By capitalizing on its proximity to High Point and the international furniture marts, Asheboro has turned its downtown into a furniture and antiques mecca, but also a thriving spot for dining, retail and recreation.

Asheboro Revitalized by Renovation

Venerable sites such as Moore’s department store — now Collector's Antique Mall — in Midtown anchor whole districts that have regained their glory days, and there’s more on the way. Bicentennial Park, a block-long green space between Sunset Avenue and Academy Street, has turned a former bus station into an outdoor area for concerts and other events, as well a great spot for plain old people-watching and relaxing. Its success led to a $1 million loan pool from local banks, which has helped new businesses come in even as the city continues to make streetscape improvements throughout the downtown area.

Randolph Mall, Dixie Drive Lead Retail Growth

Elsewhere in the area, retail continues to grow and prosper. Randolph Mall, which opened in 1982, has 60 stores and a seven-screen movie theater. The mall and other major retail outlets along Dixie Drive continue to add new offerings. Soon they will benefit from the N.C. Dept. of Transportation's redevelopment of the five-mile section of U.S. Highway 64 that comprises Dixie Drive, a project now in the early design and public-input phase.

Manufacturing Anchors Local Economy

Strong retail growth continues to fuel the local manufacturing sector, which comprises more than 300 companies and provides almost half the county’s jobs. Major players include Klaussner Home Furnishings, which has its corporate headquarters and a 100,000-square-foot showroom in Asheboro; United Furniture Industries, a leading sofa manufacturer and upholsterer with a production facility in Archdale; Sealy Corp., which runs its global bedding empire from Trinity; Hughes Furniture Industries, a family-owned seating designer and builder in Randleman; the Timken Co., which continues to expand capabilities and add jobs at its 150,000-square-foot plant; Energizer, which has two major plants in Asheboro producing alkaline batteries, metal parts and packaging; Acme-McCrary, a local mainstay and producer of legwear since 1909; Arrow International, which makes disposable catheters and related products for cardiac care at its growing Asheboro plant; injection molder Technimark; and MasTec, which designs, builds, maintains and upgrades infrastructure for the nation’s telephone, satellite and cable-television services.

Agribusiness a Solid Industry in Randolph County

There’s plenty of outdoor industry here as well, with a thriving agricultural economy that continues to develop in new directions. Randolph County has more than 1,500 farms, and in 2005  agribusinesses here generated $245.6 million in sales and revenue. The county often places first in North Carolina in number of beef cows, with milk cows and broilers also posting numbers at the top of the charts.

And just to make sure everybody gets along, there’s the Voluntary Agricultural District Program, which sets aside land for agricultural use, separating farmers from the growing urban areas and new homes.