2025: Year in Review
As we wrap up the year, it’s important to take a look back at some of the City of Hickory highlights, successes, and milestones of 2025.
Spirit of NC Award: The Community of Hickory was awarded the distinguished “Spirit of North Carolina” Award, recognizing extraordinary contributions to Hurricane Helene relief efforts across western North Carolina. The award was presented on April 7 at the Visit NC Tourism Conference Awards Luncheon in Hickory.
Hickory 5K Series: With two new 5K races added in 2025, the Hickory Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism Department launched the Hickory 5K Series to showcase the city’s trails and expand running opportunities. The series included the Easter Egg Scramble 5K, Aviation 5K, Lightning Bug Boogie 5K, Ruff Ruff Run 5K and Dog Festival, and the Trick or Trot 5K.
Hickory Literary Festival: On April 12, Hickory Public Library hosted the inaugural Hickory Literary Festival with featured performer Lucky Diaz. This free community event celebrated reading, writing, books, and creativity by offering writing workshops, literacy-focused activities, and a variety of vendors around the SALT Block throughout the day.
Crafting Hickory Magazine: In May, the Office of Communications released the fifth edition of the Crafting Hickory Magazine to share updates on the trailblazing projects and initiatives fueling Hickory’s journey of transformation. The magazine is available digitally at www.hickorync.gov/crafting-hickory-magazine.
Outdoor Stage: On May 10, Hickory Public Library celebrated the grand opening of the new outdoor stage at Patrick Beaver Memorial Library on the SALT Block. The stage hosts a variety of events, classes, and programs for all to enjoy.
Airport Hangar Space: On Aug. 8, Hickory Regional Airport celebrated the completion of 12 new T-hangars on the north ramp. This was the second set of T-hangars constructed by the City of Hickory and Burke County to create additional leased hangar space to better meet growing demand at the airport. In December, construction wrapped up on a new 12,000-square-foot group hangar with 3,000 square feet of office space. These additions at the airport expand opportunities for revenue and economic impact.
HPD State Accreditation: On Aug. 15, the Hickory Police Department (HPD) was awarded the North Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation (NCLEA) certificate in front of the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission in Raleigh. The Hickory Police Department was the 11th agency in the state to be accredited by the NCLEA program since its inception in June 2023. HPD also completed this process in record time, becoming the fastest agency to complete the accreditation process in only eight months.
Trivium Announcements: Trivium Corporate Center continued to thrive in 2025, bringing two new economic development announcements in October from current tenants. Corning Optical Communications LLC, a division of Corning Inc., agreed to acquire Lot 11 in Trivium Corporate Center to expand its manufacturing operations, hire and maintain a minimum of 132 jobs at an average salary to exceed $65,000/year, and invest between $170 million and $267.9 million under the terms of an economic development agreement with the City of Hickory and Catawba County. American Fuji Seal entered into an economic development agreement to create at least 20 jobs, make investments in their existing facility in Trivium, and construct a new facility on Lot 7 with a minimum investment of $10 million with potential investments of up to $30 million or more over the next three years.