Wayne County is taking steps to stimulate its economy in the coming years.

The kickoff event, held Thursday at Goldsboro Builders Supply, marks the start of an aggressive five year plan from the Wayne County Development Alliance.

WCDA President Mark Pope talked about the Impact Wayne campaign and says this is a great way for an individual or organization to connect themselves to the growth in the community.

Popes says in Wayne County, there are 65 industries dealing with manufacturing, logistics and corporate offices.

He says those businesses are growing with positions paying over the average wage.

David Perry, Chair for Impact Wayne, says the effort “is all about jobs.”

Perry reminds people only go where there are jobs, and this initiative will hopefully help retain and attract employers to Wayne County.

The Impact Wayne plan has goals that will directly impact bringing 700 jobs to Wayne County and $150 million in capital investment by the end of 2025.

If these goals are met, Wayne County can expect to see an annual increase in consumer spending of $22.6 million.

The Impact Way capital campaign is a public/private initiative with a goal to raise $1.5 million for the five-year plan.

The campaign is already halfway to its goal, raising just over $825,000 during its “quiet phase.”

To learn more about Impact Wayne, visit http://www.waynealliance.org/.

Click here to read Impact Wayne’s Case for Investment.