North Carolina 2025 Economic Development Guide

® 2025 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

PEDAL TO THE METAL

North Carolina’s economy shows continued growth as the state shows leadership in key industry and service sectors and develops infrastructure to sustain economic health for coming decades.

WE CALL THEM

SMART SITES

YO U ’ L L C A L L T H E M A N O - B R A I N E R

What do a German Rail Car Manufacturer, a Pioneering Israeli Food Company, and a Fast-growing Japanese Medical Device Company have in common?

They all chose to grow their business on an ElectriCities-certified Smart Site in N.C. WHAT ARE

Smart Sites?

Smart Sites are a slam-dunk choice for companies that are ready to grow now. Faster construction, fewer uncertainties, and less risk for companies and site selectors alike—that’s the genius of the Smart Sites qualification program. But that’s not all. Our many Smart Sites are located in some of the best places in America to live and do business.

Contact our economic development team to learn why Siemens Mobility, Believer Meats, and Nipro Medical Corporation chose our permit-ready industrial sites. www.electricities.com/econdev | sites@electricities.org

SHOVEL-READY for development ON-SITE municipal electric service WATER & SEWER within 500 feet WITHIN 5 MILES of an interstate or interstate-quality highway

REVIEWED AND QUALIFIED

by consultants and engineers

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

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® 2025 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

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FEATURED STORY

A STATE ON THE MOVE

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CHARLOTTE

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RESEARCH TRIANGLE

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How did North Carolina become a state that constantly ranks amoung the best states for business?

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The Charlotte region is the nation’s most promising place for business relocation and expansion.

Drawing talent and intelligence pair with quality-of-life stats.

EAST

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TRIAD

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WEST

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Eastern North Carolina boasts farms and beaches and a network of industrial settings.

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The Triad, in the middle of the state, is also at the center of big business expansions.

Western North Carolina’s economy thrives with national companies, homegrown businesses and tourism.

AROUND THE STATE 10 reasons to be in N.C. ............................................................................ 6 Q&A with Chris Chung. ...........................................................................12 Incentives ..........................................................................................................61 Notable business expansions............................................................... 62 Largest private companies ..................................................................... 66 Largest public companies ......................................................................68 Higher education directory....................................................................70

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Top hospitals ....................................................................................................... 74 Economic data by county ...................................................................76 North Carolina by the numbers .........................................................90 For more information .............................................................................9 1 NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

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NCEDG | WELCOME

10 REASONS TO BE IN N.C. 1. A BUSINESS FRIENDLY TAX ENVIRONMENT North Carolina’s 2.5% corporate tax rate is lowest in the nation, among the 44 states that levy a corporate tax, and it will fall to 2.25% in 2025 and continue to decrease gradually until it hits zero in 2030.

2. LOWER ENERGY COSTS Regionally, the electricity costs are 15% lower than the national average, and more than 50% of the power supply is coming from a carbon-free source.

3. POPULATION GROWTH CONTINUES North Carolina is projected to reach 11.7 million people by 2030, according to the latest population projections. North Carolina is on track to surpass the populations of Georgia and Ohio to become the seventh-largest state in the nation by the early 2030s. Looking further into the future, 14.2 million people will live in North Carolina by 2050. That’s an increase of 3.8 million people since 2020 – adding roughly the current populations of its largest counties (Wake, Mecklenburg, Durham, Forsyth, New Hanover and Guilford counties).

4. DIVERSITY OF THE POPULATION Since the 1990s, rapid growth in the Asian and Hispanic/Latino populations have resulted in a much more racially/ethnically diverse North Carolina population. These latter groups have a younger age profile – meaning that even without migration we expect these groups to continue to grow and our population to become more diverse. In 2020, 39% of the state’s population was either Hispanic, Non-Hispanic American Indian, Non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander, Non-Hispanic Black, or Non-Hispanic multiracial. By 2050, the same groups will account for 48% of North Carolina’s overall population.

5. TOP BUSINESS CLIMATE The state is No. 2 in the CNBC annual ranking of top states to do business. Virginia tops the 2024 list, followed by North Carolina, Texas and Georgia. Just three points separated Virginia and North Carolina. North Carolina remains only the second state named to the top spot back-to-back since CNBC started the rankings in 2007.

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6. LOWER CONSTRUCTION COSTS Construction costs in North Carolina are generally lower than the national average. The cost of building a commercial building in North Carolina can vary depending on several factors, including building type: The average cost per square foot for a commercial building can range from $50 to $275, depending on the building’s intended use. For example, a regional distribution warehouse costs around $209 per square foot, while a technology laboratory costs around $635 per square foot.

7. SUPERB HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM There are 52 colleges and universities in the state, as well as 58 community colleges. In addition, through NC Promise, the state has significantly reduced student tuition costs to $500 per semester at four UNC System institutions: Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, UNC Pembroke and Western Carolina University. The plan has increased educational access, reduced student debt and grown the state’s economy.

8. EXCELLENT INFRASTRUCTURE North Carolina Ports’ container terminal at the Port of Wilmington moved up three spots in the latest Container Port Performance Index, ranking it as the most productive port in North America in 2022. The technical report produced by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence also ranks NC Ports as the 44th most productive port in the world, up from 49th a year ago, out of the 348 included in the study.

9. WORKFORCE INCENTIVES North Carolina provides robust resources for workforce development. New and existing companies can qualify for customized training grants and use the NCWorks Workforce Development network for a variety of recruiting and job training services.

10. HUGE MILITARY PRESENCE Approximately 20,000 of North Carolina’s active-duty military population – the nation’s fourth largest – re-enters the workforce annually and has in-demand experience in fields such as engineering, IT, health care, communications, research and more.

source: Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina

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P U B L I S H E D A N N U A L LY B Y

PUBLISHER

Ben Kinney EDITOR

David Mildenberg MANAGING EDITOR

Kevin Ellis

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Cathy Martin

PROJECT EDITOR

Chris Roush

SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR

Peter Anderson

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Cathy Swaney

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Lauren Ellis

MARKETING COORDINATOR

Jennifer Ware

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

Melanie Weaver Lynch PROJECT EDITOR

Chris Roush

ACCOUNT MANAGER / AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

Scott Leonard

PROJECT ART DIRECTOR

Cathy Swaney

PROJECT GRAPHIC DESIGNER

1230 W. Morehead Street, Suite 308 Charlotte, NC 28208

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Telephone: 704-523-6987 All contents copyright ©2023 Old North State Magazines LLC

Lauren Ellis

Peter Anderson, Dan Barkin, Kathy Blake, Lawrence Bivins, David Mildenberg, Katherine Snow Smith

PRESIDENT

David Woronoff

THE BEST WAY TO JUMP START YOUR BUSINESS DAY.

Daily Digest is a must read for anyone who wants to have an insider’s understanding of North Carolina business. Subscribe to the Daily Digest and get all of the latest business news from all around North Carolina straight to your inbox… for free!

DAILY DIGEST Visit businessnc.com/daily-digest 8

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

Close to the Research Triangle.

In the Top 10 Safest Cities in North Carolina.

Highly skilled workforce.

Ideal spot to start and grow your business.

In this genuine community, you will experience close-knit neighborhoods, beautiful greenways and parks, shopping and a full calendar of community events.

