Announcements, partnerships, and media mentions that show how Onslow Coastal Alliance is working to grow a stronger, more diversified coastal economy.
Defense Manufacturing•October 7, 2026
NC East Alliance awarded $380,000 SBA grant to open the maritime and defense supply chain to eastern N.C. manufacturers
The U.S. Small Business Administration awarded NC East Alliance a $380,000 grant to launch the Eastern North Carolina Maritime Supplier Accelerator, a 24-month regional initiative known as MARINER that helps small manufacturers enter and grow within the nation's maritime and defense industrial base. NC East Alliance was North Carolina's recipient under the SBA's SCALE Program, which committed $8.9 million to 18 organizations across 17 states with a focus on the Defense Industrial Base. MARINER will map regional manufacturing capabilities, then assess, ready, and connect companies — starting with roughly 200 manufacturers and at least 40 high-potential businesses — through certifications, cybersecurity, workforce, financing, and supplier forums with shipbuilders and prime contractors. Onslow County sits within NC East Alliance's regional membership, so precision machining, metal fabrication, composites, electronics, and logistics firms here are among the companies the initiative is built to reach.
Travel + Leisure calls Jacksonville one of the South’s most underrated cities
Travel + Leisure introduces Jacksonville to a national audience as a welcoming coastal city with small-town character, easy beach and water access, a global dining scene, and a deep connection to the U.S. Marine Corps. The guide highlights local attractions, restaurants, lodging, outdoor recreation, and the community spirit that makes Jacksonville and Onslow County an appealing place to visit, live, and invest.
Source: Travel + Leisure — "The Essential Guide to Jacksonville, North Carolina"
JOED Steps Forward as Onslow Coastal Alliance (OCA)
Jacksonville Onslow Economic Development, Inc. (JOED) now does business as Onslow Coastal Alliance (OCA) — a new name, logo, and website at ocanc.com that arrive with a reenergized board and new staff leadership. The legal organization has not changed, and neither has a mission that dates to 1970: attract investment, grow quality jobs, and help existing industry stay and expand across Onslow County and its municipalities. "Coastal is a region and a way of life, not only a shoreline. Alliance is how the work gets done," said CEO Melissa Brandt, who became Chief Executive Officer in July. With Operations Manager Emoni Burgess and a board chaired by Melissa Anderson, OCA now has a strong plan, a public face that matches the work ahead, and a website that brings sites, workforce, incentives, and quality of life into one conversation. A monthly newsletter begins October 1, with more from the board and team still to come. The organization is based at 421 Court Street in downtown Jacksonville.
JOED Welcomes Emoni Burgess as Operations Manager — Building the Team to Move Onslow County Forward
The September issue of Onslow Business, the monthly publication covering Greater Onslow County, features Emoni Burgess of the Onslow Coastal Alliance (formerly operating as JOED). Burgess joined the organization as Operations Manager, bringing more than seven years of experience supporting county government and NC Cooperative Extension operations. The article, submitted by CEO Melissa Brandt, highlights Burgess's track record managing complex budgets, recruitment, onboarding, marketing, and special events, and her new role supporting the Board, investors, and community committees across operational needs, grant administration, and process improvement.
Source: Onslow Business — September 2026 issue, page 6 (via Issuu)
Southern Living spotlights Jacksonville, N.C. as a must-visit coastal destination
Southern Living rounds up the best things to do in Jacksonville, North Carolina — from waterfront parks and historic sites to local dining and outdoor adventure along the New River. The feature, drawing on Visit Jacksonville NC, puts Onslow County's largest city in front of a national audience of travelers and newcomers, reinforcing the region's growing reputation as a vibrant, livable coastal community.
Source: Southern Living — "The 13 Best Things To Do In Jacksonville, North Carolina"
New York Times names Jacksonville, N.C. among the country's top destinations for new residents
A New York Times analysis of Census migration data highlights Jacksonville, North Carolina — home to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune — as one of the U.S. places with the highest share of recent migrants, alongside college towns like Ithaca, N.Y. and Corvallis, Ore. Nationally, 6% of Americans live in a county they didn't live in a year earlier; in the leading markets, recent transplants make up as much as 19% of the population. For Onslow County, that steady inflow of working-age households and skilled talent is a direct competitive advantage for employers evaluating a new location.
Source: The New York Times — Calculator, "Which U.S. Cities Are People Moving To?"
