At SAGA, we often advertise Sanford and Lee County as a “Community of Makers,” a center of manufacturing for our state. But while the abundance of manufacturing operations and people employed in the industry make this a visibly verifiable fact, what story do our employment numbers tell, and how do we stack up against the rest of the state?
It turns out that, when parsing the data provided by the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Lee County sits in a special tier of places in our state with an economic laser-focus on manufacturing. Across North Carolina, 9.35% of the workforce is employed in manufacturing. That’s a bit higher than the 7.94% employed in manufacturing nationwide, according to the Federal Reserve. But neither comes close to the 30.92% manufacturing workforce for Lee County. In fact, only five NC Counties – Lee, Alexander, Bladen, Duplin, and McDowell – cross the 30% threshold of manufacturing workers, making us uniquely specialized as manufacturing-forward communities. And of those five, Lee County has the most manufacturing positions, making us the largest dedicated manufacturing hub in the state.
Lee County’s strength is relative to its comparatively small size. Lee County has only 0.63% of the state’s population but boasts 1.82% of all the manufacturing jobs in the state, a nearly 3x overrepresentation. This concentration of manufacturing talent and capacity means that Lee County can refine its economic development strategy to promote our status as a hub for manufacturing in a way many other communities cannot. There are 13 counties in our state that have more total manufacturing jobs than Lee County – but with lower concentrations of manufacturing, it may be more difficult for them to offer support to the industry, as other sectors are prioritized. For example, Mecklenburg County may have the most manufacturing jobs in the state – about 34,000 – but they represent a mere 4.43% of their total workforce. As larger industries like finance take priority in their economic strategy, dedicating time and capital to advancing manufacturing becomes more difficult – opening opportunities for smaller but more concentrated manufacturing powerhouses like Lee County to take the lead.
Since 1990, the number of manufacturing jobs in North Carolina has fallen by more than 45% – with a similar story happening nationwide. But Lee County has bucked the trend, instead growing its manufacturing payroll. Much of the credit for that success goes to the ongoing, intentional effort to broaden the scope of manufacturing in our community. Today, Lee County is home to manufacturers of every variety, making everything from next-generation pharmaceuticals to precision engineered automotive parts to food products enjoyed by millions, and everything in between. All of these diverse industries feed off of the existing base of manufacturing workers to thrive, and rely on community and government partners ready to meet the needs of manufacturers as a core of their economic strategy. As we pursue the next big manufacturing project to bring opportunity to our community, having willing partners and a deep well of talent to draw from makes and keeps Lee County a top contender.
Of course, not every employer in Lee County is a manufacturer. We are immensely proud of the other businesses who keep our community running, from shops and restaurants to professional service providers and farmers; without them, Lee County wouldn’t be the great place to live that it is today. But every successful community has a core industry underpinning its success. For Charlotte, it’s finance. For Raleigh, it’s tech. For Fayetteville, it’s defense. For Pinehurst, it’s golf. And for Lee County, it’s manufacturing. As so many other small communities in the state and the country struggle to find an economic lifeline, we are incredibly fortunate to have such a strong manufacturing base to help lead our community to future prosperity.