COME GROW WITH US

Build new relationships and a new home here in Rolesville.

www.rolesvillenc.gov

SANRITSU

AMCOR

FARMINA PET FOODS

GUY & O’NEILL

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NC

PICTURE YOURSELF HERE

Industrial Site Available!

33-acre site with a 15-acre graded pad.

Less than a mile from US29/Future I-785.

Access to a diverse labor market in a growing community and Piedmont Triad Region.

A Duke Energy substation less than half a mile away, Municipal water and sewer.

Piedmont Natural Gas. The convenience of Piedmont Triad International Airport 30 minutes away and Raleigh Durham International Airport less than 1.5 hours away.

WHY CHOSE ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NC DIVERSE LABOR POOL OF

1.4 MILLION WITHIN A 60-MINUTE DRIVE

REACH

2/3

OF THE US POPULATION WITHIN A DAYS DRIVE

Leigh Cockram, Economic Development Director 425 NC Hwy 65, Reidsville, NC 37320 336-342-8138 | lcockram@co.rockingham.nc.us

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HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS WITHIN 60-MILES

PROUD MEMBER OF:

WWW.GOROCKINGHAMCOUNTYNC.COM

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NCEDG | WELCOME

WELCOME TO THE BEST STATE IN THE COUNTRY

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he old adage that you don’t appreciate something until you leave it is true.

In 2019, I left North Carolina after nearly two decades to move to a state in New England. I left behind family, great weather, great universities and a great economy, not to mention great people who always want to do better.

That’s why I moved back to the Old North State in 2023 and will likely never leave it again. North Carolina truly has it all.

Consider the universities. In addition to Duke, UNC Chapel Hill and NC State, there are great regional public universities, fine private colleges and strong historically Black campuses.The state’s community college system is among the best in the country, with 58 locations providing the education needed for many state jobs.

Then there are the companies who already make North Carolina home, such as well-known brand names such as Bank of America, Lowe’s and Advance Auto Parts. Employers such as Epic Games, SAS and Iqvia may not attract many headlines but are core parts of the economy and doing cool things.

I can’t ignore the people. North Carolinians are always on the go, and always willing to help out, whether it’s Hurricane Helene recovery in the western part of the state or making sure freshly hatched sea turtles make it to the Atlantic. It’s an economy that thrives on people who go the extra mile.

I’m proud to be a North Carolina resident. I’ve lived in other parts of the country — five states to be exact — and nothing compares. I hope you’ll agree.

— Chris Roush

NC Science.

Global Impact.

Driving economic development in RTP. Trusted partner for governments, universities, foundations, and businesses for over 65 years.

RTI.org

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | Q & A

THE STATE’S TOP RECRUITER Christopher Chung oversees efforts to bring new jobs and business funding to the state.

He’s been wildly successful.

Chris Chung joined the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina in 2015 as chief executive officer and brought nearly 25 years of state-level economic development experience to his role.

As a public-private partnership, the EDPNC leads several economic development functions on behalf of the State of North Carolina. These include new business recruitment, existing business support, export assistance, small business counseling, and tourism and film promotion.

With a staff of 70 professionals and an annual operating budget of more than $38 million, the EDPNC is focused on improving the economic wellbeing and quality of life for North Carolina’s more than 10 million residents.

Since 2015, the EDPNC has helped North Carolina win more than 1,000 corporate expansion projects, resulting in nearly 133,000 announced new jobs and more than $35 billion in announced new investment across the state.

Chung spoke about the state’s economic development efforts in North Carolina and how it could improve. What follows is an edited transcript.

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WHAT’S BEEN THE BIGGEST CHANGE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH CAROLINA SINCE YOU CAME TO THE STATE?

The most significant change in economic development since coming to North Carolina has been the shift from office projects to industrial projects over the past couple of years. This shift has been accelerated by legislation such as the CHIPS Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. We have seen an increase in projects that require more power and land, which in turn add more jobs.

Due to the Inflation Reduction Act, North Carolina has seen an increase in clean energy projects, particularly those related to electric vehicles (EVs). Those projects are impressive, with hundreds of millions or billions of dollars in capital investment and thousands of jobs. Since 2021, 15 electric vehicle and battery component manufacturers, including Toyota, Boom and Natron, have announced plans to expand in North Carolina.

Toyota is building its Toyota battery manufacturing facility in Liberty, where it will produce batteries for its hybrid and battery electric vehicles. Since the original announcement in 2021, the company has announced three expansions, totaling $13.9 billion in capital investment and more than 5,000 jobs.

In 2022, Boom Supersonic announced it would build its Overture Superfactory at Piedmont Triad International Airport, investing $500 million and creating 2,400 jobs.

Boom will produce the world’s first sustainable supersonic airliner at the site, which completed construction in June 2024.

Natron Energy, the only commercial manufacturer of sodium-ion batteries in the U.S., announced in August it will invest $1.4 billion to establish a sodium-ion battery giga-factory at the Kingsboro CSX Select Megasite in Edgecombe County, creating more than 1,000 jobs.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | Q & A

WHAT ARE THE STATE’S BIGGEST SELLING POINTS? North Carolina is a premier business relocation destination, and many factors attract small and large companies. North Carolina has the lowest corporate income tax in the nation, a centralized mid-Atlantic location with access to 150 million customers within a day’s drive.

We also have a world-class workforce supported by a large population of 10.8 million people and a steady influx of in-migration. North Carolina is the ninth-largest state in population and ranks third for the highest net migration rate in the U.S. It is also home to the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast. North Carolina can also support diverse industries, from food processing to automotive to pharmaceuticals.

North Carolina also has an excellent quality of life that attracts people to our state and that our residents enjoy daily, whether it is our varied geography, moderate climate, exciting sports teams, or our low cost of living and low tax burden. These reasons and more contribute to North Carolina being one of the fastest-growing states in the nation.

Boviet Solar will make solar panels and photovoltaic cells for commercial, residential and industrial markets in the U.S. Its Greenville operations will span 1 million square feet in a vacant facility and newly constructed space.

HOW ARE WE DOING IN TERMS OF CONTINUING TO PROVIDE A QUALITY WORKFORCE? A region’s economic success depends on its workforce, and North Carolina’s workforce is consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation. North Carolina earned the coveted title of CNBC’s Top State for Business in the previous two years, receiving top marks for its workforce above all other states.

As companies navigate shifts in the post-pandemic economy, which dealt with a tight labor market and a significant increase in domestic manufacturing demand, states must be prepared to meet the needs of ever-evolving manufacturers, technology firms, headquarters, corporate hubs and life sciences companies.

North Carolina is uniquely equipped to meet these needs. Our labor force of 5.2 million is growing daily — we are one of the fastest-growing states by population, with more than 340 new residents moving to North Carolina every day.

Most newcomers migrate from New York, California, New Jersey, Virginia and Florida, attracted to North Carolina’s rich quality of life, low cost of living, and abundant career opportunities. Today’s labor market requires an agile workforce equipped with the skills needed for advances in manufacturing, life sciences, technology and other rapidly evolving industries.

North Carolina offers 110 universities and community colleges along with numerous programs to help students and existing workers access resources to earn new credentials or 14

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Toyota Tsusho America, a Toyota Motor subsidiary, will produce aluminum cell cases and cell covers for automotive batteries.

Production is expected to start in 2025 at an unoccupied building in Liberty.

find new career opportunities. A strong network of workforce development organizations statewide helps companies tap into skilled talent pools.

