A half-day meeting last week ended with the conclusion that a lack of land available at low prices with good access to a highway is one of the key sticking points when it comes to attracting new employers to Wilkes county. Wilkes EDC Director Don Alexander said that for various reasons, none of the 12 potential building sites in Wilkes identified in a study a few years ago remain viable. Alexander said property owners in some cases quoted unreasonably high purchase prices or simply didn’t want to sell. At least one of the properties is still being considered by owners of Tweetsie Railroad near Blowing Rock as a potential new site for the theme park. Others said during the meeting that available buildings in Wilkes have ceilings that are too low or other issues that limit their marketability. Most companies want a ceiling height of up to 32 feet.
According to data from state government, about 3,400 people in Wilkes are underemployed and about 4,700 commute to jobs outside the county. He said these could be potential employees for a company considering moving to Wilkes. The Elkin Tribune reports eastern Wilkes County could play a major role in economic development efforts of the county after being identified as a potential site for a business park. High on the list of its attributes are recent improvements in sewer service in the Ronda area and proximity to I-77 and U.S. 42.