Garner Gets It Done Beautifully

When you think of Garner, you should think of beauty.  Why?  Well, for one thing, the Miss Garner beauty contest is the longest continuously running pageant in the state, having celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008.

If that does not impress you, consider this: Amanda Watson, winner of the 2008 Miss Garner and Miss North Carolina contests, competed in theMiss America contest in Las Vegas in January along with Kendria Perry, Miss Garner 2007, who since that win headed north and became the reigning Miss Pennsylvania.  As far as most people can tell, it marked the first time that two contestants in the same Miss America pageant have won the same preliminary contest.

Of course, there’s more than beauty that meets the eye in Garner. Located south of Raleigh with convenient access to both the Beltline and Interstate 40 going east and south along U.S. 70, Garner has long held a reputation as a bedroom community in Wake County.  But it is much more than what that designation suggests.  For example, last yearButterball, the number one producer of turkey products in America, relocated its corporate headquarters to Garner, bringing with it dozens of new employees to the area. 

This town of more than 26,000 offers you the chance to enjoy small-town traditions such as Firemen’s Day and downtown concerts along with the convenience of being the closest community in Wake to access Interstate 95 (just a 20-minute drive south).  Growth has been steady but anticipated, so that the town’s infrastructure has few strains on the services and facilities it provides to businesses and their employees.  It is family friendly but provides all the modern amenities you expect from one of the top 40 most populated cities in North Carolina.

Like the pageants it has held for half a century, Garner has a beautiful way of showing itself as a prime location for economic development in Wake County.