N.C. Commerce Secretary Crisco To Visit
Union County Dec. 18, Speak In Stallings

Keith Crisco, North Carolina Department of Commerce Secretary, will visit Union County Dec. 18, meet with local officials, tour a leading local industry and provide an update on local and state economic developments.

Appointed by N. C. Governor Bev Perdue, Crisco oversees the state department responsible for economic development and industry recruiting. His host will be the Union County Partnership for Progress, the economic development organization for Union County.

Crisco will arrive at CEM’s facility in Stallings in the morning, details to be announced. CEM is a leading provider of innovative microwave systems and solutions for laboratory applications. It recently won a 2009 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge award, presented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for its Sprint™ Rapid Protein Analyzer.

His visit will begin with a concise presentation on the North Carolina economy, the Union County economy, and the Legacy Business Park proposed for eastern Union County. The event will be held in CEM’s conference room, 3100 Smith Farm Rd., Stallings (also listed on maps as Matthews).

Crisco will then take a brief tour of the high-tech CEM facility, led by CEM President Dr. Michael Collins.

N.C. Turnpike Authority Picks Preferred Monroe Parkway Route

The N.C. Turnpike Authority (NCTA) has announced a preferred route for the Monroe Parkway (formerly known as the Monroe Bypass), a 20-mile bypass of downtown Monroe, from I-485 to west of Marshville.

About a mile of existing U.S. 74 will be reconfigured. The section will include elevated, tolled expressway lanes and non-tolled frontage roads on either side of the expressway lanes to serve local traffic. Custom bridges will be designed for some connecting roads (see illustration). The project is expected to cost between $695 million and $860 million, which will be financed through bonds and repaid with toll revenue. The road is estimated to save drivers about 30 minutes and could be open to traffic by late 2013, pending approval of an Air Quality Plan and other requirements.

“The positive economic impact of this new turnpike is enormous and far-reaching,” said Maurice Ewing, president of the Union County Partnership for Progress. “It will make access to I-77, I-85 and Charlotte’s International Airport much faster and more convenient for businesses and residents in Union County. It is also essential for the viability of Project Legacy, the 5,000-acre business park being planned for the eastern end of the Parkway.”

Maurice Ewing Re-Elected To IEDC Board

The Board of Directors of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) has re-elected Maurice D. Ewing, President and CEO of the Union County Partnership for Progress, to its Board of Directors for a two-year term.

"As the world's leading economic development organization for professionals in the field of economic development, IEDC's work has become even more vital due to the economic crisis that has permeated communities across the globe," said IEDC President-elect William E. Best.

Ewing has been involved in over 400 business locations and expansions representing more than 7,000 jobs during his 30-plus years in economic and business development. He spent 13 years at the Charlotte Chamber where he was responsible for New Business Recruiting in Mecklenburg County, and 10 years as President and CEO of Cabarrus Economic Development in nearby Cabarrus County, before taking his present position in 2004.

ATI Allvac Receives Federal Grant

ATI Allvac in Monroe has received a federal grant worth $765,976. US Representative Larry Kissell (D-NC) announced a National Institute of Standards and Technology grant from the US Department of Commerce to help ATI Allvac develop new metals through heating and forming titanium and super alloys for aviation, energy, transportation, and defense.