Local counties performed $75M+ in federal contracts in 2021

Federal prime contracts

ROBESON, CUMBERLAND COUNTIES PERFORMED OVER $75M IN 2021

In 2021, businesses executed $7.3 billion in federal prime contracts in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Military Business Center.

“Each of these prime contracts – and perhaps billions more in subcontracts – grows jobs, expands the economy and tax base and improves quality of life for everyone in North Carolina,” said NCMBC Executive Director Scott Dorney. “The defense and federal economy in North Carolina remained strong in 2021, as the COVID- and hurricane-related surge of 2020 passed and businesses across the state leveraged sustained opportunities to grow their federal business portfolios.”

FISCAL YEAR 2021 FIGURES

Prime contracts from all federal agencies executed in North Carolina: $7.3 billion Department of Defense prime contracts executed in North Carolina: $3.8 billion Businesses in 15 counties performed over $75 million in federal prime contracts. Included among that list were Cumberland and Robeson County.

Here are the numbers for federal prime contracts within the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal coverage area:

CUMBERLAND COUNTY Federal total dollars: $1,457,469,978.57 DoD total dollars: $1,036,969,874.63

HARNETT COUNTY Federal total dollars: $48,878,872.04 DoD total dollars: $7,471,110.92 HOKE COUNTY Federal total dollars: $34,989,247.86 DoD total dollars: $32,004,757.84

ROBESON COUNTY Federal total dollars: $321,813,220.65 DoD total dollars: $6,116,717.49 BLADEN COUNTY Federal total dollars: $11,310,277.99 DoD total dollars: $11,310,277.99

MOORE COUNTY Federal total dollars: $30,654,303.72 DoD total dollars: $19,827,423.69

SAMPSON COUNTY Federal total dollars: $12,222.70 DoD total dollars: N/A

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June 11 - June 24, 2021 Vol. 1, No. 2

WEB EXCLUSIVE

Pope Army Airfield Fayetteville Regional to support Pope Airfield during construction bizfayetteville.com Profile Change in diet sparks new business Page 15

Tourism Randy Fiveash tapped to lead visitors bureau Page 3

Index Editor’s Note .........................................2 Commercial Real Estate ........................4 Achievers ..............................................6 Health Care ..........................................8 Profile .................................................15 Biz Leads ............................................21 The List ...............................................22

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WEB bizfayetteville.comEXCLUSIVE

Hotel Tax

Fayetteville’s tourism industry banks on hotel tax bizfayetteville.com Technology booster

Region’s health care sector sees rapid advance in technology Page 32

Retail sales

Appliance stores waiting for inventory Page 31

Local Destination Clay Target Center a well-kept secret Page 23

$2.00 June 25 - July 8, 2021 Vol. 1, No. 3WEB EXCLUSIVE bizfayetteville.com Post-Pandemic Local malls, shopping centers see shoppers returning bizfayetteville.comHospitality Lake Pines Swim Club leaves void for water lovers Page 16

Military Business Military Business Center focusing on small business Page 9 Museums

Local tourism steadies uncertain economy

Page 18

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bizfayetteville.com Military Business Army using new GM vehicle Page 12

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MORE INSIDE Cameo Art House Theatre and other businesses look for returning crowds. Page 13

See Downtown, page 13 DOWNTOWN FAYETTEVILLE BOUNCING BACK art exhibit, Prismatica, is one of the many public art initiatives from this past year. Flags and banners line light poles. Fireworks light the sky every Friday home game at Segra Stadium with crowds cheering Fayetteville’s Woodpeckers baseball team. Colorful painted crosswalks introduce the four entrances to the core downtown area. Visually appealing public art sculptures line the public spaces and sidewalks to enhance an exhilarating downtown experience.. “It’s been a hard year,” said Bianca Shoneman, president and chief executive officer of the Cool Spring Downtown District. Some of the imagery appearing downtown is the result of new ideas BY JAMI MCLAUGHLIN With most stores returning to near pre-pandemic conditions, the outlook in Downtown Fayetteville is changing. The imagery is bright, it is bold and it appears to be shedding the mood of the past year under COVID-19 restrictions, building what some are calling an increased momentum of resilience. Examples of a desire to feel normalcy again are beginning to shine. The shimmering, glowing public

Summer expected to draw unprecedented crowds with numerous events generated by a desire to shed the pandemic dreariness.“Thinking through recovery with other leaders in the downtown industry was key as we discussed strategy and secure responses to COVID and protests,” Shoneman said.Fayetteville Parks and Recreation added bright banners. The Public Art Commission through the city’s planning department has helped with adding 18 pieces of public art with plans to change them out to keep the sculptures and the like fresh and exciting.“As we worked through the downtown five-prong approach and started to really think through recovery, the vibe just kept coming up with the colorful images, public art and the new energy,” Shoneman said. “The vibe

