The Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation wants to keep the businesses it already has, not just chase new ones. That's the signal behind its hire of James Carter as Business Retention and Entrepreneurship Manager, announced Monday, Aug. 17.

Carter comes to the county from the City of Charlotte, where he served as Economic Development Program Manager for Talent Development since 2022. In that role, he connected businesses, universities and community partners around Charlotte's talent-based economic development strategy, fielded prospective company inquiries, presented workforce advantages during client visits and managed workforce initiatives tied to key growth industries.

Before Charlotte, Carter spent five years at Alamance Community College as Work-Based Learning Coordinator, building partnerships with local employers and aligning workforce programming with their hiring needs.

"James' ability to connect businesses, educational institutions, and workforce resources positions him exceptionally well to support our existing industries and strengthen our entrepreneurial ecosystem," Cabarrus EDC President and CEO Gretchen Carson said in the announcement.

The hire fits a pattern. Carson, who took the helm of the EDC on Jan. 5, previously built Mecklenburg County's first structured business retention program, supporting projects that generated more than $100 million in capital investment and nearly 500 jobs.

In his new position, Carter will work with existing Cabarrus County businesses to ensure they have resources to create quality jobs and career opportunities for local residents. He will also collaborate with the Cabarrus Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a resource hub at 57 Union Street South in downtown Concord run jointly by the EDC and Flywheel Coworking. The center offers programs including a six-week Retail Lab boot camp for early-stage retail entrepreneurs, with graduates eligible to pitch for grant funding through the Flywheel Foundation.

Carter holds a bachelor's degree in political science and public administration from Elon University and a master's in city and regional planning focused on economic development from UNC-Chapel Hill. He is pursuing a Master of Public Administration at UNC-Charlotte, expected in 2029, and holds the North Carolina Certified Economic Developer designation.

The EDC's press release did not specify a start date for Carter or say whether the position is newly created. Residents and business owners looking for retention support can reach the Cabarrus Center at 57 Union Street South in downtown Concord.