An All-American City Deserves First-Class Leadership - a Redux to 2025

"Hickory’s heartbeat is its people—have we built a future worth believing in?"

 An All-American CityDeserves First-Class Leadership -
Originally published as a Guest Column in the Hickory Daily Record on July 15, 2007

 

The Hound:

Here’s a 4-minute summary of my latest article for the Hickory Hound Blog. I teamed up with X’s Grok and ChatGPT, tapping the web’s vast resources to break down the piece, add fresh insights, and dive deep into what it means for us. I’m all in on this to strip out bias and bring you the real scoop—Hickory’s future, unfiltered. AI does the heavy lifting so you get facts, not fluff. Ready to see where this takes us?

 

(From Grok) - Thank you for sharing your editorial from 2007, republished in 2008. It’s a passionate piece that reflects your deep connection to Hickory and your frustration with its leadership and economic trajectory at the time. Reading it now, nearly 18 years later in March 2025, offers an interesting lens to evaluate how your observations and critiques hold up, as well as how Hickory—and broader societal trends—may have evolved. Let’s break it down and reflect on its relevance today.

 What Grok Thinks of the Piece

Your editorial is a raw, unfiltered call to action, grounded in a mix of personal experience and economic analysis. It’s clear you care deeply about Hickory, and your frustration with what you saw as shortsighted, cliquish leadership comes through loud and strong. The piece effectively highlights the economic challenges of the time—over-reliance on fiber-optics, the decline of traditional manufacturing, and the failure to pivot to new industries. You also touch on immigration, urban development priorities, and the disconnect between leadership and the average citizen, which gives it a broad scope.

Stylistically, it’s direct and conversational, with a bit of sarcasm that adds personality (e.g., “How many t-shirts have you read today?”). It’s not a polished policy paper, but it’s not meant to be—it’s a citizen’s plea for change, and that authenticity is its strength. At times, the generalizations (e.g., “99% of us don’t care about downtown”) might weaken your argument by oversimplifying, but they also amplify your voice as someone fed up with the status quo.

How It Translates to 2025

 Looking at your editorial from today’s vantage point, some themes feel timeless, while others have likely shifted due to economic, social, and technological changes. Let’s explore how it relates to now:

 

1. Economic Stagnation and Diversification
In 2007, you lamented Hickory’s reliance on a fading manufacturing base and the fallout from the fiber-optic bust. You called for new industries like alternative energy and biotech. Nearly two decades later, the global economy has indeed shifted toward renewable energy, biotech, and tech-driven industries. If Hickory’s leadership heeded calls like yours, it might have courted solar manufacturers, wind tech firms, or even medical research startups by now. Nationally, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 poured billions into clean energy, so places like Hickory could have ridden that wave. Did they? Without specific data (I’d need to search for Hickory’s current economic profile to confirm), I’d wager the city has made some progress—perhaps in logistics or advanced manufacturing, given its location—but it’s unlikely to have fully transformed into a biotech hub. Your point about ending excuses and showing results still resonates if Hickory remains a mid-tier player compared to thriving metros like Charlotte.

 

2. Leadership and Priorities
Your critique of city council members’ “pet projects” and “high school clique mentalities” taps into a universal frustration with local governance. In 2025, with social media amplifying public scrutiny, leaders are arguably more accountable—but also more prone to performative gestures. Are Hickory’s current leaders still fixated on symbolic issues (t-shirts, dirt hills) over substance? Your call for “first-class leadership” feels just as relevant today, especially in an era where economic inequality and infrastructure needs dominate national discourse. The downtown vs. suburban divide you highlighted might still be a tension point—many cities continue to wrestle with revitalizing urban cores while neglecting sprawling suburbs.

 

3. Immigration and Jobs
Your comments on illegal immigration and low-wage jobs reflect a specific 2007 anxiety—post-9/11 security concerns mixed with economic competition. By 2025, the immigration debate has evolved. Border security remains a hot topic, but the labor market has tightened, with many industries (construction, agriculture) still relying on immigrant workers, legal or not. Automation has also eaten into low-skill jobs, so the textile and furniture roles you mentioned may be even scarcer now. Your underlying question—“What does that say for the security of our city?”—might now extend beyond immigration to cybersecurity or economic resilience in a globalized world.

