Economic Development Guru Loren Hill is something of a legend in these parts, and, if you look at how many major companies have chosen to locate in High Point, Guilford County and North Carolina in the last three decades, it’s astounding how many of those successes Hill had a hand in.

He was one of the chief agents in convincing many companies to come here – and the economic landscape of Guilford County would look vastly different today if Hill hadn’t been bringing business after business to the area for the last 35 or so years.

Hill spent much of his career leading the highly successful High Point Economic Development Corp. and he played a central role in the creation of the Guilford County Economic Development Alliance in 2015, which has roundly been considered an economic development workhorse for the county.

Hill, a big North Carolina Tarheel fan, has even been able to work closely and well with Greensboro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Brent Christensen, who is the biggest Duke fan in the history of the world.

Hill is also a very well-liked and interesting guy.

The Rhino Times is unaware of anyone who doesn’t like Hill, and, as for being interesting, during the pandemic, wishing to shed some weight, he began walking 30 minutes a day or more along with his wife every single day, rain or shine, and he managed to drop a lot of weight despite the fact that his wife is well known in High Point as being a fabulous cook.

Hill’s contributions to the economy of High Point, the county and the state, haven’t gone unrecognized: Hill was one of three economic development professionals in North Carolina who were just honored with the Lifetime Service Award from the North Carolina Economic Development Association (NCEDA).

The Lifetime Service Award “recognizes members making significant and valued contributions above and beyond expectations during their membership” to the association.

 Hill and the two other recipients were announced as the winners at the association’s fall conference held in Greensboro on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

Here’s the description the association gave of Hill: “Loren has been a key figure in driving economic prosperity in the NC Triad since the 1990s. He served as President of The Hill Group and as VP of Public Affairs and Communications at the Greensboro Chamber, before taking on the role of President of High Point Economic Development Corp. There, he played an instrumental role in creating the Guilford County Economic Development Alliance, fostering collaboration among local jurisdictions. Loren has also been a mentor to many in the field, promoting involvement in NCEDA and encouraging the next generation of economic developers. Currently, as the Carolina Core’s Economic Developer, he continues to nurture collaboration and growth in the region.”

Another interesting fact is that he retired on January 1, 2021 – only, that retirement didn’t take.

By Monday, Feb. 1 of that year, Hill was back in the saddle working hard again to bring new business to the state.

“My retirement lasted one month to the day,” Hill joked back then.

His new job – Carolina Core regional economic development director – was with the Piedmont Triad Partnership.

During his 20 years with the High Point Economic Development Corp., Hill focused on bringing new business to that city and helping expand the businesses already there.

Now Hill’s duties cover a much larger area.

In his latest role, Hill is responsible for enhancing the Partnership’s collaborative efforts as well as “increasing visibility of the region and its globally competitive assets.”

The two other recipients of the lifetime award this week were Walt Sprouse, who, among many other contributions to the area’s economy, served as the executive director of the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation.  (Sprouse also served as executive director of the Augusta Economic Development Authority in Georgia, where he helped bring in more than $4.4 billion in investments, adding nearly 50,000 jobs to the area’s economy.)

Katherine Thomas also took home the Lifetime Success Award after over 20 years of working with the NC Economic Development Association.  In 2009 and 2010, she “successfully led the Association during challenging times following the Great Recession, helping to rebuild membership.”

“NCEDA established this award to recognize those who have tirelessly championed economic development and strengthened our association’s impact across North Carolina,” said Gary Lanier, President of NCEDA. “Each honoree’s unwavering commitment and exceptional contributions have left a lasting mark on both our profession and our state.”

Founded in 1966, NCEDA works with a stated mission of being “the voice for North Carolina’s economic development community – providing professional development, networking opportunities and advocacy to secure the state’s economic future.”

The organization, which is based in Raleigh, is made up of over 900 professional economic developers at the state, regional and local levels – as well as educators, engineers, transportation experts, utility industry leaders, attorneys and other professionals. NCEDA provides training, legislative representation, mentoring, news and other services.