By Carl O. Smith Jr.

Special to the Telegram

Alan Matthews, vice president for business recruitment for the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce, spoke before the regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Rocky Mount on Feb. 25 at the Gateway Convention Centre. Rotarian and Holiday Inn General Manager Linda Snell provided the introduction while Club President-Elect and principal of Brenda's Basic Retails Services Brenda Shaw presided.

Matthews, a Rocky Mount native, who continued his education at Wingate and Atlantic Christian College, has for the last 9 years focused on small business development for the area with an emphasis in the retail sector. He pointed out the importance of small business in general by citing approximating 5000 businesses in Nash and Edgecombe County, more than 88 percent of which have fewer than 50 employees each. Some 63 percent of area business is classified as retail industry.

Because of its relatively larger size, unlike many small cities in the state, Rocky Mount has achieved status as one of North Carolina's 13 MSAs or Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Matthews said that alone serves to generate many of the more than 100 average monthly inquiries he receives from out of town business and national chains considering locating in Rocky Mount. He said the feeling is that Rocky Mount is a good place for retail business and that while closures do occur; many times these are the result of corporate decisions affecting many stores and are not necessarily a reflection on the success of the Rocky Mount location. He indicated that he felt that an announcement regarding the former Ham's Restaurant location will be forthcoming in the near future and mentioned ALDI's, the German owned supermarket chain, which is constructing a new facility in front of the Mall as a unique and welcome addition to the area.

Matthews discussed some of the economic measures that he is following and has developed. He said that over the last five years, commercial occupancy rates have risen to the present and desirable level of nearly 96 percent. While the State and Country have experienced a downtown, retail sales in Rocky Mount are actually up by .05 percent while cost of living is just 89.6 percent of the national average. Rocky Mount's market share exceeds 50 percent in the five county area of Nash, Edgecombe, Wilson, Halifax and Northampton counties.

Rotary next meets at 1 p.m. Monday at the Gateway Center. Lynwood Roberson of the Red Cross will speak.