SANFORD, N.C. — From an award for the top economic project in the entire Research Triangle region to a dozen industrial expansions locally, recent economic development achievements were outlined last week in an annual presentation to the Lee County Economic Development board.

Last year began with news that Lee County Economic Development and Caterpillar Inc. received the 2011 Space Award for the top economic development project in the Research Triangle region. That honor was awarded by the Triangle Business Journal for a $28.3 million Caterpillar expansion project that was underway just below the board meeting in the new Innovation Center of Lee County.

The project, which launched its training phase this winter, brings 325 new jobs and additional production lines to the Sanford Caterpillar plant. It also allowed local officials to create The Innovation Center of Lee County, a state-of-the-art training facility that already has been attracting praise from industrial executives within the region and beyond.

But the Caterpillar expansion was just one of a dozen recent additions to the local industrial base.

Along with projects by Magneti Marelli, Static Control Components, Frontier Spinning, Coty, Challenge Printing, WST Industries and Zurn, local industrial expansions added at least $81 million and 570 jobs to the industrial base. The actual impact is much more, because those figures don't include Static Control, which also is expanding, but did not announce any specific numbers.

Four other companies located in Lee County for the first time — Cloverleaf Cold Storage, JMC Tool and Machine, Portal Idea Navigation and The Bread Shop.

The result: Well over $95 million in local investment, $18.3 million in new payroll and 726 new jobs — all if it taking place in a sluggish economy.

Board chairman Donnie Oldham was impressed that Lee County had managed to maintain so many industries — much less expand — in the current economic climate.

"With so many changes in the global economy, a lot of cities are losing all of their industry and some are struggling just to survive," Oldham said. "We've seen our share of changes, too, but our industrial base is actually thriving.

"Even in what some economists have called the worst economy since the Great Depression, we've had an impressive number of expansions. That's very good in the short-term and is it's even better for our future. As the economy picks up, our companies have restructured and are competitive. We're in great position for the future, and this kind of success doesn't happen by accident."

Oldham credited city and county officials working together to create a positive economic climate and Bob Heuts, Lee County's economic development director, who works with industrial leaders worldwide to maintain a competitive environment locally and help companies find ways to locate and expand in Lee.

That often involves industrial incentives, a reality that Heuts says is a routine and essential part of industrial decisions in every part of the globe. "It's not that everyone loves incentives, but they're part of how business operates everywhere," he says. "They help companies cope with the huge risk of expansion and, if they're done conservatively, like we do them here, they're good for everyone."

In addition to all of the new jobs that keep local families employed, Heuts says Lee County and the City of Sanford have enjoyed at least a five-to-one return on incentives.

In the current fiscal year, Lee County received about $3.6 million in taxes on expansion that might not have taken place locally without incentives. After that additional tax revenue was collected, about $570,00 — or 16 percent of the total — was paid to those expanding companies in incentive payments.

What that means, Heuts says, is that for every $1 provided by Lee County in incentives, the county received about $5 in return.

Other items noted in the presentation:

• Money available to help local business expand has been dramatically increased thanks to a grant from the private Golden Leaf Foundation. Lee County Economic Development already operated one revolving loan fund, created with a grant from North Carolina Rural Development, which has loaned about $431,000 to help small businesses start or expand. The arrangement with Golden Leaf will create a new Lee County Revolving Loan Fund of about $850,000 within five years — meaning a total of $1.38 million will be available to assist local businesses.

• Economic development staff worked on inquiries on about 73 possible industrial expansions last year. Of the total, 51 inquiries came from the manufacturing sector.

• Lee County Economic Development worked with Central Carolina Community College and the Lee County government to create The Innovation Center, which features state-of-the-art industrial training facilities. Among them: a simulated work environment, welding lab and instrumentation lab.

• It also helped establish the TriSouth Entrepreneurial Network, a four-county consortium to help small businesses succeed. That included helping conduct two initial information and networking events sponsored by the network.

The Lee County Economic Development Corp. is a nonprofit organization established to attract industry, enhance job opportunities and promote sound planning across Lee County. Funding is provided by the county, as well as the City of Sanford and Town of Broadway, the county's two municipalities.

The Lee County Economic Development Corp. is a nonprofit organization established to attract industry, enhance job opportunities and promote sound planning across Lee County. Funding is provided by the county, as well as the City of Sanford and Town of Broadway, the county's two municipalities.