Our state also offers workforce development programs that help train new and existing employees and connect them to the right jobs. Under the N.C. Community College System, ApprenticeshipNC helps employers establish registered apprenticeships to build a skilled workforce, educate apprentices and connect them to the ideal program.

Propel NC, the community college system’s new funding model, uses job demand data to directly align program funding to the state’s most urgent workforce needs.

The General Assembly has earmarked funds to increase the state’s high-tech workforce. Its Engineering North Carolina’s Future program funds will support capital and operational funding at universities, such as NC State and NC A&T, to increase enrollment in STEM programs to feed the workforce pipeline.

GOOD WORK IN MOTION.

www.ncrr.com Raleigh, NC 919-954-7601

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B U S I N E S S

N O R T H

C A R O L I N A

SPONSORED SECTION

For over 175 years, the North Carolina Railroad Company has prioritized strategic investments, managing over 300 miles of vital rail infrastructure.

Our economic development programs provide investment funding, grants, and connection to wetland mitigation credits to streamline the site development process. These services support engineering, design, construction, and other rail infrastructure needs, aiming to increase job creation, boost freight rail usage, and promote economic growth across North Carolina.

These are just a few ways we’re helping our state thrive. Reach out today to find out more!

O C T O B E R

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | Q & A

HOW MUCH DO ECONOMIC INCENTIVES PLAY IN ATTRACTING COMPANIES TO MOVE TO THE STATE? North Carolina’s targeted, performance-based incentive programs, such as the Job Development Investment Grant ( JDIG) and One North Carolina Fund (OneNC), are ways for companies to reduce their overall business costs and tax burden.

These incentives complement North Carolina’s businessfriendly tax environment. Our corporate income tax rate is the nation’s lowest at 2.5%. By 2030, we will have a 0% corporate income tax and will likely be only one of three states to levy neither a corporate income tax nor a statewide gross receipts tax, with the others being South Dakota and Wyoming. This is largely due to our state’s bipartisan efforts to craft fiscal policy with businesses in mind.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO GET COMPANIES TO MOVE TO THE MORE RURAL AREAS OF NORTH CAROLINA? North Carolina has recently enjoyed considerable success in recruiting sizable economic development projects. These projects require more extensive tracts of land, which favor rural areas. However, with this success, the state has committed some of its best sites for projects requiring substantial land and readiness while the competition for these projects continues to grow.

Through the Megasite Readiness Program, the EDPNC has identified the best sites for projects requiring substantial land and readiness. Six of the seven sites identified were in Tier 1 and 2 counties, or the most economically distressed.

The EDPNC also oversees the Selectsite Readiness Program, which will support the development of sites to increase North Carolina’s competitiveness in the siting or expansion of significant manufacturing projects in several sectors. Of the 15 sites identified this year, 11 are in Tier 1 and 2 counties. By increasing available products, we can attract more businesses to the rural parts of the state.

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Landing a $14 billion investment from Toyota cinches North Carolina’s place in global auto manufacturing, given the Japanese company’s status as the world’s top-selling vehicle producer for the past four years.

THE STATE IS KNOWN FOR SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES, SUCH AS FINANCIAL SERVICES IN CHARLOTTE AND BIOTECH IN RTP. WHAT INDUSTRIES COULD WE FOCUS ON IN THE FUTURE? North Carolina is prime for advanced manufacturing with its highly educated workforce, world-class education system and workforce development programs. North Carolina’s history of leadership in manufacturing began with tobacco, textiles, and furniture. Now, our innovative economy has the largest advanced manufacturing workforce in the Southeast. As a leader in manufacturing, North Carolina has welcomed companies spanning many industries such as automotive and EV, aerospace and life sciences. Those include Kempower, Pratt & Whitney, Believer Meats and Kyowa Kirin.

We also focus on clean energy projects or those with little to no carbon emissions. North Carolina is a national leader in taking steps to address climate change and rising energy costs. Through legislative, executive, and regulatory action, we are diversifying our energy portfolio and decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels, which is attracting like-minded companies, such as Toyota, Boom and Natron.

Artificial intelligence is another industry we are watching.

A lot is behind AI to keep it powered and innovative, such as hardware production, semiconductors, and data science and we will see an increase in companies looking to relocate or establish themselves.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | Q & A

YOU RECENTLY WERE IN GREENSBORO TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CHILDCARE FOR EMPLOYERS. WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? Childcare is one of the most pronounced barriers to employment; it is a workforce development issue. If parents know they have safe and reliable childcare, they can show up to work and be more productive and focused employees. More productive and focused employees mean stronger companies and communities across the state, ultimately making North Carolina more competitive in business attraction.

WHAT ISSUES REMAIN THAT COULD HINDER COMPANIES COMING TO NORTH CAROLINA? One issue that could hinder companies from coming to North Carolina is a volatile economic climate that could cause companies to pause relocation plans. The past few years have been challenging for economic development nationwide due to high interest rates, persistent inflation, and other macroeconomic headwinds. However North Carolina’s dedication to improving its residents’ economic well-being and quality of life has continued to attract companies of all sizes.

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HOW CAN THE WESTERN PART OF THE STATE BEST REBOUND ECONOMICALLY FROM THE DESTRUCTION OF HURRICANE HELENE? Unfortunately, natural disasters such as hurricanes are becoming more common and destructive and are impacting areas other than the coast. Any area or economy that rebuilds after something like Hurricane Helene will need to “futureproof “ itself so that it is more resilient if and when another natural disaster like this happens. This could include economic diversification and infrastructure redundancy.

Our hearts go out to those individuals, families and communities affected by Hurricane Helene. The EDPNC is here to assist in rebuilding in any way that we can.

Our web page for disaster recovery resources can be viewed at edpnc.com/Helene.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY THE REST OF THE STATE CAN HELP THE REGION? The best way for the state to help the western part of North Carolina is to give to the North Carolina Disaster Fund. Those contributions help with the unmet needs of our state’s hurricane victims. A link to donate is at the top of NC.gov.

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FEATURE | STATEWIDE

A STATE ON THE MOVE How did North Carolina become a state that consistently ranks among the best states for business?

By David Mildenberg

T

here’s no simple answer, but experts tend to credit a combination of many decisions dating back decades. An unquestionable factor was the wisdom of former Gov. Luther Hodges and others who pushed for creation of Research Triangle Park in 1959, which continues to pay dividends seven decades later.

More recently, many experts cite the founding of the 16-campus University of North Carolina System in 1971 and the continued development of the state’s 58 community colleges as instrumental in building an economic powerhouse. Meanwhile, fiscal policies have reduced tax burdens and enabled significant incentive programs that have prompted major investments by Toyota Motor, Wolfspeed, Siemens Mobility and many other corporations.

The results are obvious when independent observers compare the Tar Heel State with its 49 peers.

The CNBC business news channel has ranked North Carolina among its top two states for business over the past three years. That reflects top four ratings for economic conditions, business friendliness and workforce, along with strong showings for education and access to capital (both 10th of the 50 states) and technology/innovation (11th).

North Carolina also scored a solid B-plus grade for the cost of doing business, according to CNBC. Digging a little deeper, the state’s economic outlook ranked fourth nationally, according to research by the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Center for State Fiscal reform.

