Public Notices

Every two weeks county departments submit updates on projects.

BURGAW – Following a July 11 closed session, the Pender County Board of County Commissioners announced the selection of David Andrews as the new county manager.

“Mr. Andrews brings many strengths to Pender County, including land use, budget and finance, economic development, and strategic planning,” said Chairman David Piepmeyer.

Andrews recently served as the city manager for the Town of Boiling Spring Lakes. He served as the town manager for the Town of Carrboro for more than 10 years where he was instrumental in strengthening the town’s arts and entertainment district, promoted tourism and economic development, implemented a community outreach program, and supported remediation efforts for a neighborhood adversely affected by a former landfill.

“Mr. Andrews has a proven track record of fiscal responsibility,” said Piepmeyer. “He has increased long-term sustainability by developing five-year revenue and expenditure forecasts which included a five-year capital improvement program. This is extremely important for Pender County as we continue to grow and prepares for several capital improvement projects such as a Pender County Health and Human Services building and a new library.”

Piepmeyer added that Andrews has experience working with grants for large Capital Projects, most recently the Boiling Springs Dam Restoration Project. He is also acquainted with the bond process, which is helpful for the upcoming Pender County School Bond Referendum that will appear on the November ballot.

Andrews began his career in the City of South Tucson as a finance director in 1991. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a master’s degree in public administration. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Stephen F. Austin State University. Andrews is a certified and credentialed manager and is recognized by the International City/County Management Association.

Andrews will begin his work in Pender County on Sept. 1.

BURGAW – Pender County Board of County Commissioners entered into a lease agreement to operate and maintain 62 acres in the Abbey Nature Preserve.

The Preserve, located in Scotts Hill adjacent to Poplar Grove Plantation, has been owned and operated as a public park by a private entity for decades.

The Abbey Nature Preserve has been acquired by Mungo Homes, who approached the County about taking over the Preserve to ensure it remained open for the public’s enjoyment forever.

“The lease is for $5 per year, and Pender County intends to take full ownership of the Preserve within the next few years and formally establish the Preserve as a County Park,” stated David Piepmeyer, Chairman of the Pender County Board of Commissioners, following the board’s unanimous approval of the lease at the July 11 meeting.

The portion of the Property falling under the management and operation of Pender County Parks and Recreation is the 62 acres of the property currently held under a conservation easement through the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust.

“The existing parking area, accessed via US HWY 17, as well as the areas immediately adjacent to the parking area, is not located within this area,” said Piepmeyer. “A new access point and trailhead will be established via Scotts Hill Loop Road near Scotts Hill Baptist Church in the future.”

“We are grateful to the Foy Family for providing Abbey Nature Preserve for the enjoyment of everyone for so many years and for Mungo Homes in recognizing the importance of Abbey Nature Preserve and working with the County to ensure its continued protection,” said Travis Henley, Pender County Planning and Community Development Director.

“The Abbey Nature Preserve is rich in history. Owned by the Foy Family, who settled Pender County more than 300 years ago, it was part of the Poplar Grove Plantation and the largest peanut farm in the state,” added Zach White, Pender County Parks and Recreation Supervisor. “We’re pleased that we can preserve this area for recreation for generations to come.”

Pender County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. With growth comes growing pains and changes.

“We are undergoing changes,” stated David Piepmeyer, chairman of the Pender County Board of County Commissioners. “Change is good. The leadership is proactive, and we are witnessing many substantive programs and plans coming into fruition.”

Piepmeyer was pleased to announce the county received a $200,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Emergency Management to perform a resiliency analysis of the NC 210 corridor between US Hwy. 17 in Hampstead to Interstate 40 in Rocky Point.

“The approximately 13-mile corridor is a designated hurricane evacuation route but is itself susceptible to flooding and other serious hazards along much of its route,” said Travis Henley, Pender County Planning and Community Development Director.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the barriers to resiliency along the corridor, identify solutions to those barriers, and make recommendations for specific actions to maintain the corridor from a transportation, land use, and floodplain management perspective.

“Pender County received this grant through North Carolina Emergency Management’s Transportation Infrastructure Resiliency Fund and anticipates completing the study by the end of 2023,” said Piepmeyer.

Another project progressing is the Hampstead Bypass, Piepmeyer said.

“Clearing work is underway for the bypass,” he said.

Commissioner Jackie Newton sees growth through the Pender County Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

“Two Parks and Recreation Trust Fund – known as PARTF- grant applications have been filed for the development of a 60-acre tract of land north of Burgaw as well as acreage next door to Hampstead Kiwanis Park,” said Newton. “We’re seeing programs and improvements at our Penderlea facilities too.”

Doug Shipley, Pender County Assistant Manager, said county representatives are participating in a study for the East Coast Greenway, a hiking and bicycling trail that travels from Maine to Florida.

“Planning, Parks and Recreation, and our tourism staff are participating in the advisory panel in the growth of the greenway through Pender County,” said Shipley.

Interim County Manager Carolyn Moser continues pursuing the steps of obtaining architectural designs and research for a new Pender County Health and Human Services building.

“We already own the land,” said Moser. “A great deal of funding will come from state and federal sources. This new facility is a win-win for our residents.”

The Pender County Library system is also beginning the necessary steps to build a new facility in Hampstead, next door to the Hampstead Annex.

The library continues to provide free programming for children throughout the summer, as well as internet connectivity for underserved communities.

