Jenn Bosser: A Leader in Economic Development in Iredell County

Jenn Bosser, CEcD, is the President & CEO of the Iredell County Economic Development Corporation

By Meredith Collins

Those of us who live in Iredell County know what a great place it is to live, work and play. Jenn Bosser’s job is to share that with others to attract national and international businesses to make their home here in Iredell County. As the President & CEO of the Iredell County Economic Development Corporation, Jenn and her team work with local businesses, our local elected officials, real estate developers, brokers, and investors to orchestrate new investment in property to ultimately create new jobs in Iredell County.

In The Beginning

Jenn's journey to economic development was as serendipitous as it was destined. When trying to decide on a college major, she navigated through various interests before landing on a degree in communications, thanks to the interdisciplinary appeal of her studies in speech pathology, psychology, and public relations. This led her to an internship at a female-owned PR agency in Washington D.C., where she was immersed in a world of powerful women and diverse mentors who would shape her future. Her quest was not merely about finding a career, but about discovering a purpose to catalyze growth and prosperity in the community. As she was introduced to the economic development field while working at the Convention and Visitors Bureau in D.C., she quickly found her calling in the service-oriented, problem-solving nature of economic development, which allowed her to make tangible impacts on communities and businesses alike.

Witnessing the evolution of women’s roles in business, Jenn has seen the landscape change throughout her career. “When I first started in economic development, there were not a lot of senior executive women in the field,” Jenn said.

“There was very little diversity. Now when I go to conferences, I’m seeing about half male and half female. It shouldn’t be all women and it shouldn’t be all men. The combination of both gives us a more robust discussion and perspective. I want to surround myself with people who have different strengths. I’m thankful to have had many cheerleaders and mentors (both women and men) who have supported me along the way to help me to get to where I am today.”

Collaboration for Change and Growth

Prior to Iredell County, Jenn worked in tourism and economic development in both Raleigh and DC. When the Mooresville and Statesville economic development corporations merged in 2018, Jenn saw a blank canvas with a lot of potential. 

“I saw this as an opportunity to come in and really build something with the community,” Jenn said. “I had been in Raleigh for 14 years and had watched my contributions help change Raleigh and Wake County. Being able to come to Iredell with it being so young and new, we could build out the organizational process. It was more of a blank slate and we had to figure out our assets and market them. The biggest win has been bringing people together across the county to align around one goal. Leaders found that they have more in common than not. We are really working together to accomplish great things as a county.”

In the last five years, things have heated up in Iredell County. Between 2018 and 2023, Iredell EDC announced 109 projects, totaling $2 B in new investment, and the creation of 5,400 jobs. There has been a significant interest from the private real estate development community in investment in site readiness and building new industrial development. Since 2019, Iredell EDC has supported a variety of industrial sites across the county, representing 15 million square feet in potential development.

Embracing the Future

Iredell County’s top industry is manufacturing. Jenn commends the community for being adaptable. “As people returned to work post-Covid, manufacturers have had more of a supply on hand,” she said. “We are a manufacturing county and we have the labor force to support that. One of the blessings of working in Iredell County is that we are not stuck in our ways. We are not focused on what was, but open to moving forward.”

Jenn has seen industries adapt and change to meet changing demands and new innovations. “We are seeing a lot of diversification amongst industries,” she said. “The automotive manufacturing sector is #1,” she said. “We are seeing a lot of our automotive manufacturers invest in new lines to serve electric vehicles while also maintaining their current production. Motorsports companies are now diversifying to manufacture for aerospace, defense, military and medical devices.”

Jenn and her team hope to continue to build on the great foundations and bring new people into the workforce. Programs like Iredell Ready help people get plugged into the workforce.

What’s Ahead for the County?

The county will continue to build on strengths including location, infrastructure and technology. Aligning schools and local industry through Iredell Ready. Fostering a sense of community, vibrant downtowns and outdoor amenities to make Iredell County a great place to work and live. As one of the fastest growing counties, Iredell has the 6th highest wage in the state but we have one of the lowest tax rates in the state and region. “This is a testament to our local government to figure out how to balance the number of residents and services,” Jenn said.

This is just one of the many international and national companies who are establishing and growing their businesses here in Iredell County.

A German company just announced in January they will be building a US headquarters right here in Mooresville. “This is a big project this year for us,” Jenn said. “It was very competitive nationally. They started with 380 sites, narrowed down to three states and multiple counties in the Charlotte region. Ultimately they chose to be here in Mooresville. This is a 38 million dollar investment with over 200 jobs averaging $84,000 a year. They are putting roots here to be here long term.”

Visionary Leadership

As Jenn mentors the next generation, her journey comes full circle. Early on in her career she had several mentors to come alongside her to guide in professional and personal development. Now, she is able to mentor young professionals in the same way.

Today, we celebrate you, Jenn, and all you are doing to keep Iredell County a great place to work and live.