The nonpartisan group favors limited government and lower taxes, and bases its ranking on 15 policy variables that are influenced by state lawmakers’ decisions. No other Southern state ranked in the top 10, though seven were in the top 25.

North Carolina’s strong showing in the ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index stemmed from a low corporate income tax rate, property tax burden and minimum wage; (4th, 9th and 1st, respectively); low debt service as a share of tax revenue (13th); and the status as a right-to-work state (1st).

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North Carolina’s top corporate tax rate is 2.5%, while the top individual income tax rate is 4.5%. The corporate tax is slated to be eliminated by 2030, unless lawmakers change policy.

The state’s economy is benefiting from nearly 670,000 people who have moved to North Carolina from other states between 2012-2023, which ranked fourth nationally, the ALEC-Laffer research shows. Overall non-farm payroll increased by 21% between 2012-22, which was 11th best, while the state’s gross domestic product showed the 14th best gain at 64% during the same decade. North Carolina is the ninth-most populous state with about 10.8 million residents as of mid-year.

North Carolina is among 16 states with a Triple-A credit rating from Standard & Poor’s, which enables lower borrowing costs. The state maintains a “Rainy Day Fund” that exceeded $4.7 billion earlier this year, along with about 30 other “budget reservation” funds that have been estimated to exceed $7 billion, according to the John Locke Foundation.

Another factor in North Carolina’s business success is recent tort reform, which has given the state “one of the best legal climates in the U.S.,” the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina notes on its website. “When there’s less red tape and litigation, your business can reach new heights, faster.”

Then there’s energy costs: The average residential electric rate was about 13 cents per kilowatt hour as of January, compared with a national average of 15.45 cents, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The state ranks thirdlowest for water and sewage rates, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina notes.

Machelle Baker Sanders, who has been N.C. Commerce Secretary since 2021, says her vision for North Carolina is to “work with partners to attract better paying jobs, support small businesses and stimulate our state’s innovation and entrepreneurial economy.”

A lot of observers confirm that is happening in the Tar Heel State.

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FOCUS | CHARLOTTE REGION

A PLACE TO BE SEEN Charlotte is home to world-class business and entertainment.

A

s home to two of the top 10 states for business (Area Development, 2023), the Charlotte Region is the nation’s most promising place for business relocation and expansion. From urban centers and vibrant business districts to pastoral landscapes with wide-open space, there’s plenty of land in the Charlotte Region, which has a gross regional product of $220 billion, more than half of the states.

More than 3,500 manufacturing companies are planted in the Charlotte region, and employment has grown at twice the national average since 2013, according to the non-profit Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, which offers domestic and international client services to make the region a melting pot of manufacturing, aviation, technology, financial and agricultural firms, many with foreign roots. According to the CRBA, an average of 117 people move into the region every day.

The business-friendly environment is home to tax credits, grants, workforce training and incentives that have led to business success across a wide range of industries. From small businesses and startups to Fortune 500s, the economy is driven by the smart, passionate leaders who call the Charlotte region home.

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For example, the 350-acre North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, a scientific research and development complex that studies nutrition and food’s effect on health, including cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease, opened its nonprofit Food Innovation Lab in 2019, which processes and packages N.C.-grown produce in various capacities.

And in the Charlotte region, electricity is 15% less expensive than the national average. Meanwhile, more than 50% of the power supply is from a carbon-free source, meaning sustainability and affordability should go hand-in-hand.

Situated between New York and Miami, Charlotte allows for easy access to the entire East Coast by rail or highway, Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s 180 nonstop flights and three major ports. More than 100 million people live within one trucking day, making it easy to move product exactly where it needs to go. In addition, the airport is the world’s seventh busiest in terms of passenger traffic and cargo shipments.

Still, to revive the center city and avoid a “ghost town” situation, city officials are considering supporting property developers through a combination of taxpayer funds and incentives.

BIGGEST COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES UNC Charlotte Gardner-Webb University Queens University Central Piedmont Community College Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, multiple campuses Gaston College, multiple campuses

ATTRACTIONS

City of Charlotte

CHARLOTTE SNAPSHOT

COUNTIES: Alexander Anson Cabarrus Catawba

Cleveland Gaston Iredell Lincoln

Mecklenburg Rowan Stanly Union

U.S. National Whitewater Center, Charlotte Harvey B. Gantt Center for AfricanAmerican Arts & Culture, Charlotte Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord Carolina Panthers, NFL team, Charlotte NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte Charlotte Hornets, NBA team Charlotte FC, professional soccer club Charlotte Knights, minor league baseball team Charlotte Checkers, minor league professional hockey Carowinds, Charlotte Discovery Place, Charlotte Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Belmont Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, Gastonia N.C. Transportation Museum, Spencer Lake Norman and Lake Wylie

INDUSTRIES Business, financial services and fintech Corporate headquarters Aerospace and defense Textiles Energy Automotive-parts manufacturing

FOCUS | CHARLOTTE REGION

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This rendering shows the former Duke Energy headquarters in Charlotte being transformed into apartments and retail space. (Photo: SK+I Architecture)

The property getting the initial incentives spotlight is 526 S. Church St., which became Duke Energy’s headquarters when it opened in 1975, then called the Electric Center. The building was acquired for $35 million in December 2022 by Washington, D.C.-based MRP Realty and Charlotte-based Asana Partners. The developers plan to convert the 13-story office building into apartments or condos with retail properties on the first floor. The $280 million project would include a separate adjacent retail building.

In February, Assistant City Manager Tracy Dodson, who leads economic development efforts, pitched the incentive program for MRP and Asana to the Charlotte City Council, which gave tentative approval.

She promised to provide more details in the next few weeks.

Dodson and city officials say the incentives program can increase the city’s tax base, provide public parking and community spaces and create jobs. If the proposal is approved, developers may set aside some spaces, for affordable housing, while improving adjacent pedestrian areas.

Developers say incentives are needed to ease the hefty expense of converting office space to livable units. Having city financial aid also ensures that Charlotte officials have a voice in developers’ plans, potentially steering positive impacts.

“For office to multifamily conversions to be successful, the market rent has to be strong, the construction costs have to be manageable and the [cost] basis of the property has to be extremely low,” says Rob Cochran, senior managing director at Cushman Wakefield. “Given some of the current softness in the multifamily market, converting to residential will be difficult in downtown Charlotte right now.”

Most of all, the city wants to avoid empty buildings with declining property values, which depresses tax collections. Some former Uptown employers have moved a mile or two south to South End, often taking less space. Examples include the Alston & Bird law firm and Grant Thornton accounting business. The vacancy rate for newer South End offices is less than 12%, according to CBRE. NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

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FOCUS FOCUS || RESEARCH TRIANGLE RESEARCHREGION TRIANGLE TRIANGLE

INNOVATION CENTRAL Research Triangle Park boasts new locations throughout focusing on the workforce.

F

or Research Triangle Park’s 7,000 acres and surrounding 14-county territory of innovation, manufacturing and technology, the term “start-up” is more definitive than “shut down,” as new construction start up and incoming business keep the commerce hub ticking.

NC State University’s Centennial Campus, one of three Triangle corner points with Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill, recently constructed a 185,000-square-foot Plant Sciences Building to increase the region’s dominance in agricultural technology, an industry that touches about 112 local companies, according to RTP data.

Coworking spaces, favored by innovators and inventors, are overflowing as a new generation of workforce — the disruptors, whose game-changing products redefine their industries,—rent space on a fresh blueprint that redesigns the concept of office building.