“Our staff works tirelessly to bring new and creative programs to Pender County,” said Allen Phillips-Bell, the director of the library system.

Pender Commerce Park has attracted large companies and continued growth along the 421 corridor is expected.

“We are anticipating a great deal of commercial and residential growth in rural Pender due to anticipated focus at the State level on the 421 corridor as a potential interstate highway to enhance intrastate access to the ports,” said Newton.

Pender County Commissioners continue their involvement to ensure proper healthcare services throughout the county.

Just last month, Commissioner Newton traveled to Washington DC to lobby for resiliency funding and payout of approved funding on behalf of Pender County citizens affected by Mathew and Florence flooding.

“We are concluding our search for a new county manager and will have an announcement soon,” said Piepmeyer. “However, in the meanwhile, we have proven leaders in our Pender County staff and board of commissioners who work tirelessly to provide services to our residents.”

Winston-Salem-based Ramm Capital Partners, along with its brokerage partners at Cape Fear Commercial, has filled its 127,356-square-foot spec facility at Lot 2 in Pender Commerce Park and is set to begin work on its second building there. The company has inked long-term leases with three companies for its multi-tenant distribution facility, which was completed last year.

“We are pleased to announce that 33 ACME Way is fully leased with a great tenant mix, collectively creating approximately 70 new jobs in the region,” said Chris Ramm, manager of Ramm Capital Partners. “We would like to thank Cape Fear Commercial, Landmark Builders, Thomson Corder and Wilmington Business Development for our great partnership in developing and leasing the site in Pender Commerce Park.”

Atlantic Tire Distributors (ATD), a wholesaler of tires across Virginia and the Carolinas, became the building’s first tenant in August 2021. The company is leasing about 28,000 square feet as it ramps up a 30-person workforce there. Raleigh-based Professional Builders Supply, which supplies homebuilders, and SCP Distributors LLC / Superior Pool Products LLC will lease the balance of the building, taking 43,000 square feet and 56,000 square feet, respectively.

“Professional Builders Supply is pleased to announce we are expanding into Pender County,” said Brian Pelkey, the company’s Wilmington Market President. “Our new Pender County facility will give us the additional tools we need for a growing, successful future. Since opening our doors in 2003, Professional Builders Supply has been recognized for our variety of services, workplace culture, our commitment to customer service, and our unwavering dedication to excellence. Our Pender County expansion will be another opportunity to continue growing our commitment to our goals, mission, and morals,” Pelkey said. “We would like to say thank you to our customers, associates, and vendor partners for their contributions.”

Ramm Capital Partners arrived in the Greater Wilmington market about five years ago with an eye toward Class A office space. The company soon spotted opportunities in industrial property development, finding ready partners and tenants as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted re-consideration of global supply chains, a trend working to Greater Wilmington’s benefit. With its existing building now fully leased, Ramm will now turn its focus to Lot 1 – a neighboring parcel at Pender Commerce Park – for development. The group closed on the property in February of this year and had fully cleared the lot by April. The company plans another 144,900-square-foot distribution space equipped with the modern amenities necessary to attract additional employers to the region.

Ramm’s plans have fit neatly into a broader regional strategy for economic diversification advocated by Wilmington Business Development (WBD) and its Pender County partners, whose vision for Pender Commerce Park from the beginning was a location that could appeal to food processing, assembly, distribution, headquarters and other corporate operations. The two spec buildings balance tenants’ desire for customization with the prospect of launching new operations quickly.

“Pender Commerce Park is a regional asset for 21st-century businesses looking for a competitive edge,” said David Piepmeyer, chairman of the Pender County Board of Commissioners. “We owe a lot to the vision of those leaders who saw the potential of this property 15 years ago and worked hard to make it a reality. We’ve also benefited from the guidance of partners like WBD, who have brought the technical expertise and contacts necessary to bring major investors like Ramm Capital to the table.”

Equipped with the latest infrastructure, Pender Commerce Park is located on U.S. Highway 421, just three miles from I-140 and 13 miles from the Port of Wilmington. Ramm’s latest speculative building, which is expected to be complete by early 2023, is the latest evidence of the property’s appeal as an industrial destination. The 450+ acre park welcomed its first tenant in 2013 — Acme Smoked Fish of Long Island, N.Y. Since then, Empire Distributors, FedEx Freight, Coastal Beverage, Pender Commerce Partners 1 LLC, and India’s Polyhose Inc. have also constructed facilities there. RL Cold, a division of Atlanta-based RealtyLink, is in the process of building nearly 300,000 sq. ft. of cold storage space there, and e-commerce giant Amazon unveiled plans earlier this year to build a 142,000-sq. ft. delivery station at the property.

“Ready-to-go Class-A industrial product of this scale is the currency of today’s economic development recruitment,” says Scott Satterfield, WBD’s chief executive officer. “Pender Commerce Park has succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations, and it’s been a game-changer for the entire region. WBD remains grateful to our partners in Pender County for their forward-thinking leadership and to the remarkable vision of Ramm Capital in helping us set the stage for future job growth.”

Founded in 1956, Wilmington Business Development oversees business recruitment and industrial retention for the City of Wilmington, New Hanover County, and Pender County. A private, non-profit organization, WBD supports members, partners, and allies through an array of technical expertise, leadership resources, and value-added business services. For additional information, visit www.wilmingtonbusinessdevelopment.com.