Cabarrus EDC Executive Director Page Castrodale and other business leaders recognized as key players leading Charlotte’s growth

The Charlotte Business Journal (CBJ) revealed its inaugural Power 100 list on Friday, Sept. 30, and five leaders in the Cabarrus County area are featured. The list highlights the people it believes will drive the Charlotte region’s next stage of growth.

According to the CBJ, the list is made up of “…economic developers who are luring new companies to the region, real estate professionals who are providing the space for those operations and CEOs who’ll be hiring locally. They’re startup founders, business owners who are expanding their companies and industry boosters who are taking the local economy in new directions. And they’re much more in between.”

The Power 100 list includes Page Castrodale, Executive Director of the Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation: “The question of how to remake the former Philip Morris cigarette plant site had gone unanswered for Concord and Cabarrus County leaders for years. Under Page Castrodale’s leadership, investment there has topped $2 billion with major projects from Eli Lilly and Red Bull, Rauch North America and Ball Corp.”

Greg Walter, Cabarrus EDC Past Board Chair and Executive Vice President and General Manager at Charlotte Motor Speedway said, “Page is a forward-thinking leader that understands how to build consensus among our community’s stakeholders as each economic opportunity arises. She has a proven track record of success and helps us think strategically about Cabarrus County’s growth. It is wonderful to see others outside our community recognize her leadership and contributions.”

“In her short time as Executive Director, Page has had many accomplishments. One major accomplishment is the delivery of a Strategic Plan that acknowledges the economic development goals of each municipality in Cabarrus County and is structured to provide innovative support opportunities to new and existing local businesses,” said Sharee Carter, current Cabarrus EDC Board Chair and Controller for Hendrick Motorsports. “In only a few weeks, Page and her team have made forward progress implementing the plan, which will shape the economic development landscape across the county for years to come. Thanks to the Charlotte Business Journal for recognizing Page’s superior performance and accomplishments.”

A major portion of the development that has happened in Cabarrus County includes pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Co. and David Ricks, chairman and CEO landed at No. 3 on the CBJ’s list. According to the CBJ: “The company broke ground there in June and targets a 2024 production start, but Lilly’s presence could represent something much more significant in the region. The Concord project could be a proving ground for the region in the life-sciences sector.”

The Power 100 list also includes Charlotte Motor Speedway CEO Marcus Smith, pointing out a number of changes made over the past year to bring more events like the Speed Street music festival to the company’s tracks and plans for future improvements at CMS with federal recovery money.

The CBJ also recognized the impact of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in the future of our region by adding Andy Sandler, resident and CEO, Temerity Baseball; and chairman and CEO, Temerity Capital Partners to the Power 100 list. Not only did he stay vigilant in bringing the team to downtown Kannapolis through the pandemic, but he is also investing in other projects in the downtown area.

Finally, Michael Bell, Senior vice president and general manager, Corning Optical Communications is also on the list as they have big expansion plans for the region: “Corning has around 5,000 employees in the state, including manufacturing facilities in Hickory, Concord and Newton.”

Castrodale will attend a private celebration reception on October 13 in Camp North End along with other honorees.

Charlotte Business Journal subscribers can visit the following link to learn more about the Power 100 list.