“People all over the world study the model of the Research Triangle Park. I met a guy from Ukraine who studies it in business school,” says Ryan Combs, executive director of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership in Raleigh, an economic development connector for businesses and private-sector growth. “They may not know it’s in North Carolina, but they know the Park.”

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Talent and intelligence pair with quality-of-life stats that show that, on an average day, 76 people move to the region. The regional median home value is $175,000 and the median household income is $76,000. The regional labor force is 1 million.

“We do a lot of great things here,” Combs says. “The bar code was created in the Park. Some of the things we’ve done with cancer were done between Duke and Carolina. When you talk about disruptors, look at the healthcare system, with gene therapy.

It’s a game-changer because it’s going to drive down the cost of healthcare. Look at the universities and the $3 billion we get a year in research dollars. Then you have companies like Pfizer, and they’re building a $500 million facility in Sanford. You take technologies developed at the universities, incubate and have a company in the urban core, and then you expand to the rural counties and manufacture.”

The education emphasis is strong in the Triangle’s agricultural technology thread. Connected long ago to dependence on tobacco farming, it now includes high-profile RTP-area companies such as Syngenta, BASF and Bayer, part of an approximately 25-company RTP-area AgTech Cluster that employs 74% of the state’s AgTech workforce and overall contributes $1.2 billion to the gross regional product.

BIGGEST COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES NC State University, Raleigh N.C. Central University, Durham UNC Chapel Hill Duke University, Durham Wake Technical Community College, multiple campuses Central Carolina Community College Durham Technical Community College

ATTRACTIONS

Downtown Raleigh

TRIANGLE SNAPSHOT

COUNTIES: Chatham Durham Franklin Granville Harnett

Johnston Lee Moore Orange

Person Vance Wake Warren

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh PNC Arena, home of NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes and N.C. State basketball, Raleigh State Farmers Market, Raleigh North Carolina Courage, women’s professional soccer team, Cary North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh Durham Performing Arts Center Durham Bulls Minor League Baseball, Durham Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, Chapel Hill Marbles Kids Museum, Raleigh North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh Museum of Life and Science, Durham Koka Booth Amphitheater, Cary

INDUSTRIES Biotechnology and pharmaceuticals Information technology Fintech Clean technology Higher education State government

FOCUS FOCUS || RESEARCH RESEARCH TRIANGLE TRIANGLE

“This area could explode as an AgTech hub,” Combs says. “It already is, but it could really take off. We want to get students trained to grow companies.”

North Carolina counts 48,000 farms, which grow more than 80 different products and contribute more than $111 billion to the state economy, according to RTRP figures.

From an overall business perspective, Combs pitches the RTRP counties plus points as its multiple locations for higher education; its $3 billion in federal research money annually for the big-three universities; its proximity to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, with daily non-stops to international locations including Paris and London; and location – a short drive to the mountains, or beaches, or state parks.

The airport added three new international destinations this year, bringing the total to 10, a record for RDU and double the number in 2019, as airlines accommodate growing demand for international flights, including many business travelers.

The expansions come as RDU led the largest 50 U.S. airports in passenger growth last year, according to U.S. Department of Transportation statistics. Boardings gained 22% to a record 14.5 million. That number is projected to grow 7% to 15.5 million in 2024.

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In addition to Frankfurt, where Lufthansa offers flights five days a week, RDU added service in June to Panama City, with four flights a week by Copa Airlines. Next up is Mexico City, with Aeromexico launching service in July. That follows Air France, which began flights from Paris in October, taking over the route from Delta Air Lines.

IcelandAir, which started flying four days a week from RDU in 2022, added year-round, daily flights to Reykjavik in May. “We’re the fastest community in 15 years that’s gone from less-than-daily service to daily service” for Icelandair, says Michael Landguth, CEO of the RaleighDurham Airport Authority.

Those new flights are in addition to Air Canada’s service to Montreal and Toronto and American’s London flights.

Bahamasair also flies from RDU to Freeport, and American, while Delta and JetBlue fly to Cancun, Mexico.

Landguth says he’d like to attract more flights to Central America and South America due to the state’s large agriculture industry, and also India because of its rapidly growing middle class. “They have income. They want to travel,” he says. “Guess what else they want to do? They want to go to great universities. So we need to make sure we have a good pipeline.”

For now, though, the airport is taking a “momentary pause” and working to make sure the new service is successful, Landguth says. “The worst thing you can do is try to recruit and over recruit and then you start getting failures from an international standpoint,” he says. “We need to get [the new flights] stabilized first.”

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For its pitch to Lufthansa, RDU’s authority put together a package of about $3 million in fee waivers and marketing support to Lufthansa. Merz and other companies pledged to buy a certain number of tickets, and state government chipped in $3 million in incentives. “This is what I call a pay-to-play game,” says Landguth.

“If you don’t come with the incentives, then they look at the market and say, ‘Obviously you’re not very optimistic that it’s going to work.’”

There’s also improvements happening in Raleigh, the region’s biggest city. In the past year, economic development boosters implemented a plan to make the downtown more attractive for residents and visitors. Art and exercise equipment were added, along with signs directing people to the three big state museums near the state Capitol. They also encouraged restaurants to add outdoor seating on Fayetteville Street, the city’s main drag.

“You have these beautiful wide sidewalks on Fayetteville with the pavers,” says City Councilman Jonathan Melton, who lives downtown and rides his scooter or walks. “I think we have a real opportunity to recalibrate and reinvent that space.”

Now, the group is looking beyond Fayetteville Street. Talks are being held about creating pedestrian and biking paths between Dix Park and the downtown district, especially the Convention Center and hotels. That follows an April trip to Atlanta in which a group of city leaders saw the Georgia capital’s hugely successful Beltline

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network of public parks, trails, transit and affordable housing projects along a historic 22-mile railroad corridor.

Connecting downtown to Dix Park is “one of the more strategic issues of Raleigh’s next phase,” says former Dix Park CEO Janet Cowell. City leaders and the nonprofit Dix Park Conservancy are redeveloping the former location of a state mental-health hospital that is a mile southeast of downtown’s convention center.

Businesses and real estate developers are paying attention. In the first quarter, 19 new businesses opened downtown, with five closing. There are more than 2,200 residential units (up from 786 units right before COVID started) and 410 hotel rooms under construction, and a $387.5 million expansion of the Raleigh Convention Center will add 300,000 square feet when it’s completed in 2028.

In July, JLL Capital Markets raised $85 million of debt and equity financing for the 252-unit Oldham & Worth, an apartment development located in downtown’s West End neighborhood. It’s the second phase of Kane Realty’s re-development of contractor Clancy & Theys’ headquarters; the redevelopment of Platform apartments is now leasing for $1,250 to $4,000 per month.

Meanwhile, CBRE has begun leasing retail space at The Creamery, a downtown mixed-use development slated to include the 306-unit, 37-story Highline Glenwood apartment building from developer Turnbridge Equities. It is expected to break ground early next year and would be Raleigh’s tallest building.

Like many center cities, Raleigh is fighting perceptions of too much crime and homelessness. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance hired two social workers two years ago to help homeless people find shelters and permanent housing. It also pressed Raleigh police to increase patrols, resulting in a 22% decrease in crime in the past year, with burglaries down 70%.

