Zebulon approves business strategy to facilitate growth

The town of Zebulon approved an overarching plan Monday night designed to grow the town’s economy through a willingness to accept new projects and businesses.

The economic development strategy was formulated using existing principles that different town departments already rely on. In putting them under one umbrella, town officials hope to grow the town through a shared goal of accepting growth opportunities.

“There is a need for assets in the region that are not currently filled, and we have opportunities to fill those needs through following and utilizing this plan,” Shannon Johnson, the town’s economic development specialist, said.

The town worked with local businesses through the Chamber of Commerce to pinpoint some areas of focus where the town could improve its reach and support of local commerce. From there, town officials enlisted the help of a consulting firm, Fountainworks, out of Raleigh, to develop strategies to make the plan more substantive and, they hope, beneficial

The plan includes five areas where the town hopes to improve.

First, officials want to better leverage regional assets to facilitate growth. Second, the town hopes to build a more inclusive economy to make better use of the talent and business opportunities that already exist in Zebulon. Third, town officials hope to better identify key economic growth areas moving forward. Fourth, the town plans to better support those businesses once they’ve opened for business, And fifth, the town pledged to be more cognizant of economic opportunities in the moment that they arise.

Johnson keyed on the space around Five County Stadium as an area where the town hopes to invite development. The longtime home of the Carolina Mudcats, the area’s future was thrown into question when the Mudcats announced they would be leaving for Wilson at the end of this baseball season.

“We plan to focus on the very intentional development of the area around the stadium,” Johnson said.

Johnson took time to acknowledge existing programs that the town hopes to bolster. She said the Chamber of Commerce has a number of such programs already in place that the town wants to spotlight to encourage development.

“We want to make it easier for businesses to grow and thrive in Zebulon,” she said.