The mission of Apex Economic Development is to position Apex for economic opportunity and prosperity through business and industry growth and entrepreneurship.
 

LaunchAPEX
Cohort 7 has completed the instructional portion of the program, which includes ten weeks of classes, all facilitated by Wake Technical Community College. A mentor and mentee matching event was held on October 18^th. Following this event, a luncheon was held for the mentors and mentees to connect with each other. The current portion of the program is mentorship which lasts six months and concludes with graduation on June 4^th.
The LaunchAPEX program is designed to assist Apex businesses and entrepreneurs take their business to the next level. Class participants receive business training via a partnership with Wake Tech, networking and mentoring opportunities, as well as access to financial resources. Click here for more information on LaunchAPEX.

Holiday Promotions
Over 45 small businesses participated in a Small Business Saturday marketing promotion on November 25^th, 2023 organized by Apex Economic Development. Small Business Saturday is recognized nationally to encourage holiday shopping at small businesses.
We also organized two other promotional events aimed at supporting local small businesses in Apex during the holiday season. The Apex Holiday Receipt Raffle, conducted from November 25^th to December 11^th, 2023, actively incentivized people to shop at small businesses. The cumulative entries reflected an expenditure of $4,500. Concurrently, Holiday Love Local BINGO, held from December 1^st to December 3^rd, 2023, strategically urged attendees of downtown holiday festivities to engage with and explore downtown Apex businesses. Click here to learn more about promotional events.

Apex Small Business Advisory Group
The Apex Small Business Advisory Group hosted a meeting on January 10^th, 2024 to review small business initiatives, upcoming promotions, workshops and trainings. The next meeting will be on April 10^th. Click here for more details.

Quarterly Downtown Stakeholder’s Meeting
The Quarterly Downtown Stakeholder’s meeting was held on October 23^rd, 2023. The topics discussed were downtown trash collection, Town of Apex holiday promotions and an update on downtown projects followed by an open discussion.

Apex Gateway Phase I Presented to Town’s Economic Development Committee
The developers of Apex Gateway, Beacon Partners, gave a presentation to the Town’s Economic Development Committee on November 9^th to provide an update on the initial construction. Clearing and grading has begun for both the new Coca-Cola Distribution Center and the site’s first two speculative buildings. Apex Gateway Phase I is a 300-acre industrial and business park located at the intersection of Hwy 64 and Hwy. 751.

Outreach and Presentations
Joanna Helms, Economic Development Director, has given multiple presentations recently to both local groups and organizations in the region. Regularly communicating our local economic development efforts and successes is an integral part of telling the Town of Apex story. Recent events include:

• October 4^th, 2023 – Fuquay-Varina Leadership “Economic Development Day”
• November 30^th, 2023 – Wake County Public School System “Great Explorations” program
• December 8^th, 2023 – Apex Chamber of Commerce “Youth Leadership” program
• December 14^th, 2023 – NC State University “Industrial Extension Solutions” regional managers meeting

Pleasant Park Grand Opening
Pleasant Park held its grand opening on November 4^th, marking a significant milestone in the Town’s recreational inventory. The 92-acre park features multipurpose athletic fields; athletic courts for tennis, pickleball and basketball; a 5k cross country course; an “Enchanted Forest” featuring eight inclusive play areas; and a water play facility. Pleasant Park is expected to attract a variety of regional tournaments and also offers space for large-scale community events.

Rondo-Pak Grand Opening
Rondo-Pak held its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on November 8^th for its new space in Peak City Business Park. This industry will initially create 15 jobs over one shift and increase to 40-50 employees over two shifts. Rondo-Pak is a provider of innovative and future-proof packaging solutions as well as an extensive array of high-quality printed and packaging solutions.

Final Contract Awarded for Second Phase of Complete 540 Project
The N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and N.C. Turnpike Authority (NCTA) have finalized the $287 million contract for the second phase of the Complete 540 Project, marking a significant step in completing the 540 loop around Raleigh. With construction potentially commencing in 2024 and an expected completion in 2028, Phase 2 follows the ongoing construction of Phase 1, set to open in late spring 2024. These developments aim to enhance regional mobility and alleviate traffic congestion in the greater Raleigh area. Read more here.