RALEIGH — Gene McLaurin of Rockingham has been reappointed as chair of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina for a four-year term, the organization announced.
McLaurin was first appointed to the board in 2017 by former Gov. Roy Cooper and has served as chair since 2021. His reappointment was made by Gov. Josh Stein.
According to a press release from the partnership, North Carolina “has experienced an unprecedented amount of economic development success. Since 2021, companies have announced over 122,000 new jobs and $91 billion worth of investment in the state.”
Last year, Amazon Web Services announced a $10 billion investment in North Carolina, the largest single investment in state history.
McLaurin has been active in public service and business in Richmond County and across the state for decades. He served as mayor of Rockingham for 15 years and later served one term in the North Carolina State Senate. He is president and CEO of Quality Oil Company, which has offices in Rockingham, Laurinburg, Lumberton and Wadesboro.
“I am honored that Gov. [Josh] Stein has reappointed me as Chair of the EDPNC Board,” McLaurin said in a press release. “Since joining this board in 2017, I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact of our innovative public-private model in driving economic growth across North Carolina. This approach has consistently delivered results, benefiting communities throughout the state. I am excited to continue collaborating with our exceptional bipartisan board as well as with our CEO Christopher Chung and the dedicated staff of EDPNC.”
“A native of Rockingham – a city of 8,800 in Richmond County – McLaurin’s passion for promoting economic development in the state’s rural communities has been reflected in EDPNC’s success in driving investment in all areas of the state. During McLaurin’s time as chair of EDPNC, over 20,000 jobs and $21 billion worth of investment have been announced in North Carolina’s Tier 1 counties, defined as the most economically distressed areas in the state,” read the press release.
McLaurin was honored last year as Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the Richmond Community College Foundation. His past leadership roles include president of the Richmond County Chamber of Commerce and the Rockingham Rotary Club. He was also named Richmond County Citizen of the Year in 2014.
“It’s exciting and a great opportunity,” McLaurin told the Daily Journal in 2021 when he was first appointed chair. “I love North Carolina. It’s been my lifelong home. I’m excited about the chance to work with our staff and our board to promote and encourage economic growth all across our state.”