DANBURY
Stokes County's new economic-development director has direct experience with the challenges that face those who run a business.
"I know what it feels like to try to make a payroll work," Alan Wood said.
Wood, who will start Monday, has been working in Lenoir as the senior development manager for the Caldwell County Economic Development Commission. With the commission since 2004, he was part of the team that recruited Google to build a $600 million data center in Lenoir.
His earlier experience includes working as a branch manager for First Union Bank in Lenoir, being the general manager of the Skill Craft manufacturing company in Lenoir, being a managing partner in the Cambridge Chair furniture-manufacturing company in Granite Falls and being a customer-service manager for Lending Tree in Charlotte.
"A lot of it has prepared me for doing economic-development work," he said.
For the moment, he will be a one-man operation, with an office on the third floor of Stokes County's administration building in Danbury. He will report directly to County Manager Bryan Steen, who likes that Wood knows business from the inside as well as the economic-development side, and that Wood has extras, such as a contractor's license.
"He has extensive experience as an actual business operator," Steen said.
Wood, 49, was raised in the Harmony community of Iredell County.
"I grew up working on tobacco and dairy farms," he said.
After he went off to UNC Chapel Hill, he would come home to help his grandfather with his tobacco farm.
Wood graduated in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing.
"I'm very competitive," he said. "I've never been satisfied with being second."
He played sports in high school. These days, he enjoys golf, hiking and fishing. He also is an avid reader. One way or another, he said, he likes to stay busy.
"I usually have to be doing something," Wood said. "My mind is active even if I'm sitting and watching TV."
Coming to Stokes County not only gives Wood a chance to run his own department, it also gives him and his wife, Kelly, the chance to cut down on her commute. She has been traveling to Surry County, where she works as a designer for True Textiles in Elkin (formerly Interface Fabrics and before that, Chatham Manufacturing). The couple plan to find a home in Stokes County.
"That will allow her to cut her commute in half," Wood said.
The county has not had a full-time economic-development director since October 2007, when Ron Morgan retired after 17 years. Since then, Steen has added the job to his list of responsibilities. Wood's annual salary will be $69,000.
Wood's responsibilities will include working with existing businesses, recruiting new businesses and promoting tourism.
Right off, Wood said, he plans to get to work on updating the county business directory and Web site, and getting to know not only Stokes County business people but also people in regional businesses and organizations.
"From there, there is a whole shopping list," he said. Items on the list include upgrading potential industrial sites.
Stokes County has a strong arts community and such natural attractions as Hanging Rock State Park, and county officials have said that they would like to increase the role of tourism in the county's economy. Wood said that he doesn't have as much experience in the tourism side of economic development, but that he will put attention on that part of the job as well.
Although the economic downturn may mean that not as many deals will be made right away as might be the case in more robust times, he said, he will work on being ready when companies are ready to act.
"You can't quit," he said. "Deals are going to be made."
■ Kim Underwood can be reached at 727-7389 or at kunderwood@wsjournal.com.
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