PHOTOS BY ANTHONY WOOTEN Downtown shops such as the Cameo Art House Theatre are happy to see visitors returning in the post-pandemic environment. Index See AIRPORT, page 22 SUBSCRIBE TO THE BUSINESS JOURNAL NOW AT BizFayetteville.com/subscribe Your subscription includes: • Unlimited access to stories on BizFayetteville.com • Two Business Journals mailed to you every month • The 2022 Book on Business delivered to you in January. SUBSCRIBE NOW WHEELS UP 2019, article in the Up & Coming Weekly newspaper. (Whited retired in April 2020 and deputy director Toney Coleman moved into the top spot in August).Now, more than two years later, the bumpy ride appears to have smoothed out. As with other airports, the pandemic left even the limited remaining FAY flights nearly empty. Its recovery, however, is prov-ing robust.“FAY continues to be one of the fastest-recovering North Carolina commercial-service airports since March 2020,” according to a state-ment from the airport. As numbers improved through the BY SCOTT NUNNFayetteville Regional Airport (FAY) has experienced its share of turbulence over the years. With passenger numbers and destinations significantly trailing the much smaller cities of Asheville and Wilmington, the city-owned facility has received its share of criticism. At a January 2019 City Council meeting, Mayor Mitch Colvin described the airport as “underperforming,” something he said then-director Bradley Whited failed to acknowledge. “It’s hard to be open for change if you don’t think something is wrong,” Colvin said, according to a Jan. 15, Economic Indicators ............................. 3Publisher's Note ................................... 4Achievers .............................................. 7Military Business ............................9, 12Technology ..........................................11The List ...............................................15Hospitality ..........................................16Biz Leads ............................................21 FAYETTEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT IS HOPING FOR FRIENDLIER SKIES DAVID KENNARD/GREATER FAYETTEVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL Passengers at Fayetteville Regional Airport walk under open ceiling panels and around construction areas near the baggage claim. MORE INSIDE: Fayetteville Regional takes on military flights during Pope Airfield reconstruction. Page 23 FLYING OUT OF FAY Fayetteville Regional Airport now offers nonstop services to three major hubs: Atlanta, Charlotte and Dallas/Fort-Worth. That means travelers from FAY can access more than 300 destinations with only one stop. FAY’S TRAVELERS (January-present) 54% personal/leisure24% business22% military Index SUBSCRIBE TO THE BUSINESS JOURNAL NOW AT BizFayetteville.com/subscribe Your subscription includes: • Unlimited access to stories on BizFayetteville.com • Two Business Journals mailed to you every month • The 2022 Book on Business delivered to you in January. SUBSCRIBE NOW “WE’RE COMMITTED AS A COMPANY TO THE MARKET – WE LIKE THE MARKET, IT’S A STABLE MARKET. THEY HAVE A LOT OF COMMERCE GOING ON THERE.” — J. David Allen PRINCIPAL, REALTYLINK UNBOXING AMAZON’S ARRIVAL ILLUSTRATION BY BRIANNE WRIGHT Amazon’s delivery station at 1005 Dunn Road, which is currently owned by the Soffe family, will result in a $10 million investment in the region and more than 200 full-time and part-time jobs with Amazon and related logistics and delivery firms, Van Geons said. Landing Amazon is a lesson in what the region can accomplish when it has available properties, moves quickly and knows how it’s being viewed outside the area. “Fayetteville is a dynamic market,” said J. David Allen, a principal with RealtyLink in Raleigh who helped broker the deal. “I think the jobs that Amazon will bring to the BY MONICA KREBER More than two years before Amazon announced it’s coming to Fayetteville, the project began with a modest name — Project Move. Robert Van Geons, president and CEO of the Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation, first heard about the opportunity in early 2019. “At the time, we didn’t know who it was,” Van Geons said. “Most of our projects start with a code name.” In early May, Project Move put Fayetteville on the map of locations selected by Amazon to expand its ever-growing distribution system. Economic Indicators ............................. 3 Residential Real Estate .......................10 Achievers ............................................12 The List ...............................................13 Military Business ................................16 Profile .................................................21 Health Care .........................................32

See AMAZON, page 6

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$436M donation

EX-WIFE OF JEFF BEZOS DONATES TO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY; FAYETTEVILLE GROUP RECEIVES $5M

The Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity International, and 83 U.S. Habitat affiliated organizations received $436 million in unrestricted giving from American author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

The Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity received $5 million from the donation.

With the donation, the vision of Habitat affiliated organizations is to create a world where everyone has equitable access to a safe, decent, and affordable place to call home.

FAHFH was founded in 1988 with the goal to build safe, affordable energy-efficient homes in Cumberland County. Since its inception, the FAHFH has expanded, helping hundreds of individuals and families in Cumberland, Sampson, and Bladen Counties through their homeownership, critical home repairs, and veteran repairs programs.

“Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity firmly believes that every man, woman, and child should have a place to live in dignity and safety,” said CEO Ron Gunter. “This $5 million gift makes it possible for us to expand our operational and outreach capabilities and turn that vision into a reality for many more families,” This generous donation will allow us to enhance our financial security and provide longterm financial sustainability for

Scott donated $3.8B to 465 organizations across the country recently, including Habitat for Humanity. the further development of affordable housing. It will enable us to achieve our expansion into Robeson County, elevating our service coverage area to four counties.”

Currently, the FAHFH is working on a new 47-home development in Fayetteville due to finish in June 2022.

“The community of Oakridge Estates has taken more than $7 million to complete. ‘Affordable housing’ is not affordable. A gift like this makes continued investment in our community possible by building more communities like Oakridge Estates, and gives us a renewed sense of hope for the future and a firm resolve as we address the critical need for housing affordability,” Gunter added.

Habitat International will use its $25 million from the donation to prioritize advocacy and programmatic efforts designed to dismantle systemic racism, allowing the Habitat to advocate for policy proposals and legislation to enable millions of people to have access to affordable housing through “Cost of Home.”

“Habitat works to break down barriers and bring people together — to tear down obstacles and build a world where everyone, no matter who we are or where we come from, has a decent place to live,” said Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford. “This incredible gift helps make that work possible.”

“This $5 million gift makes it possible for us to expand our operational and outreach capabilities and turn that vision into a reality for many more families...”

Jonathan Reckford International CEO, Habitat for Humanity