DIX PARK’S HISTORY 1700s -1800s

Spring Hill Plantation occupies the site

1820

Theophilus Hunter Plantation house

built 1856 - 2012

Dorothea Dix Hospital operates as a state mental hospital

2012

N.C. Department of Health and Human Services offices move to the park

2015

City of Raleigh buys the 308-acre site

2016

Dix Park Conservancy formed

February 2019

City approves Dix Park master plan

April 2019

Dreamville Music Festival attracts 40,000

August 2022

Groundbreaking for Gipson Play Plaza

Spring 2025

Gipson Play Plaza expected to open

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A SITE TO BE SEEN Eastern North Carolina boasts farms and beaches — and a network of industrial settings.

S

outheastern North Carolina’s 20-county region stretches from picturesque trails and lakes of the Uwharrie Mountains to more than 100 miles of Atlantic Ocean shoreline, a panorama of open land, energetic cities, agriculture and historic small towns.

Sprinkled in are 16 technical and community colleges and seven interstates, a perk for the locale halfway between New York and Miami.

“We like to think it’s the ideal setting. That’s how we market it,” says Steve Yost, president of North Carolina’s Southeast, a public-private partnership in Elizabethtown that works with business and government leaders to boost economic growth. “From a quality-of-life perspective, we have a lot of diversity. If someone wants a coastal environment, we have those towns and beaches. Then there’s a lot of ambiance in our rural areas, and off to the very west, you have the oldest mountain chain in North America.”

The counties have 1.85 million residents and a labor force of 904,000.

They also have a common investment.

The counties are linked by 137 business and industrial parks, several benefitting from a 2021 $5 million appropriation from the N.C. General Assembly. Twentythree applications to North Carolina Southeast’s Project Development Fund were approved, giving sites in 18 36

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counties money for design, construction, road access, and water-sewer, further enhancing a site trail landscape that already includes 30 Fortune 500 companies and more than 60 with international roots.

A portion of the $5 million also went toward “large site identification analysis.”

“What we did is scour all the counties in our region for land tracts that might have potential, and we hired an engineering firm to do that, and it was completed 30 days ago,” Yost says, “and it identified 56 potential sites of land tracts across the region that have promise of viable industrial sites. We think about 15 or 20 have strong potential to become bona fide shovel-ready sites over time.”

That step, he says, is up to the sites’ local organizations.

“It’s our mission to help create opportunities for our counties to gain new jobs, new private investment,” Yost says.

“There’s a lot that goes into that. Our main ingredient in regards to our success and capabilities is collaboration, and we have many moving parts to make our organization work, many partners in the public and private sectors.”

An additional $28 million has come from local governments, private funding, Golden LEAF and elsewhere.

“Those funds are being leveraged to the individual projects, by the local economic development commissions, and we’ve been tracking the progress and status,” Yost says. Ten

BIGGEST COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES East Carolina University, Greenville UNC Wilmington UNC Pembroke Fayetteville State University Fayetteville Tech Community College Cape Fear Community College, Wilmington Pitt Community College, Greenville

ATTRACTIONS Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and Wright Brothers Memorial, Kitty Hawk Historic Tryon Palace, New Bern Battleship North Carolina, Wilmington Airlie Gardens, Wilmington 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse, Edenton North Carolina Aquariums: Kure Beach, Roanoke Island, Nags Head and Pine Knoll Shores Fort Fisher State Historic Site, Kure Beach N.C. Maritime Museums: Beaufort, Hatteras, Southport

Wilmington

EASTERN SNAPSHOT COUNTIES: Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Camden Carteret Chowan Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck

Dare Duplin Edgecombe Gates Greene Halifax Hertford Hoke Hyde Jones

Lenoir Martin Montgomery Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Pamlico Pasquotank Perquimans

Pender Pitt Richmond Robeson Sampson Scotland Tyrrell Washington Wayne Wilson

INDUSTRIES Aerospace and defense Agriculture Biotechnology Marine trades Metalworking Textiles Tourism

Other completed or near-completed projects include: Brunswick County (Mid-Atlantic Rail Park) Wayne (shell building) Craven (industrial park infrastructure development) Pender (water and sewer expansion) Moore (infrastructure and due diligence planning) Columbus (site identification analysis) Duplin (industrial park master plans) Hyde (Ponzer water tank restoration and resiliency project) Craven (Purchase of shell building and shell building and grant to add infrastructure to industrial park) Bertie, Hertford and Northampton (Roanoke-Chowan Community College weld to work pipeline)

of the 23 projects are complete, Yost says. Seven involved development of shell buildings, while projects in Anson and Sampson counties are planning for new industrial sites and parks.

In Scotland County, a 50,000-square-foot shell building was finished in January and has received interest from a wood products manufacturer and agricultural processing company. In Onslow County, Project Frontier is the code for a new industrial park in Jacksonville on 50-plus acres.

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With grants from N.C.’s Southeast, Golden LEAF and the state’s Electric Membership Cooperatives, the Onslow project was designed, permitted, and built in about a year, says Mark Sutherland, executive director of Jacksonville Onslow Economic Development.

Before it was completed, the group had a letter of intent from a lightindustrial company that plans to buy the entire project, “As far as economic development projects go, this one was among the fastest and most successful,” he says.

Target industries in the 20 counties are advanced textiles, agribusiness and food processing, aerospace and defense, metalworking, and distribution and logistics, the latter offering visual proof of success in the enormous container ships that enter and exit the Port of Wilmington.

“The Port of Wilmington is certainly a differentiator for us in our market,” says Scott Satterfield, CEO of Wilmington Business Development. “The investment and commitment the state of North Carolina continues to show to that asset is a true selling point for us as we push the near-port model – warehouse, distribution, advanced manufacturing with an import/export component located within 15 miles of the port.”

“The port was a key factor in the location of (Indiabased) Epsilon, because of the need to import materials into the plant,” Yost says of the recent addition to Mid-Atlantic Park in Leland, in Brunswick County. Epsilon manufactures graphite material that goes into EV batteries. It’s Epsilon’s first U.S. facility.

Transportation assets also include the Department of Defense port, Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point; rail lines through CSX, Norfolk Southern and North Carolina Railroad; commercial airports in Wilmington, Fayetteville, New Bern and Jacksonville; and interstates 40, 95, 74, 295, 275 and the future 42.

Twelve counties are certified Work Ready Communities, and NCWorks helps with customized training, pre-employment assistance, facilities for equipment training and business incentives. As a region, the 20 counties have seven military installations, $3.4 billion in annual spending by the Department of Defense and 135,000 active duty, reserve and Guard soldiers, making it the largest military presence on the East coast.

PHOTO CREDIT: PORT OF WILMINGTON

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AGRICULTURE Many residents live where poverty rates exceed 20%, and droughts are sapping agricultural yields this year, leaving farmers to struggle with fuel and seed bills. And they face other concerns, including losing farmland to housing developments, developing new markets for products and finding skilled workers for the ever-increasing presence of technology.

Some residents have moved. The total population of the 29 counties represented by NC East Alliance, an economic development organization with offices in Greenville and Edenton, is about 1.4 million, nearly 30,000 fewer than a decade ago. Twenty-two counties have seen a decrease in population, says Todd Edwards, chair of the Alliance’s board of directors. “These issues also affect the labor sheds of our growing areas and businesses,” he says.

