Kannapolis, home to N.C. Research Campus, receives U.S. Department of Commerce award

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Salisbury Post

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — The federal government recognized Kannapolis, now the home of the North Carolina Research Campus, this week for not giving up after the demise of its main industry – textiles.

Kannapolis was one of seven cities in the nation to receive a 2009 Excellence in Economic Development Award for Excellence in Economic Diversification Strategies.

Sandi Walters, chief financial officer for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, presented the award Tuesday at the Cabarrus Regional Partnership meeting.

The award recognizes the city’s commitment to research-based, market-driven economic development in helping improve the local economy.

The city’s entry highlighted its transformation from a former mill town to a research community, and detailed its effort to revitalize the downtown area after the largest employer shut down and more than 4,500 residents were out of work.

For details, see the report.