Interview: John Byrne, Mayor, Town of Fuquay-Varina

John Byrne

Mayor Town of Fuquay-Varina

How have trends accelerated by the pandemic led you to adjust the long-term plans for the town?

Technology is a key component for Fuquay-Varina. For example, we’ve partnered with Ting Internet to provide broadband fiber high-speed internet service throughout Fuquay-Varina. This has been one of the best things we’ve done for our businesses and residents. We think that high-speed internet is the fifth major utility. Large corporations that move to our community want reliable electricity, water and sewer treatment, natural gas and access to broadband infrastructure. They need to have the ability for global connectivity and efficiencies in business operations and we’re moving in that direction with our industrial customer base in a big way. We have a business park that we are actively marketing and all five of the major utilities run right to the front door.

What role do industrial businesses play in FuquayVarina’s growth?

Our industrial partners play a key role. In Fuquay-Varina, we have The Big 4: John Deere Turf Care, TE Connectivity, Bob Barker Company and Southbend. Combined, these four companies provide over 1,400 competitive-wage paying jobs and generate a substantial benefit to the local economy. We meet with them regularly and they let us know what they need and who they would like to see located in Fuquay-Varina. Logistics and business efficiencies are important to our partners and we’re doing our best to recruit suppliers that will help our existing businesses be more successful.

Fuquay-Varina’s geographic location is one of its most strategic advantages for expanding and relocating industries. Our access to a well-educated workforce with innovative talent working in partnership with internationally renowned research universities and an efficient local government gives Fuquay-Varina a competitive advantage for attracting advanced manufacturing, research and development, life sciences and IT and other technology industries to the community.

Raleigh’s unemployment rate of 4.3% is significantly lower than the national average of 6.0%.

( )Today, the median age in the Raleigh-DurhamChapel Hill area is 37 and the average annual salary is just under $57,000. Although the region has seen massive population growth in recent years, this is driven by migration rather than childbirth, suggesting the population is getting older. Regardless, Raleigh was voted seventh as a millennial magnet in Business Facilities’ latest ranking. The influx in the workingage population aged 18-62 is actually causing some complications, with impressive job growth of 300,000 new jobs by 2028 projected to be outstripped by demand. Raleigh-Durham is expected to add more than 97,000 jobs by 2028, with increasingly highskilled positions in higher demand. Job growth will be driven by health and social care; accommodation and food services; and professional, scientific and technical services. In July, the Triangle ranked third in the nation in a new LinkedIn analysis studying job growth in technology positions in regions with more than 20,000 professionals.

In spite of a challenging 2020, the Triangle region celebrated several large and small wins throughout the year. Through 2020 and into 2021, the region’s housing