Wesley Beddard, part of the Alliance’s STEM East leadership team, says the population of many counties in the region has been in decline over the past couple decades. “We didn’t get here overnight,” he says. “And we will not reverse things overnight. But we believe our proactive approach over the next 20 years involving education and industry partners, along with community development efforts, will help reshape and develop all of eastern North Carolina.”

IMAGE CREDIT: UNC.EDU

North Carolina agriculture has a $111.1 billion economic impact. A large portion of those crops and animals are raised in eastern North Carolina.

The three counties with the most harvested acres in 2022 — Robeson, Sampson and Duplin — are in the region, according to the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management. It’s home to some of the state’s richest soil, the Blacklands of the Tidewater region along the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds, where streams and rivers empty into the Atlantic Ocean.

Agriculture is just one industry at work in the East.

The region is home to one of the state’s largest universities.

Manufacturing and energy are thriving, too. Californiabased battery-maker Natron Energy, for example, recently pledged a $1.4 billion investment at Kingsboro CSX Select Megasite, which will create more than 1,000 jobs that pay an average of $64,071 annually, more than Edgecombe County’s $43,183 average, according to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. And tourism includes historic sites, conferences and conventions, coastal activities, and professional and amateur sports.

Even with all that, some of the East’s economic pieces are frayed. It’s home to some of the state’s poorest counties:

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TEACH THEM WELL

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Under the Industry in Schools Initiative, employers in STEM industries work with community college presidents and school district superintendents across the region to help teachers — the goal is to involve 13,000 — prepare students for careers. “We provided nine industry-focused workshops this summer for public school teachers to make

PHOTO CREDIT:ECU, CARTERET COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND INDUSTRY IN SCHOOLS INITIATIVE

Travel is a requirement of many eastern North Carolina jobs. “Our major employers often have a labor shed of 20-plus counties,” Beddard says. “For these companies to continue to expand, we need all of our counties to have trained workers who want to continue to live in their home counties and commute one or two counties to work and bring those paychecks back home.”

Workforce development efforts are varied. One of the most recent begins with bolstering the number of National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education grants awarded locally. They fund partnerships between academic institutions and industries that focus on science and engineering. “To the best of our knowledge, only one community college in our 29-county region has received an NSF ATE grant during the last decade,” Beddard says. “We hope to change that.” An NSF-ATE workshop this fall will prepare for grant application submissions in fall 2025.

STEM East, an Alliance initiative that organizes collaborative efforts between businesses and schools to give students real-world STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — learning opportunities, kicked off its Industry in Schools Initiative at NC East’s Vision 2024 conference in January. “This program is being invented and implemented for the purpose of stopping the export of our most valuable resource — our homegrown workforce,” Edwards said at the event, held at East Carolina University.

Beddard says Industry in Schools focuses on six industries, each with a robust presence in the region, offering well-paying positions and expected to continue adding jobs. They include: aviation, blue economy, green energy, smart agriculture, health sciences and biopharma. The Biopharma Crescent, for example, is a swath of Johnston, Pitt and Wilson counties where manufacturers make therapeutics, vaccines, insulin and other life-saving medicines, employ almost 10,000 workers, and made more than $4 billion in investments.

them aware of the opportunities for their students to find great high-paying careers within our region and of the training opportunities available through our community colleges,” Beddard says. “If our teachers are more aware of the opportunities in our area, they can be the conduit that connects students to those careers.”

The green energy workshop, which included a tour of Dominion Energy’s hydroelectric dam on the Roanoke River, was hosted by the Center for Energy Education and Halifax Community College in Roanoke Rapids in July.

The aviation cluster met for two days in Elizabeth City that same month. Its lead, former Wayne County Schools Superintendent David Lewis, says elementary, middle and high school teachers from nine school districts took part.

Lewis says teachers also visited the College of the Albemarle-Currituck campus in Barco, which is home to its Aviation Technology program. “Participating teachers worked to develop connections between STEM and aviation concepts and their own curriculum standards,” he says.

“Our participating teachers represented a wide range of subject areas across all grade levels, so the emphasis was on helping them understand how STEM, and more specifically aviation, could be used to make their lessons more engaging for their students.”

Smart agriculture workshops were held at Martin and James Sprunt community colleges. “The purpose of it, as we bring the teachers into it, is they learn how to integrate into their daily lessons what is available,” says Cluster Lead Ben Thigpen, who retired as Jones County Schools superintendent in January. “The workshops expose teachers to what’s there and how to put it into their standard course of study and share with the students.”

Thigpen says agriculture is more than plants and animals. “The industry is so deep and vast,” he says. “You have to have welders and truck drivers and mechanics to keep those John Deeres and Massey Fergusons running.

There are electrical systems, monitoring systems, seeds and watering.”

The blue economy industry workshop, hosted by Carteret Community College, focused on aquaculture and marine construction. Teachers toured Jarrett Bay Boatworks in Beaufort. Career paths include offshore wind; Sea Grant program, which works to maintain a healthy coastal environment and economy; and Center for Marine Sciences and Technology. Further south, UNC Wilmington’s Blue Economy program partners with Cape Fear and Carteret community colleges and the Coastal Studies Institute at ECU’s Outer Banks campus.

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“Of course as we move forward, we hope to add many more businesses and workforce connections that will benefit from the work that we’re doing,” says Cluster Lead Lisa Jackson, who retired as Pamlico County Schools superintendent last year. “As we succeed in our region, this model could be applied to other regions throughout the state and the country.”

PHOTO CREDIT:

The blue economy industry workshop, which was hosted by Carteret Community College.

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DOUBLE VISION

L

exington, county seat of Davidson County, is a town of 20,000 at the crossroads of U.S. 64 and Interstate 85, halfway between Salisbury and Thomasville, in the middle of the state. It has a walkable downtown, half-dozen wineries, the Bob Timberlake gallery, family friendly parks and a nickname – Barbecue Capital of the World. Its annual October barbecue festival lures enough visitors to double the town population.

But lately Lexington has been discovered by more than food enthusiasts.

In April, steel-production company Nucor announced its next micro mill plant, a $350 million manufacturing project intended to create 180 jobs with average annual wage of $99,066, will be built just east of town on U.S. 64, about three miles from a 761-acre plot rezoned for industrial use.

Within Lexington city limits, Siemens Mobility’s $220 million railcar factory will create 500 jobs at a 200-acre lot in the Lexington Industrial Park on Brown Street.

“They’re completing utility permits and are on track for campus completion by March 2025,” says Jason Martin, Davidson’s assistant county manager, of the Siemens site. “It’s great for the county and the city of Lexington, because it’s a strong capital investment. We pride ourselves on a low tax rate, and that helps. Plus the wages will be over the county average.”

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Nucor and Siemens join a lengthy list of manufacturers settling in the Triad, a 12-county group of Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin with a midsection of Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem sewn together by a half-dozen crisscrossing highways.

Spanning the Triad like a landlocked peninsula, the Carolina Core is a 120-mile-long industry-saturated swath of the Piedmont from Surry and Yadkin counties in the west to Cumberland, Sampson and Johnston in the east. Inside, 2 million people live among industrial tracts covering more than 7,200 acres of certified land.

“We’re at a time when the county and all its municipalities are in harmony,” Martin says. “There are a lot of positives.”

PHOTO CREDIT: NUCOR AND SIEMENS MOBILITY

A look at the Piedmont Triad and its Carolina Core.

