As part of National Economic Development Week, the Greenville Eastern North Carolina (ENC) Alliance is celebrating the experienced economic developers in our community. These professionals are committed to bringing economic prosperity and growth to the Greenville, Pitt County, and eastern North Carolina areas.
Brad Hufford is a vice president of business development at the Greenville ENC Alliance. He has 17 years of experience in economic development with nearly half of that working at the local level. Brad works directly with site selector consultants and industries looking to relocate and expand. He recently served as the project leader for the Thermo Fisher Scientific expansion. This project is expected create 500 new jobs in the Greenville area and invest approximately $500 million. In a Q&A style blog, Brad shares details about his economic development journey and why he's passionate about facilitating economic growth.
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a career in economic development? A: I discovered economic development as a career path while pursuing my master’s in public administration. It fit with my interest in improving communities and offering economic opportunity to citizens. There are so many different angles to the profession it is never the same thing project to project.
Q: What is your most memorable project or accomplishment? A: My most memorable project was leading the effort to build a speculative shell building in Indigreen Corporate Park. That building has attracted development interest in our community and will one day soon be the new home of a thriving company with hundreds of high paying jobs.
Q: How did you get to your current position? A: I have always sought to be a well-rounded economic developer and tried to gain experience with a wide variety of aspects of the profession and organization types. I had a front row seat for the creation of the Greenville ENC Alliance and thought that I would be uniquely qualified to promote the mission of the organization.
Q: What is your favorite part about working in economic development in Pitt County? A: I think that Greenville and Pitt County has a huge potential for economic development.We have nearly all of the essential building blocks for success, and now wealso have a wide base of support in the community. We have a great team here at the Alliance. Plus, we have great key partnerships in the community that will set us up for sustained growth in the coming years.
Q: What do you want the community to know about economic development and your work? A: Economic development is a team sport that takes the investment and coordination of the entire community to attract new business growth, tax base expansion, and new job creation. The ribbon cuttings and ground breakings don’t take place without years of effort and planning.
Join the Greenville ENC Alliance in celebrating #EconDevWeek on social media by following the handle @GreenvilleENCA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,YouTube, and LinkedIn. Local economic developer profiles will be added each day online at www.encalliance.com/news. To learn more about National Economic Development Week hosted by the International Economic Development Council, visit the organization online at www.iedconline.org/edw.
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Media Relations Contact: Maria Satira Director of Marketing and Communications Greenville - Eastern North Carolina Alliance satira@encalliance.com 252-414-2875
