History and Vision

Kannapolis is a thriving city of 38,245 people located along the I-85 corridor in the Charlotte-region of North Carolina. The history of Kannapolis entered a new era on July 30, 2003 when Pillowtex officials announced the closing of their 16 facilities nationwide and in Canada. Because the decline of Pillowtex took over 20 years, the City had the opportunity to develop a strong local government and viable economy. As the company's headquarters, the City became the center of the largest lay-off in North Carolina history. 6,450 employees lost their jobs nationwide. Of the total displaced by the Pillowtex closure, 4,800 were in North Carolina. Over 3,984 of the employees lived in Rowan and Cabarrus counties and less than 1,500 within the city limits of Kannapolis.

The City prepared for the day the mill closed. In the mid-1990's, 10 square miles of land to the west of Kannapolis was identified as a growth area. The area was annexed in 1999 and is the location of Kannapolis Gateway Business Park, Biscayne Business Park, Stanley Works, Shoe Show, Dogwood Industrial Park, a development by development leaders Childress Klein and executive housing.

In 1998, City leaders launched an 18-month visioning process, Weaving A Shared Future. In this process, a community vision emerged to become the most dynamic and desirable community in the Piedmont that is attractive to families, loved for its neighborhoods, appreciated for its uniqueness and respected for its contribution to the economic vitality of the region. To achieve this vision, citizens identified economic development as the top priority for the City. Other priorities include parks and recreation, transportation and street improvements, and preserving history and heritage.

In 1906, James William Cannon bought several farms to build Cannon Mills Company. Under the guidance of James Cannon's son, Charles, Cannon Mills became the world's largest producer of household textiles and a household name. Kannapolis was built as a mill village of small craftsman style homes. The mill employees lived in the homes for a low rent and enjoyed free maintenance, low cost utilities, and free garbage collection and disposal while paying no taxes. The Cannon's also provided a YMCA, a hospital, a police department, scholarships, loans and jobs.
In 1982, California financier David Murdoch took over Cannon Mills. Murdock merged the mill in 1985 with Fieldcrest Mills Inc. creating Fieldcrest Cannon. In 1984, the citizens of Kannapolis voted to incorporate making the largest unincorporated area in the United States the 16th largest city in North Carolina. The Pillowtex Corporation purchased Fieldcrest Cannon in 1997.

In the past decade, a new a $4 million YMCA, a Senior Center, a Public Library, a baseball stadium for the Kannapolis Intimidators, a Class A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, and Kannapolis Gateway Businesses Park are examples of the successful partnerships that are improving the community, attracting new business and creating new jobs.