City of High Point leaders stayed local when they chose Peter Bishop to be their next economic development director.
Bishop has worked in economic development in North Carolina for more than 15 years, the last seven with the city of Burlington.
He says one of the things that made the High Point job attractive was the level of cooperation among Guilford County stakeholders.
“Economic development is the ultimate team sport," he says. "Being able to work closely with your neighbors to compete, to put together competitive incentive packages to retain companies in the market are all very important. And I don't know that anybody does it better than Guilford County municipalities and Guilford County government and the state.”
Bishop will head the High Point Economic Development Corporation which serves as a public-private partnership helping to retain and recruit business to the city.
He says the major manufacturers get most of the headlines, but he also enjoys working with small- and medium-sized businesses to help them grow.
Bishop will start Jan. 29. He takes over for Sandy Dunbeck, who held the position for three years before retiring in 2023.