Onslow County visitors spent $414.7 million in 2025, supporting 2,413 jobs
Newly released Visit NC data shows visitors to Onslow County spent $414.74 million in 2025 — holding essentially flat (-0.1%) against the county's record 2024 year. Tourism supported an estimated 2,413 jobs with $95.31 million in payroll, and generated $14.80 million in local tax revenue plus $14.52 million in state taxes. That works out to $134.68 in state and local tax savings for every Onslow County resident. Statewide, visitor spending reached $37.2 billion, with 59 of North Carolina's 100 counties posting growth.
Source: N.C. Department of Commerce / Visit NC — Economic Impact of Travel, 2025
Duke Energy invests $500,000 to help small businesses grow across North Carolina
The Duke Energy Foundation is awarding $500,000 in grants to 20 nonprofits across North Carolina to help small businesses start, grow, and thrive — a continuation of more than $3 million in small business support since 2020. Each nonprofit received $25,000 to provide microgrants and business support to local entrepreneurs, with funded projects reflecting each community's needs: downtown revitalization and storefront improvements, equipment and e-commerce investments, and mentorship and technical assistance. The Onslow Coastal Alliance (OCA) is among the 20 recipients, directing Duke Energy support to small businesses across Onslow County. As Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy's North Carolina president, put it: "Small businesses are woven into the fabric of our communities. They're the restaurants where neighbors gather, the childcare centers that help parents stay in the workforce and the downtown storefronts that give a town its identity."
City of Jacksonville to begin redevelopment site preparation around former USO building
The City of Jacksonville will request bids for the safe dismantling of the former downtown USO building, clearing the way for waterfront redevelopment while honoring the site's history. Opened in 1942, the building was closed in 2021 after a Navy study found severe foundation failures, sinkholes, asbestos, and stormwater damage. The City plans a historical marker, will salvage bricks for the Carolina Museum of the Marine and Onslow County Museum, and has acquired adjacent properties to shape a future downtown use. The USO continues its mission from Camp Lejeune, where it served nearly 45,000 guests in 2025.
Carolina Museum of the Marine opens in Jacksonville's Lejeune Memorial Gardens
More than 25 years in the making, the Carolina Museum of the Marine opened its doors in Jacksonville — a state-of-the-art, 22-exhibit museum in the Lejeune Memorial Gardens preserving the legacy of Marines and sailors from the Carolinas. Coverage from Our State, Spectrum News, and WHQR put the opening in front of statewide and national audiences, adding a major heritage-tourism anchor alongside the Montford Point Marines Memorial, Beirut Memorial, and Onslow Vietnam Veterans Memorial and strengthening Jacksonville's appeal as a place to visit, live, and invest.
Source: Our State Magazine — "Legacies of the Faithful Come Home to Jacksonville, NC"
2026 state budget directs major investments to Onslow County
The N.C. General Assembly's 2026 budget (SB 257) earmarks significant funding for Onslow County, including $225,000 for NC for Military Employment — a public-private partnership that helps veterans and transitioning service members find civilian jobs — plus $100,000 for an ECU scholarship program prioritizing Onslow County students pursuing degrees in finance and artificial intelligence, $800,000 for a Boys & Girls Club teen learning center, and investments in fire, police, and stormwater infrastructure across Jacksonville, Swansboro, Richlands, and Hubert. For employers, it signals continued public investment in the county's talent pipeline and quality of life.
Source: The Daily News (jdnews.com) — "State budget earmarks funding for Onslow County"
Following a national search, the Board of Directors named Melissa Brandt as CEO to lead business recruitment, retention, entrepreneurship, and product development across Onslow County. Brandt brings more than two decades of downtown, real estate, and business development leadership to the role.
New five-year strategic plan to guide 2026 development
A newly adopted five-year strategic plan — built on broad public and private input — sets priorities for industrial product development, business retention and expansion, entrepreneurship, and regional coordination as the organization moves into an aggressive growth phase.
Camp Davis Industrial Park advances in Holly Ridge
Site development continues at Camp Davis Industrial Park, positioning shovel-ready industrial real estate along the US Highway 17 corridor in southern Onslow County — one of the county's most significant product-development efforts for advanced manufacturing and logistics prospects.
The Golden LEAF Foundation awarded a $49,000 grant supporting economic development capacity and planning work in Onslow County — competitive state funding aimed at strengthening rural and coastal economies.
Small Business Grant program opens for Onslow County applicants
Grant applications opened for Onslow County small businesses, providing direct capital to local entrepreneurs — part of a broader push to strengthen the county's small business and startup pipeline alongside industrial recruitment.
