Lake Country Visitor & Newcomer Guide 2009 - (Page 54) time in Historic Halifax, NC. There is a year-round arts and culture calendar at every town in the area. All that – plus the overwhelming warmth of the region – is what inspired Callis to recently come home to South Hill. He had been away for 20 years, working in the fast-paced energy industry of Raleigh, NC, And now? Callis is helping to shape his hometown. “We don’t want it to be overdeveloped,” Callis says. “We want healthy growth. We want the town to be clean. We want the town to be safe. We want the town to be friendly. And we want it to be welcoming.” GREAT LOCATION That big “L” word – location – remains a key component to the economic strength of the Lake Country. Here, industries have easy mobility with ready access to interstates and major highways – I-85 or I-95 – plus U.S. 58 running east-to-west. The port of Hampton Roads, as well, lies little more than 100 miles east. Then, for recreation, you can find yourself – in just three hours – either on the boardwalk of Virginia Beach or toasting the beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway at Mabry Mill. Five airports also serve the area: Chase City Airport, Halifax County Airport, Lawrenceville/Brunswick County Airport, Marks Municipal Airport in Clarksville and Mecklenburg-Brunswick Regional Airport. Lake Country’s location and proximity to big cities – being halfway between Raleigh and Richmond or halfway between New York and Florida – makes the area an ideal place and an excellent distribution center. “What we have to offer in Lake Country first is our location that we have – and our lakes,” Horne says. 54 54 Enjoy canoeing, kayaking, fishing and camping on the beautiful Meherrin River. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Clarksville focuses on tourism: They’ve invested in the infrastructure to make it appealing with the lake as the focal point. With high-speed Internet available, opportunity also awaits business ventures practically anywhere in Lake Country. “We have all the services, really, as far as infrastructure that a business needs – just like they have in the city,” says Angie Kellett, the economic development director for Mecklenburg County. QUALITY OF LIFE Halifax Airport Corporate Park is a Why relocate to Lake Country? new 700-acre industrial park convenient“The obvious is quality of life,” says ly located adjacent to the new municipal Kellett. “We have an open, business- airport with water, sewer, electrical, natural gas and telecommunication services available. The emergence of Carolina Crossroads Music and Entertainment District in Roanoke Rapids and plans for the North Carolina Advanced Vehicle Research Center in Northampton County have created growth potential in that area. Several of the Lake Country’s industrial parks have graded pads ready for construction. Clarksville’s Virginia Lakeside Commerce Park “is focused more for technology-type companies, more higher-tech jobs,” Kellett says. “It has a broadband hub there on site – all the fiber and broadband connections are there. It has all the technology infrastructure in place for IT companies.” “And that’s just the atmosphere that they look for – for the outdoor, campustype settings,” Kellett adds. “They want to be able to get out and jet-ski and fish and boat and hike and ride bikes and that kind of stuff.” Southern Virginia ⁄ Northern North Carolina’s Lake Country
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