Leland is attracting businesses, but how does it plan to keep them?

Brunswick County’s fastest-growing town has had no problem attracting new businesses.

From the soon-to-open Lowe’s Home Improvement to popular fast-food spot Cook Out to incoming fitness studio HotWorx and countless other businesses that have opened in recent years, Leland's growing population is attractive to a host of new businesses.

Now, the town’s newest leader is looking into ways to retain those businesses.

In April, Leland Town Council adopted the first economic development strategic plan outlining its economic goals for the next five years.

Barnes Sutton, economic and community development director for the town of Leland, said one of the first-year goals outlined in that adopted plan is to launch a business retention program. The program was a point of discussion at a recent meeting of the town’s economic development committee.

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Sutton is new to the role, having taken the helm in June following the retirement of Gary Vidmar. Sutton was honored as one of Wilmington’s 40 under 40 in 2021, an award reserved for those who are helping the Cape Fear region prosper.

According to Sutton, the strategic plan outlines the importance of maintaining relationships between the town and existing businesses in the area. Roughly 70% of investment and job creation comes from existing businesses, he said.

As outlined in the strategic plan, town leaders look to implement several strategies as part of this effort to retain businesses in the town, including visiting with at least three existing businesses each month, hosting networking events for local businesses in partnership with the North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce, and initiating communication with existing businesses for their input on town policies and the business retention program, among others.

“We’re at a place to where there’s a lot of change, whether it be new businesses coming into Leland or places moving around within Leland, and so I think starting up this annual effort will give us an insight into what’s really going on on an annual basis,” Sutton said.

Stephanie Blair, vice chair of the town’s economic development committee, said meetings between local business owners and the committee have been pursued before and allowed for “great conversations” about the struggles of local businesses.

One common struggle businesses have expressed, Blair said, is finding and hiring staff. Pursuing these meetings with existing businesses opens the door for conversations about such struggles and what the town can do to help businesses survive and thrive in Leland, she said.

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While this program was identified as a first-year goal in the town’s strategic plan, Sutton said it will require ongoing action through the years to come.

Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter @jameybcross.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: How Leland plans to keep businesses