 

4. Downtown Development
Your disdain for funneling money into downtown Hickory is a standout critique. In 2007-2008, this reflected a suburban identity clashing with urban nostalgia. By 2025, the “downtown revitalization” trend has either succeeded or fizzled in many small cities. If Hickory doubled down on Union Square, it might now boast a vibrant arts scene or boutique economy—or it could be a ghost town if your “99% don’t care” prediction held true. Nationally, remote work and e-commerce have reshaped how people use urban spaces, so your push to invest in neglected suburban areas might feel prescient.

 

5. The All-American City Label
Your skepticism about the designation as a “bureaucratic marketing tool” still lands in 2025. Awards like these remain feel-good PR stunts for many municipalities, often masking deeper challenges. If Hickory’s won it again since 2007, it’d be worth asking: has the city’s quality of life truly improved, or is it still coasting on optics?

 Broader Relevance Today

 Your piece captures a moment of transition—post-industrial decline, pre-Great Recession unease—that mirrors today’s anxieties about AI, climate change, and globalization. The call for “real, meaningful jobs” echoes louder in 2025, as gig work and temp agencies have only grown, while stable, well-paying roles remain elusive for many. Your push for forward-thinking industries aligns with current buzz around green tech and innovation hubs. And your frustration with insular, out-of-touch leadership? That’s practically a universal sentiment in an age of populist discontent.

 

What’s Changed Since 2007?

· The Great Recession: Just months after your editorial, the 2008 crash hit, likely amplifying Hickory’s woes. Recovery patterns would’ve shaped the last 18 years more than the fiber-optic bust alone.

· Technology: Broadband’s ubiquity by 2025 might’ve offered Hickory a second chance at tech-driven growth—did it seize it?

· Demographics: Aging populations and migration (to or from Hickory) could’ve shifted priorities.

· Political Climate: National polarization might’ve trickled down, making local governance even more contentious.

 

The Deep Dive - Bringing It All Together

Your editorial was a sharp, prescient jab at Hickory’s complacency, and its core message—demand better leadership, prioritize economic vitality—holds up in 2025. It’s a snapshot of a city at a crossroads, and I’d be curious to know how you’d assess Hickory today. Has it found its footing, or are you still echoing the same rallying cry? Either way, the piece’s passion and clarity make it a compelling read then and now. What do you think—did Hickory prove you wrong, or right?

Your 2007 editorial called for Hickory to diversify its economy beyond its traditional reliance on textiles, furniture, and the fleeting fiber-optic boom, urging leadership to pursue emerging industries like alternative energy and biotech. Nearly 18 years later, in March 2025, economic diversification remains a critical topic—not just for Hickory but for many mid-sized American cities navigating post-industrial realities. Let’s explore how this concept has evolved, how Hickory may have responded, and what diversification looks like today.

Economic Diversification in Context

Economic diversification is the process of expanding a region’s economic base by reducing dependence on a single industry or sector and fostering growth in new areas. For Hickory in 2007, you identified a vulnerability: the city’s “eggs in one basket” approach—first with manufacturing, then fiber-optics—left it exposed when those sectors faltered. You advocated for proactive investment in future-oriented industries to create “real, meaningful jobs.” Since then, global and national trends have only heightened the urgency of diversification—think automation, offshoring, and the rise of tech-driven economies.

Hickory’s Economic Landscape in 2007

Back when you wrote your piece, Hickory was reeling from the dot-com bust and the decline of its old-school manufacturing base. Textiles and furniture, once the city’s backbone, were hemorrhaging jobs to cheaper overseas markets. The fiber-optic boom of the late 1990s had masked these losses temporarily, but by the early 2000s, the bubble burst, leaving Hickory economically adrift. Your call for diversification was a response to this stagnation, and you pinpointed alternative energy and biotech as potential saviors—industries that, at the time, were gaining traction nationally.

What’s Happened Since?

Fast forward to 2025, and Hickory’s economic story has likely seen some shifts. While I don’t have real-time data beyond my knowledge base, I can piece together a plausible trajectory based on trends and your original concerns.

1. Manufacturing’s Evolution, Not Extinction
Hickory’s manufacturing heritage hasn’t vanished—it’s adapted. The city remains a hub for furniture production, but the industry has shrunk, with companies like Hickory White (still operating since 1902) focusing on niche, high-quality markets rather than mass production. Meanwhile, advanced manufacturing—think precision machining, plastics, and even some tech components—has likely taken root. Nationally, manufacturing has seen a resurgence in some areas due to reshoring and supply chain concerns post-pandemic. Hickory’s proximity to I-40 and its skilled workforce could’ve capitalized on this, diversifying within the sector rather than abandoning it.

