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The Randolph County Economic Development Corporation held its signature annual meeting Tuesday at the new Agricultural Event Center to recognized key achievements and honor the Outstanding Industry of the Year and Outstanding Leader of the Year.
Rheem Parts Division was named the Outstanding Industry of the year, and Wayne Parker, CEO of AlumiWorks, was the Outstanding Leader of the Year.
The RCEDC’s 2025-26 annual report celebrates several milestones that build the foundation for local economic development success, including:
• Environmental Air Systems’ $20 million, 300-job expansion
• Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina’s operational launch, with 3,000 employees and $13.9 billion facility investment.
• Development of Ross Dress for Less’s 1.7 million-square-foot distribution center near Asheboro, one of the largest warehousing operations in the Triad, positioned to employ 852 workers upon opening.
• The launch of a targeted workforce-attraction campaign generating over 600,000 Facebook views.
Register for VIRTUAL EVENT! Navigating Supply Chain Risk: Cargo Insurance Essentials for Business Protection on July 14, 2026
NC Economy Shows Labor Market Strength!
North Carolina's labor market remains resilient as of May 2026, with an unemployment rate of 3.7%—outperforming the national average of 4.3%. The state added 17,400 nonfarm jobs last month, demonstrating continued employment growth. Initial unemployment insurance claims have dropped 12.0% compared to the prior month, signaling improving job stability. However, mixed signals suggest some caution. Manufacturing production hours are up 4.8% year-over-year, but job openings declined 1.0% from the previous month, indicating a tightening labor market. Real wages edged up modestly at 0.3%, while retail sales dipped slightly by 0.1%. Labor force participation slipped 0.2%, reflecting a marginal decline in workforce engagement. On the construction front, building permits rose 1.4%, pointing to continued confidence in real estate development. Overall, North Carolina's economy is performing well relative to national trends, though moderating growth in certain sectors warrants close monitoring in the coming months.
Ciera Martin and Gavin Brady talked about having a business of their own. On Thursday, June 25, that dream will come true.
That’s the date when the Corner Joint will hold a ribbon cutting and grand opening. The business is at 141 Sunset Ave., Asheboro, where the Carolina Tap House was located.
Martin said it’ll be like a cocktail lounge but with non-alcoholic options such as soft drinks and mocktails. The idea is for families to be able to enjoy the atmosphere.
“Everybody is welcome to come in and watch a band or karaoke,” Martin said.
Brady pointed out the stage, which he said will accommodate a full band and equipment. He said an old-style moveable library ladder will be behind the bar to allow reaching the top shelf.
“As we approach the first half of 2026, the year continues to have many twists and turns that require diligent and consistent discipline to perform through,” writes Wintrust Specialty Finance President and Chief Executive Officer David Normandin.
The survey comments reflect this split in economic projections, with some executives expressing cautious optimism and others warning of continued uncertainty.
“I feel more positive about the U.S. economy over the next six months. Recent data shows a strong job market and steady consumer spending, which suggest a solid base for growth,” writes Isuzu Finance of America EVP and Chief Operating Officer Jim DeFrank. “There are still some risks, especially from global events and policy changes, but overall, the outlook seems encouraging, with more reasons to feel confident than worried in the near term.”
On the other hand, Elevex Capital CEO Jeffry Elliott writes, “I’m currently concerned about inflation and supply chain risks with global economic uncertainty beginning to weigh on U.S. markets.”
Local News and Announcements
Randolph Health has a new CEO:
Veteran healthcare executive Kevin M. Spiegel was appointed as Randolph Health’s new Chief Executive Officer last week.
Effective June 2, 2026, Spiegel joined Randolph Health with a distinguished track record of executive leadership across major health systems nationwide.
Widely recognized for his strategic vision, expertise in hospital turnaround, and passion for expanding patient access through transformational change, he is poised to lead the organization into its next chapter of growth and community service.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kevin Spiegel to Randolph Health,” said Dr. Michael Sarian, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Healthcare Systems.
“Kevin’s extensive experience leading complex healthcare organizations, combined with his proven ability to drive operational excellence and improve patient care, makes him the ideal leader to guide our health system forward.”
