Doosan Bobcat Hosts Iredell EDC’s Final Industry Leaders Council Of 2024

On November 21 almost 30 of the toughest industry leaders in Iredell County convened in the lair of “One Tough Animal,” Doosan Bobcat for the fourth and final Industry Leaders Council of 2024. Kent Greene, Director of Fire Services and Emergency Management of Iredell County, shared a hard look at one of the toughest and unexpected events of 2024 while Kevin Smith, Site Operations Manager of Doosan Bobcat discussed how industry can attack one of the toughest challenges of 2025, workforce.

Late in the evening of September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm in the Big Bend area of the Florida Gulf Coast. Tracking northward, Helene’s greatest impact was felt in the mountains of North Carolina where strong wind gusts brought down trees and power lines while widespread and unprecedented flooding resulted in hundreds of fatalities and billions of dollars in property damage. Even before the extent of the devastation was fully assessed Iredell County Emergency Management was preparing to put boots on the ground to help where help was needed most. While Iredell County business and industry rallied to assist wherever and however they could, their thoughts were consumed with the tough question, “What If?”

As a key component of his presentation, Greene shared some startling statistics from the impact of Hurricane Helene.

• 102 Fatalities in NC (expected to grow)
• 258,815 Requests for Individual Assistance
• 295 Requests for Public Assistance
• 10,414 In Transitional Shelters
• $227,478,214 Housing Assistance Distributed
• 22 Disaster Recovery Centers Open in 21 Counties
• 337 Roads Remain Closed (I-40: September 2025)
• 237 Water Treatment Plants Impacted
• 10 million Cubic Yards of Debris
• 31.33 Inches of Rain
• Swannanoa River Crested at 26.1 Feet (Previous Record: 20.7, 1916)
• 1,000 Roads and Bridges Damaged
• $53.6 Billion Expected Damage Estimate
• 100,000 Homes Damaged
• $38-$58 Billion in Economic Losses
• Baxter International, 60% of IV Fluid Nationally
• Quartz Mining in Spruce Pine, the only mine in the world that supplies pure quartz for technology
• 90% of Gas Stations, Grocery Stores and Pharmacies Reopened by October 13, Non-Critical Businesses Lagging Far Behind
• $13.1 Billion in Business Disruption Losses
• $3.4 Billion in Additional Agricultural Losses

According to Greene, industry leaders hold the key to recovery from either catastrophic or everyday disaster by preparing for the “What If” with a disaster recovery plan including access to important records, redundancy for key resources like power, equipment, and supplies, and a stockpile of emergency supplies. Additionally, industry leaders can utilize the Iredell County Emergency Management team to formulate and review their plans.

Similarly, Smith contends that industry leaders hold the key to their future workforce issues, and again, it centers on preparation and pipeline development. Recognizing that employing an adequate number of technicians as being their greatest challenge, Smith partnered with Mitchell Community College to create a viable apprentice program that now employees 13 students, the first of which will graduate this year. Smith, however, is adamant that career awareness needs to start much earlier particularly around STEM which is predicted to have a vacancy rate of 3.5 million jobs in 2025.  To assist Iredell-Statesville Schools to meet the challenge of preparing students to fill these jobs, Smith is proposing a mobile STEM classroom trailer that will travel between schools where students can see and experience firsthand what these careers look like.  “At Bobcat, innovation is in our DNA,” he shares. “We want to lead the challenge to change the world and dig the foundation for the future of our students.”

From disaster preparedness to building the workforce of the future the Industry Leaders Council focuses on the tough topics impacting the businesses of Iredell County. Designed and conducted to provide business leaders with an insider’s look at other industries, the meeting provides an open forum to discuss topics and trends that are impacting growth. If you are an industry leader and would like to take advantage of this unique and informative program, contact Todd Black, Existing Industry Manager, [email protected]