Brunswick County officials work to bring in more jobs and services

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) —  There is no surprise that Brunswick County has had a lot of growth over the past few years.

The county has seen a boost in people wanting to live and work there.

The Brunswick County Economic Development Advisory Commission met Tuesday morning for their first meeting of the new year. Representatives in a variety of sectors including workforce, education, and healthcare industries were a part of the conversation.

Director Mike Hargett says now that commercial resources have increased across the county, residents are not being forced to drive to Wilmington and Myrtle Beach to for most services.

“The focus of the group continues to be industrial recruitment, the larger employers that would be pay above average wages,” Hargett said. “But of course, we are interesting in all aspects of economic development including expanding existing industries.”

He says there has also been a growth in the diversity of housing which he thinks may be appealing to those looking to move to the community.

“We do have some areas including Brunswick Forest, Compass Pointe, St. James, that are experiencing higher levels of residential development, however we are seeing residential development throughout the county,” Hargett said.

From 2015 to 2016, the number of construction permits issued in Brunswick County was the highest in nearly 10 years with more than 2,200 permits issued.