Sampson County economic developer John Swope has another tool in the county’s economic chest that could lure potential businesses and industries into the area. That tool is land, free and clear, that might be offered to potential industry now that the Board of Commissioners has signed off on a resolution declaring this as a possibility.

The resolution, in part, reads: “To the extent that the county owns or holds an option to purchase land suitable for a prospective company’s business purposes, Sampson County may provide land at no cost to any prospective company locating within the county, subject to the following conditions...”

Among those conditions are that the company create no less than 200 direct jobs with wages that are at least 10 percent higher than the weekly manufacturing range within the county at the time the incentive is offered. Currently that average salary, Swope stated, is between $10.50 and $11.50 per hour. Another condition is providing a timetable for creating jobs and a price the company will reimburse the county for the land in the event that it does not create the promised jobs.

Before tcommissioners were willing to sign off on the resolution, one member wanted a change in the language of the resolution.

At Monday’s meeting, commissioner vice chairman Jefferson Strickland asked that the word “shall” be changed to “may,” leaving the county some wiggle room in extending a hand to offer land at no cost. May versus shall, Strickland pointed out, makes it more open-ended rather than being a requirement.

Swope, in an interview, stressed that this new incentive will help to make the county more competitive with other areas that are also working to bring industry into their areas.

“When we find projects that hire hundreds of people, the competition gets stronger, and other counties are offering to pay for land,” said Swope.

“We are just putting Sampson in a position to offer land as an incentive,” he added.

The economic developer’s aim, through this incentive, is to see more companies willing to bring industrial or distribution jobs to the area.

“If we have a company that employs thousands of jobs, then they will be able to make investments of millions of dollars and have salaries well above the county average,” said Swope.

Swope pointed out that even if the county has an option to own land, the cost to the company would be reduced and would make Sampson more of an appealing choice.

The goal, Swope remarked, it to provide significant industrial sites to companies.

“You have to have good industrial sites to get the prospect’s attention and be able to control the property, and if we can’t secure the availability of a site, sewer and water, the company will go elsewhere,” Swope commented.

And while Swope does not have any future sites for land in mind for industry, he does have plans for continuing to market and develop the site on exit 355 on I-40 where Fibrowatt is expected to locate. Right now, the county owns about 160 acres at this site to be developed.

“That would be a focal point because these projects will need 50 or more acres,... and we can use that,” said Swope.

However, when all the industrial property at this site has been utilized, then another arrangement would have be made with the county working with a land owner to acquire more land.

“That would have to be decided at that time,” said Swope.

Katie Holland can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 136, or by e-mail at silife@myclintonnc.com.