Cleveland County Launching Massive New Marketing Campaign – Charlotte’s Backyard

By
Scott Jensen
-
1625

What’s in Cleveland County?

Your first thought might be Knobby (North Carolina’s own Bigfoot), Red Bridges (voted the best BBQ in America), or just that place you stop at on your way to Asheville…but a massive new marketing campaign is now hoping to change that.

The Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership just launched an online campaign to attract young “millennial” talent into what officials are now calling “Charlotte’s Backyard NC.”

“The development of this campaign was something that we became convinced that we needed in order to position our community in a way that would strategically connect millennial talent to the manufacturing careers in our community,” noted Kristin Reese, Executive Director of CCEDP. “Charlotte is projected to have the highest rate of millennial growth in the nation, and so by leveraging and strategically marketing our close proximity to that growing city, we feel it will help to fuel Cleveland County’s talent pipeline.”

Cleveland County is more affordable, has the “relaxed vibe” of a smaller community, and is now home to over 170 manufacturing companies, says Reese. Since 2008, 75 companies have moved to the county or expanded their local facilities. That represents 4,000 new jobs and $6 billion in investment.

The new marketing campaign is focused on highlighting 4 main aspects of life;

“Find Your Village” (living in Cleveland County)

“Find Your Craft” (working in Cleveland County)

We are so excited to introduce you to Emily Bolton. When Emily graduated from high school, she realized pretty quickly that working in retail wasn’t going to pay the bills or be fulfilling long-term. The answer to this realization, as it turned out, was a career in manufacturing, which, not only pays well, but also gives her the resources to learn on the job and the flexible hours to continue her education. Emily started with part-time work through a temp agency and within a couple of months was hired full-time at Greenheck, a leading manufacturer of air movement, control and conditioning equipment with Cleveland County operations in Kings Mountain and Shelby. Today, she works first shift as an assembly worker and takes classes in the evenings toward her Associate’s Degree in Business Administration at Cleveland Community College. • As a young woman with no prior experience in manufacturing, Emily had a lot to learn in her first several weeks of work. “I had zero experience with power tools,” she said. “The first two weeks was all hands-on training—learning proper safety and technique. It was intimidating at first, but now I know what I’m doing and I really like it.” Emily was a fast learner and is now an integral part of the assembly team. Despite the eight-hour days, she has been able to balance time for school. “[Greenheck] is really on board with me continuing my education,” she said. “They really encourage us in general to continue to learn.” Born and raised in Shelby, North Carolina, Emily enjoys Cleveland County’s small-town character, coupled with its proximity to major metros like Charlotte. “I love the environment,” she said. “It’s small-town without feeling too small. You run into people you know around town, but you don’t have to travel far to get to places like Charlotte, Spartanburg and Asheville. Any direction you go, you’ll find things to do.” . . . #featured #findyourcraft #make #makeitcount #workinghard #manufacturing #greenheck #smart #tough #skills #crafts #tools #women #jobs #careers #womenempowerment #workhere #live #livehere #instagood #instadaily #love #story #herstory #millenials #photography #photooftheday #factory #beautiful #strong

A post shared by Cleveland County, NC (@charlottesbackyardnc) on

“Find Your Rhythm” (playing in Cleveland County)

and “Find Your Voice” (getting involved in Cleveland County)

“I moved to Cleveland County from Tucson, Arizona and soon realized that even though the pace of life here is slower, there is still a real energy and vibrancy. I’ve also realized the benefit of the low cost of living, and I appreciate how Charlotte’s Backyard NC authentically reflects the essence of what makes our community so great – and why people like me enjoy working and living here,” commented Nick Wiebelhaus, Plant Manager of Greenheck.

You can find out more about the new campaign on charlottesbackyardnc.com or on their Instagram page here.

Comments

comments