WestRock : Claremont saw $140 million in industrial investment in 2021

"We were pretty maxed out (on wastewater capacity)," Brown said. "We were to a point where if a huge industry had come to us, we wouldn't have been able to take them. We had to set ourselves up and this agreement with the city of Hickory is going to revolutionize Claremont's wastewater capacity for 40 years."

Brown is expecting more business growth to come out of the city's efforts, he said.

"There's things in the cooker now that I can't discuss publicly, but they are going to be good," Brown said. "And there are things being worked on that, over time, will become public that are going to be good."

In a small city like Claremont, the tax dollars that come out of businesses investments and expansions make a big impact. Those investments in Claremont mean a lower tax rate for residents and better services, Brown said. The city was able to repave nearly all city-owned streets, add sidewalks and grow a successful fire department with a low insurance rating, Brown said.

"It truly is giving the amenities of a larger city on a smaller scale," Brown said. "And it is that industrial base that allows us to do that. It really does."

This year, Claremont saw especially strong business growth and expansion. The level of investment reflects a successful year for businesses across the county, Catawba County Economic Development Corporation President Scott Millar said. Companies saw an increase in business in 2021, and with success came expansions.