Spiegel’s career spans several leadership roles across the country.
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Luke Farley presented awards to local employers with outstanding workplace safety records at a Safety Awards Banquet on June 11 at AVS Catering in Asheboro.
Most of the organizations receiving awards at the banquet are in Randolph County.
The event, co-sponsored by the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce, honored public and private employers that reported no fatalities during the calendar year and maintained an incident rate at least 50% below the average for their industry group.
Triad mayors encourage regulation, not banning, of data centers:
One of the largest questions that has emerged recently is how municipalities should regulate requests for data centers that are surfacing rapidly. The Triad’s mayors say local governments should encourage responsible regulations, but that completely banning data centers would be leaving billions of dollars on the table.
Earlier in June, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County planning board voted 7-2 to recommend denial of a $3 billion data center near Rural Hall. Dozens of residents of Rural Hall and surrounding areas packed the meeting to urge the board to deny the request, so much that chair Jason Grubbs said he had never seen that amount of community turnout for a public hearing.
They’re a mother-daughter team who share a passion — dancing.
Melanie Haynes and her daughter Haygan hope to spread that passion to Asheboro. They will open Legacy Dance Connection this summer with dance classes for everyone from age 2 and up.
The studio will take up first floor space at 15 S. Fayetteville St., at the site of the former Wachovia Bank. There will be two large studios with mirrors on the walls and injury-prevention flooring. Parents will be able to watch their children through observation windows.
Both Melanie and Haygan have been dancing all their lives and have resumes to earn the right to teach others.
“I started dancing at 2,” Melanie said, when her mother took her to dance classes with Debbie Roberts in Archdale. “I fell in love with dancing.”
Randolph Electric Membership Corp. celebrated its 88th annual meeting of the membership on Friday, June 19, at Southwestern Randolph High School in Asheboro.
REMC recorded 416 registered members attending in person and 436 who registered online. An estimated crowd of 1,040 people attended the event. During the business meeting, the membership elected three directors: Scott Cole to represent District 2, Jerry Bowman in District 4 and Tammie Phillips in District 7.
REMC Board of Directors President Tammie Phillips presented a report on events and investments over the past year. Secretary-Treasurer Lee Isley presented a 2025 financial report with over $85 million in revenue and $77 million in expenses.
NC Business Minds: Builder Arthur Samet on The Pyrle, risk-taking, megasites and NC competitiveness:
Arthur Samet has spent 35 years transforming the Southeast's built environment — from industrial megasites to healthcare campuses to a beloved downtown concert venue. As CEO of Samet Corp., the company his father founded in 1961, Arthur has grown the firm to over 500 associates across six offices and about $1 billion in annual revenue. But there's more to Arthur than large-scale construction.
In this episode, Samet, 57, talks about entrepreneurship, risk tolerance and the story behind The Pyrle — a live music venue he and his partners renovated over the past two years out of Greensboro's historic Triad Stage theater. We also dig into the future of North Carolina's megasites, how AI and robotics could reshape the region's economic landscape, the appeal of coastal markets, and his advice on boardroom leadership.
The Value of Regional Ecosystems: Fabs don't survive in a vacuum, and the ones that perform best are well-surrounded by their respective suppliers. The ecosystem in Taiwan’s Hsinchu Science Park is the clearest example: fabs operating alongside equipment manufacturers, materials suppliers and metrology specialists, close enough that an engineer can be on-site within hours when something goes wrong. That proximity matters more than most supply chain strategies account for.
Here is what China Plus One strategy gets wrong: moving final assembly to a new geography while leaving your upstream material and component base exactly where it was doesn't reduce supply risk. It just moves the label. I have seen operations celebrate supplier diversification on paper while remaining deeply exposed because the specialty chemicals, tooling or sub-components feeding that supplier hadn't moved at all.
Recent Renewals
Thank you to the companies below which recently renewed their support of the EDC and the Randolph Rises campaign. Your contribution continues to make our service, reach, and impact felt across the county.
If you are interested in becoming a Randolph Rises investor, please click the button below.
