Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson fly out of Concord Regional Airport, as do fellow NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards.

The airport owned by the city of Concord has been in operation since 1994 and handles 65,000 flights each year, with more than 60 percent of its business coming from NASCAR-related enterprises such as Hendrick Motorsports, Gibbs Racing, Penske Racing and Roush Fenway Racing.

“Hendrick Motorsports has three Saab 2000 jets that can carry 40 passengers apiece, and those planes fly out of here at full capacity to various race tracks all the time,” says Richard Lewis, aviation director at Concord Regional Airport.

The airport is an important component of the Cabarrus County economy. A recent economic benefit analysis showed Concord Regional bringing more than $110 million in business to Cabarrus County on an annual basis, Lewis says.

In addition to the economic benefit, Concord Regional is a key cog in a sophisticated transportation network in place throughout Cabarrus County. In fact, the county is home to several distribution centers and office developments that were attracted to the region in part because of its airport, road and rail assets.

The community is served by Class I rail carriers CSX and Norfolk Southern, and is in close proximity to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a major hub for US Airways. The airport handles some 600 flights per day and offers direct or nonstop flights to 178 domestic and international destinations.

On the ground, Cabarrus County has direct access to Interstate 85 and is in close proximity to major north-south corridor I-77 and east-west route I-40. Other principal roadways include U.S. Highways 29, 52 and 601, and North Carolina Highways 3, 24/27, 49, 73 and 200.

Those thoroughfares are a big reason why Kannapolis Gateway Business Park has been able to lure a number of tenants that include several health-care clients and NASCAR teams. Convenient roadway access has helped International Business Park in Concord land more than 20 corporate tenants.

Saddle Creek Corp. recently opened a 304,000-square-foot LEED-certified distribution center in Harrisburg. Officials cited the close proximity to Charlotte Douglas International as a key reason for siting the facility in Harrisburg.

The building allows Saddle Creek to offer a full range of warehousing, transportation and contract packaging to its nationwide customer base. In addition to its proximity to Charlotte Douglas International, the company's new distribution center is also close to I-77 and I-85.

“Airports also play a large role, especially with multinational corporations,” says Ryan McDaniels, vice president of economic development at Cabarrus Economic Development. “We are 30 minutes from Charlotte Douglas, which is the eighth-busiest airport in the United States. Concord Regional is the fourth-busiest Airport in North Carolina and provides first-class capabilities and service for general aviation.”