If the city of Burlington were to send a letter to Santa, odds are it would hit up Saint Nick for a massive new business to generate property tax revenue, provide jobs for area residents, and otherwise make Burlington the envy of every city in North Carolina.
A year-end gift on this scale would be a tall order even for someone with the aid of a magical sleigh. But it has nevertheless shown up in Burlington’s figurative stocking thanks, in no small part, to the efforts of Adam Shull, the city’s director of economic development.
Since his arrival in Burlington a little less than a year ago, Shull has been quietly working on a multijurisdictional campaign to recruit a colossal new distribution center to the city’s westernmost reaches. This venture culminated on October 22 when Ahold Delhaize USA, the Dutch-owned parent company of Food Lion, announced that it would set up an $860 million warehousing complex in an area of eastern Guilford County that has become a prime growth area for the city of Burlington…