 

2. The Tech Boom: Data Centers and Beyond
One big win for Hickory since 2007 is its emergence as a data center corridor. Companies like Apple and Google have invested heavily—Apple’s $1 billion campus south of Hickory, launched in the 2010s, is a standout. Microsoft followed suit in 2022 with plans for multiple data centers in the region, promising jobs and tax revenue. This aligns with your push for future technologies, though it’s less about biotech and more about digital infrastructure. Data centers don’t employ masses—Apple’s facility, for instance, supports a few hundred jobs—but they signal Hickory’s entry into the tech economy, leveraging its location and power infrastructure.

 

3. Alternative Energy: A Mixed Bag
You flagged alternative fuel energy as a growth area in 2007, and nationally, the push for renewables has exploded—think solar, wind, and batteries, spurred by policies like the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. North Carolina ranks high in solar energy production, but Hickory itself may not be a leader here. Nearby counties have landed battery factories (e.g., Toyota’s in the Triad), and Hickory’s region has seen some tech diversification, but there’s no clear evidence it’s become a renewable energy hub. Its manufacturing base could support related supply chains—say, components for solar panels—but this likely remains an untapped opportunity.

 

4. Education and Workforce Development
Diversification isn’t just about industries; it’s about people. Since 2007, Hickory’s educational institutions—like Catawba Valley Community College and Lenoir-Rhyne University—have expanded programs in STEM and workforce training. The 2023 opening of Appalachian State University’s Hickory campus signals a commitment to higher education, potentially feeding talent into tech, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. This addresses your concern about jobs with a future, though the scale of impact depends on how well these programs align with industry needs.

 

5. Big Investments and Bonds
A turning point came with the 2014 $40 million bond referendum, which you didn’t foresee in 2007. Hickory leveraged this into nearly $100 million with grants, funding projects like the Hickory Trail system and the Trivium Corporate Center—a 378-acre business park. Companies like Corning, Cataler, and American Fuji Seal have set up shop there, bringing jobs in fiber-optics, automotive parts, and packaging. This diversification into light industrial and corporate sectors shows leadership heeding calls like yours, even if it’s not the biotech or energy focus you envisioned.

 

 How Does This Relate to Your Editorial?

Your piece nailed the need for change. The fiber-optic bust and manufacturing decline you described were real threats, and Hickory’s leadership seems to have pivoted—albeit slowly and not exactly as you prescribed. The data center boom and business park investments reflect a shift toward tech and industry, fulfilling your demand for economic development that looks to the future. However, your specific picks—alternative energy and biotech—haven’t fully materialized in Hickory, though they’re thriving elsewhere in North Carolina (e.g., Research Triangle’s biotech cluster). Your critique of downtown-focused spending also finds echoes today. The 2014 bond poured money into trails and urban amenities, which might still irk you if northeast, southeast, and southwest Hickory remain neglected. Yet, these investments have arguably made Hickory more attractive to businesses and residents, indirectly supporting diversification by boosting quality of life.

 

Diversification in 2025: Broader Trends

Today, economic diversification for a city like Hickory isn’t just about chasing trendy industries—it’s about resilience. Automation and AI are slashing low-skill jobs, a trend that would’ve worsened your 2007 concerns about textiles and furniture. Climate change pushes regions to adopt green tech, aligning with your alternative energy idea. Meanwhile, remote work and digital infrastructure (like those data centers) redefine what “jobs with a future” mean—less factory floors, more hybrid roles.

Hickory’s challenge now is balancing its manufacturing roots with these new realities. It’s not enough to lure a few big names; the city needs small businesses, startups, and a skilled workforce to sustain growth. Your call for “open-minded” leadership remains spot-on—rigidity could stall progress.

 

Did Hickory Diversify Enough?

By 2025, Hickory’s likely less dependent on any single sector than it was in 2007. Data centers, advanced manufacturing, and education investments suggest a broader base, though it may still lean heavily on industrial and tech niches. Your vision of a forward-thinking economy partly materialized—not through biotech or renewables, but through digital infrastructure and business parks. Whether that’s “first-class” enough depends on execution. Jobs are coming—Microsoft’s 50+ roles, Trivium’s hundreds—but are they the “meaningful” ones you sought, or just more temp-agency fillers? That’s the lingering question.

 In short, your editorial was a prescient push for diversification, and Hickory’s taken steps down that road. It’s not Charlotte, but it’s not Mayberry either—it’s carving a niche.