The Goodyear tire plant will close next year, joining a list of manufacturers that have left the Fayetteville area in the last five years.
It marks a shift that economic developers are watching closely.
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Goodyear announced this week that its Fayetteville plant will close, taking 1,700 jobs with it and bringing an end to decades of manufacturing history in the community.
Mayor Mitch Colvin said the impact will be significant for the city.
“1,700 jobs is a lot, you know. It has been a pillar of our community, back when it was Kelly Springfield, and it's always been one of the probably top five or 10 employers,” Colvin said.
Robert Van Geons, president of the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation, said the closure brings the total number of jobs lost to industrial shutdowns in the area to 2,300 over the past five years. Industrial manufacturers that have closed facilities during that time include Blue Ridge Power, Alpek Polyester, Nitta Gelatin and Delta Apparel.
“We regret these jobs are leaving us, but I do believe that we have a great opportunity to leverage this, the talent that's there, and to attract new employers to take advantage of,” he said.
He said the city is focused on helping displaced workers find new jobs while also using the transition as an opportunity to attract new employers to the region.
“We are already and have been working with a number of companies considering our region. They look for sites, they look for a business friendly environment, and they look for talent. And honestly, these employees, knowing that they're going to be seeking new opportunities, is already drawing a significant amount of interest from companies considering North Carolina,” he said.
Despite the recent closures, Fayetteville and Cumberland County have also seen several industrial expansions and new developments in recent years.
Recent industrial announcements include NVR, Amazon DC, Amazon Last Mile, Yeadon Domes, which is currently under construction, Rollease Acmeda and Myron Promos. Together, those industrial projects have added approximately 2,000 jobs, with another 375 jobs tied to projects that are under construction or recently announced.
