Laurinburg & Reidsville Named Official Retirement Communities

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Commerce announced today that Laurinburg and Reidsville are officially designated N.C. Certified Retirement Communities.



“North Carolina is a great place to retire and now the cities of Laurinburg and Reidsville have a valuable economic development tool in being named a Certified Retirement Community,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla III. “Retirees can enjoy active productive lives from our mountains to our coast and we recognize the valuable contributions that retirees can make to our communities.”



The N.C. General Assembly established the program in 2008 to designate communities that offer an optimal quality of living that is desirable to retirees.



“North Carolina is experiencing a healthy in-migration of retirees to the state, and this program aims to attract retirees and persuade them to put down roots here,” said Wit Tuttell, Vice President of Tourism and Marketing at the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.



To gain certification, a local government must submit an application that includes a comprehensive community survey and assessment tool that spans numerous dimensions reflecting the city’s readiness for retiree attraction. Ratings criteria include:



• Demographics



• Housing/technology



• Healthcare


• Local economy



• Leisure/cultural opportunities



• Services for retirees



• Community/education/military



“We are genuinely excited that Laurinburg and Scotland County are being recognized for what we have known for a long time ? Scotland County is truly a great place to live!” said Guy McCook, chairman of the Scotland County Board of Commissioners.



“The City of Reidsville is honored to have been selected as a North Carolina Certified Retirement Community,” said Reidsville Mayor Jay Donecker. “This certification will not only assist us in our marketing efforts for Reidsville but also will give us a large amount of positive exposure that a city our size couldn’t get otherwise.  It will also be a great attribute as we seek to recruit economic development possibilities.  With the City of Reidsville currently building a brand new state-of-the-art Senior Center, this certification could not have come at a better time. We are thrilled.”



Communities with the official certification receive marketing and promotion assistance from Visit North Carolina, part of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. The EDPNC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is contracted by N.C. Commerce to oversee the state’s efforts in business and job recruitment and retention, international trade, and tourism, film and sports development as well as the Certified Retirement Community program.



Visit North Carolina accepts applications for the Certified Retirement Community Program in January and July of each calendar year. More information and an application are available for download at partners.visitnc.com/partner-opportunities/partner-research.html.



North Carolina previously named the following cities as Certified Retirement Communities: Asheboro, Eden, Edenton, Lenoir, Lumberton, Marion, Mount Airy, New Bern, Pittsboro, Sanford, Tarboro and Winterville. More information can be accessed at www.retirenc.com.