High Point leaders say city is entering a major growth era

Business High Point used its 2026 State of the City event to put a hard number on the city’s momentum, with President and CEO Rachel Collins saying, “This is the largest growth we’ve seen in our generation.” Collins said the chamber held the event to reflect on the past year’s accomplishments and celebrate what comes next, while Greensboro Chamber of Commerce President Brent Christensen said both communities will see some of the most significant changes in their history.

The growth story is already showing up in downtown dirt and construction plans. On June 16, High Point leaders broke ground on the future Elwood on Main project, which they called “life-changing for our downtown.” City economic development materials also say Swamp Rider chose High Point for its first U.S. manufacturing facility, a signal that the city is still pulling in industrial investment alongside downtown redevelopment.

High Point’s own announcements point to more activity ahead. The city previously said Cambrex would carry out a $30 million expansion that would add 78 jobs, and it said Blythe Construction was scheduled to begin the 2026 Street Resurfacing Project on Monday, July 20, weather permitting. Together, those projects show how private development and public infrastructure are moving in the same direction, with new construction, hiring and road work all landing in the same growth cycle.

That matters in High Point because business leaders here are not talking about abstract optimism. They are talking about the pace of permits, the timing of groundbreakings and the ability of employers to find workers as the city grows. The city’s proposed FY 2026-27 budget was presented to City Council on May 4, and its 2045 planning initiative includes diversifying and integrating housing with other land uses and transportation options, a sign that officials are already trying to plan for the housing and traffic pressures that usually follow faster development.

The State of the City format also tied those local projects to a wider Triad shift. Christensen said High Point and Greensboro are heading into one of the most significant periods of change in their history, a view that fits the city’s mix of downtown redevelopment, industrial investment and road improvements. For High Point, the question now is how quickly those plans become visible jobs, fuller storefronts and better-connected neighborhoods.