Davidson County Is Fast Emerging as a Motor-sports Industry Hub
Move over, Charlotte.
More and more motor-sports companies and race teams are choosing to put down roots in Davidson County, creating a racing industry nucleus that promises to keep on growing.
“We recruit motor-sports companies from all over the world,” says Steve Googe, executive director of the Davidson County Economic Development Commission. “We’ve had success, and that breeds other people coming. Motor-sports companies also talk at trade shows, and we’ve gotten a lot of referrals that way.”
Richard Childress Racing Inc., founded by retired NASCAR driver Richard Childress, is among the top 10 manufacturing companies in the county. With its own race teams and manufacturing operations, Richard Childress Racing has earned more than 150 victories and 10 NASCAR championships.
The company is headquartered in Welcome and manufactures race cars as well as its own brand of wine and sausages.
“Richard Childress Racing had only 35 employees in 1992 and now has over 400,” Googe says. “All the race teams have experienced that growth, and there’s a huge demand for motor-sports talent in this region. Bill Davis Racing has also been in Davidson County a number of years, and the Pettys have an operation in Thomasville.”
Roehrig Engineering Inc. in Lexington moved to Davidson County in 2005 and manufactures shock absorber and spring testing equipment used by race teams to test racecar components. Kurt Roehrig, chief executive officer and technical director, says both Googe and Childress were instrumental in the company’s decision to move to Davidson County.
“Richard Childress has been a mentor to me, and he encouraged us to come here,” Roehrig says. “We also saw a lot of motor-sports industry growth here, and 50 percent of our volume has been within a 100-mile radius of where we are.”
Another big draw was Davidson County’s proximity to airports in Greensboro, Raleigh and Charlotte for handling the company’s international distribution.
“This location helps us better serve our customers,” Roehrig says. “Our experience has been wonderful so far. Davidson County seems to be very aggressive in making itself an attractive place to do business.”
CV Products Inc., a world-class racing parts manufacturer, moved to Thomasville in 1996. The company is also a high-volume distributor of the top brands of racing components. Their customers include virtually every team at all levels of NASCAR, including local powerhouse organizations such as Richard Childress Racing, Petty Enterprises and Dale Earnhardt Inc.
“When we moved to our new headquarters in 1996, the benefits of being in Davidson County immediately became obvious,” says Sean Honan, communications manager for CV Products Inc. “The location of CV Products in the heart of central North Carolina has and will continue to be essential to our growth and success. Our location in Thomasville provides us with a base near both Interstate 85 and Greensboro for transportation convenience, and we are able to look to Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Greensboro for recruiting talented personnel.”
Xceldyne Technologies is another motor-sports company located in Thomasville. They manufacture titanium valves, valvetrain and racing components for a variety of racecars and specialize in titanium alloys.
“As the racing market continues to grow, you are seeing many companies involved in motor-sports relocate and join us in this area,” Honan says. “We have worked closely with Steve Googe to identify tax incentives and other forms of assistance available from state and county government. As we move into the future, this type of cooperation will continue to strengthen North Carolina’s place as the heart and soul of this industry.”
