the newest member of Johnston County’s industrial community and are grateful for the jobs and investment dollars Crystal Window & Door intends to bring to the I-95 corridor,” says County Commission Chairman R.S. “Butch” Lawter, Jr. “This project further energizes our manufacturing sector and brings exciting opportunities to the residents of Selma and the Eastfield Crossing community.” Founded in 1990, Crystal Window & Door Systems makes energy efficient vinyl and aluminum windows and doors for single- and multi-family residences, office buildings, hotels, hospitals and other buildings. The company operates plants in California, Illinois, New York, Missouri and Pennsylvania, and its products are sold in 40 states. “Crystal Windows started…