[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 133 (Thursday, July 29, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E847-E848]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING MAC WILLIAMS: LEADER IN ALAMANCE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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                             HON. TED BUDD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 29, 2021

  Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mac Williams' 
retirement from his storied tenure as president of the Alamance County 
Chamber of Commerce and in commemoration of his great achievements on 
behalf of the county's economy.
  Departing with over 45 years of expertise in economic development, 
Mac's service as President of the Chamber since 2004 has been critical 
to the addition of numerous businesses and their operations to Alamance 
County. From 2017 through 2020, Alamance County saw over $425,200,000 
in capital investment and has added over 1,265 jobs under Mac's 
supervision. While the numbers alone speak to Mac's extraordinary 
ability to attract new employers to Alamance County, Mac's 
accomplishments are even more impressive when considering the history 
of the county.
  Long a fixture of North Carolina's textile industry, Alamance 
County's economy has benefitted from its central location within the 
state. As the textile industry began to boom in the mid-19th century, 
the area naturally developed into a transportation hub, serving as a 
link between Greensboro and Raleigh due to its close proximity to the 
two neighboring cities. Though the textile industry is still strong in 
Alamance County, textiles no longer make up the same share of the 
area's economy as they once did. Rather than allowing Alamance County's 
economic opportunity to fade as much of the manufacturing process has 
been moved overseas, Mac Williams and the Chamber of Commerce worked 
hard to ensure that the county adapted its unique geographic and 
historic advantages to preserve its strong economic performance, 
pivoting to become a

[[Page E848]]

hotspot not only for the manufacturing that remained, but now also for 
logistics and distribution.
  Those who know Mac recognize him as a leader amongst his peers and it 
has even been said of him by Greensboro Chamber of Commerce President 
and CEO Brent Christenson that ``Mac has long been the standard by 
which other chamber leaders and economic development professionals have 
been measured.''
  Please join me in thanking Mac Williams for his commitment to the 
economic wellbeing and continued prosperity of Alamance County. We wish 
him the best in his future endeavors. Today, Alamance County is ``A 
Great Place to Be'' in large part because of Mac's contributions.

            [From the Triad Business Journal, Apr. 21, 2021]

  Mac Williams To Retire as Alamance Chamber President by the End of 
                                October

       The Triad is soon to lose as second veteran economic 
     developer within a year as Alamance Chamber of Commerce 
     President Mac Williams draws the curtain on a 45-year career, 
     around the end of October.
       But like Loren Hill, who retired after 20 years as 
     president of the High Point Economic Development Corp. at the 
     beginning of the year, retirement doesn't mean he is going 
     away.
       Williams, who joined the Alamance Chamber in 2004, told the 
     Alamance News he will be seeking other opportunities in the 
     economic development community. He may not have to look far.
       ``Mac has another career in either consulting or site 
     selection,'' Bob Lewis, shareholder and broker at NAI 
     Piedmont Triad, told Triad Business Journal. ``I'd hire him 
     to come work with our company. He would be a dynamite 
     addition to our site selection group.''
       Hill wasn't on the job market long. Within a month after 
     leaving his prior post, he was named economic development 
     director of the Piedmont Triad Partnership.
       Lewis said Williams ``had a great run'' in his time in 
     Alamance County. He played a key role in the recruitment of 
     companies to both North Carolina Industrial Center and North 
     Carolina Commerce Park. He helped lead the transformation of 
     the county's former textiles-based economy into one focused 
     on logistics and distribution, maximizing the county's 
     proximity to major metropolitan areas and efficient 
     interstate access.
       Under Williams' watch, Alamance County brought in food 
     distribution centers for Walmart and grocery chain Lidl; food 
     manufacturing and distribution facilities for Sheetz and 
     Lotus Bakeries; and had manufacturing wins such as Honda 
     Power Equipment expansions and Honda Aero, which builds 
     HondaJet engines for Honda Aircraft Co.
       Most recently, he helped secure a new distribution hub for 
     United Parcel Service and a distribution center for Chick-
     fil-A.
       ``Mac has long been the standard by which other chamber 
     leaders and economic development professionals have been 
     measured,'' said Greensboro Chamber of Commerce President and 
     CEO Brent Christensen. ``He leaves a lasting legacy of 
     creating jobs for the Alamance County community and being a 
     great advocate for this region. I know that his counterparts 
     in the region and state will miss him, but hopefully we will 
     be able to call on him for advice from time to time.''
       Added Brian Hall, director of development of Samet Corp., 
     one of Alamance County's more active commercial construction 
     contractors, ``Mac leaves a legacy of working in partnership 
     with both public and private partners, to secure economic 
     growth, driving investment in the county and helping to 
     create a brighter future for Alamance County.''
       Not just ``elephant hunting,'' Lewis, who has known 
     Williams since the early 1980s, said Williams understands the 
     value of recruiting multiple smaller companies that 
     collectively provide similar impact to a single large one. 
     Economic development requires leadership that effectively 
     educates elected officials and the community on the value 
     what is a public/private venture.
       ``We talk frequently and keep each other informed about 
     various aspects of the market, and he has done just a stellar 
     job for Alamance County,'' Lewis said. ``He is highly 
     respected in the economic development community.
       He's forgotten more about economic development than most 
     people will ever know.''

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