BIGGEST COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES UNC Greensboro Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem Elon University High Point University N.C. A&T State University, Greensboro Winston-Salem State University Guilford Technical Community College Forsyth Technical Community College

Kaleideum Museum in Winston-Salem

ATTRACTIONS

TRIAD SNAPSHOT

COUNTIES: Alamance Caswell Davidson Davie

Forsyth Guilford Montgomery Randolph

Rockingham Stokes Surry Yadkin

North Carolina Zoo, Asheboro International Civil Rights Center & Museum, Greensboro Old Salem Museum & Gardens, Winston-Salem Greensboro Science Center Andy Griffith Museum, Mount Airy Yadkin Valley Wine Country, Elkin Kaleideum (North and Downtown museums) Winston-Salem Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts

INDUSTRIES Aerospace and defense Furniture Finance Insurance Textiles Wine making

FOCUS | TRIAD REGION

High Point is the first East Coast city to be named a Certified Autism Destination.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WWW. NCCAROLINACORE.COM

“We like to tout ourselves as the third economic engine for North Carolina,” says Mike Fox, president of the Piedmont Triad Partnership, an economic development influencer in Greensboro.

“The Charlotte region has its success and its own niche. The Raleigh area has been enormously successful. In order for North Carolina to prosper, you have to have more than two areas. That’s not to say Asheville and Wilmington aren’t doing well. One of the best things about the Core is the choices you have and the diversity in where you can live, work and play.”

The Triad and Core boast a myriad of tourism attractions, a fistful of four-year universities and community colleges, and a city, High Point, that is the first Certified Autism Destination on the East Coast accredited by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.

Its Piedmont Triad International Airport has a $9.3 billion economic impact, aerospace cluster and a plane-in-the-making that will dash through the stratosphere at 1,304 mph.

“With a growing tourism economy, the county’s natural beauty shines with the Uwharrie National Forest, Tillery and Badin lakes, offering residents and visitors plentiful outdoor recreation and scenic views,” says county economic development Director Savannah Heath. “The charm of small-town living contributes to the area’s exceptional quality of life.”

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Infrastructure – pavement – is imperative to Core counties.

Interstate 40 and U.S. 421 meander from Winston-Salem to Greensboro to Sanford and Dunn, with the Greensboro-toSanford segment soon to be designated Future I-685. From Winston-Salem westward to Yadkinville, 421 could evolve into Interstate 777.

“Having I-777 in ‘future interstate status’ allows your local economic development professional to appeal for more projects. Many companies don’t have to be right on the interstate; they say they have to be within 10 miles,” Fox says. “And if you can’t provide that, you may be eliminated.”

Last fall, leaders gathered to address another mission: housing.

With major incoming industries committed, the PTP initiated a study to focus on “which type of housing can go where,” according to a report.

“First and foremost,” says High Point University President Nido Qubein, “Our goal is to ensure that people acknowledge this is a great place to live, a wonderful place to build a business and a terrific place to raise a family.”

THE PARTNERSHIP The Piedmont Triad Partnership encourages blending assets of education, infrastructure and buildable land with a business community focused on job generators. Nineteen counties market the Core brand to attract business.

“The Partnership has been a wonderful fellowship of focused leaders across the region,” says Qubein, who is co-chair. “We have seen mega-sites come to be, and they have attracted companies like the Toyota battery plant (5,100 jobs in Randolph County) and created an enormous number of jobs.”

Qubein is a former board member of Piedmont Triad International Airport, which holds multiple onsite aerospace companies and manufacturers in addition to having nationwide flights through four major airlines.

“We brought FedEx there (in 2003). Today that looks like a small advancement,” Qubein says. “Now, we’ve advanced to a much higher level with the megasites and can be sure that there are 50,000, 100,000 positions that can be created with reasonable amounts of compensation.”

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AEROSPACE The PTI campus has about 9,000 employees – 8,000 in jobs not related to terminal operations and commercial service aircraft.

Expansion continues. “We’re in the design phase of a terminal modernization project that will include heavy renovations and reconstruction of the terminal,” says Executive Director Kevin Baker of PTI’s 3½-year upfit. “There will be growing pains, but it’s not going to interrupt flights.”

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PTI has about 900 ready-to-build acres remaining in its aerospace cluster of HAECO Americas, Honda Aircraft, Cessna and VSE Corp. Baker says Boom Supersonic’s facility construction should be complete in a few months, and Marshall Aerospace has a January target.

“Our deal is to get them to market faster,” Baker says. “If we didn’t have the grading done, we’d still be moving dirt. We have sites ready to go, and that puts us in a good competitive position.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF IGUILFORD TECH COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Major investments and announcements are often credited to the diligence of individual counties’ EDCs, Fox says. “We meet with them monthly to promote the brand, which is the Core, and we celebrate all the victories. We do get involved in projects when they’re being recruited, because a CEO might say, ‘Hey, do you have a person we can talk to about what it’s like to run a business in this area?’ So, we work to provide that.”

EXPLORING THE CORE When “Carolina Core” became a term in 2018, Fox’s predecessor Stan Kelly expressed a goal of 50,000 office and industrial jobs in 20 years. Success – and money in the billions – came fast.

The PTP announced at the end of April that its 50,000-job milestone has been met – with 50,300. “We knew we were close last year,” Fox says, “so we raised the goal to 100,000 by 2038.

We doubled our goal.

“We’ve also been very blessed in that Duke Energy has been a great partner to work with in that they have an excellent grid and can provide for these companies as well.”

The biggest names announced in the megasite game: Toyota Battery: $13.9 billion in an increasing presence at the Greensboro-Randolph Mega-site; 5,100 jobs.

Wolfspeed 1,800 jobs, $5 billion investment at ChathamSiler City.

VinFast $4 billion investment at Triangle Innovation Point; Production has been delayed until 2028.

Boom Supersonic ($500 million) and Marshall Aerospace ($50 million) are constructing facilities at Piedmont Triad International Airport and intend to hire 2,400 and 243, respectively.

Chatham-Siler City has 1,400 acres remaining, and the Person County Mega Park just over Caswell’s eastern side has 1,350 acres ready to develop.

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FOCUS | TRIAD REGION

TOURISM High Point hosts more than 815,000 direct visitors annually, says Melody Burnett, president of the Visit High Point Convention & Visitors Bureau. The High Point Market furniture extravaganza brings an estimated 75,000 home furnishings professionals to town twice a year. And High Point University attracts more than 100,000 annual visitors for events such as orientation and graduation, family weekends, Presidential Scholar Weekend and Big South Conference sports.

“High Point has a town-and-gown relationship with HPU,” Burnett says. “Our local businesses, especially in the hospitality sector, understand the value in aligning their products and services with the standards set in place connecting those visitors to great experiences while in town. HPU continues to set the bar high, enhancing High Point’s abilities to secure more visitors through educational, sports and social events on campus.”

The city’s overnight and day-trip guests, Burnett says, “enjoy exploring the area including our N.C. Visitor Attraction of the Year, the Nido & Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum, and our Labor Day Weekend tradition, the John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival. We are hyper-focused on our guest experience, elevating the home furnishings and design branding, generating consumer traffic and awareness to our new downtown, and positioning our mission as a community of shared values that benefits visitors and residents.”

Being a Certified Autism Destination is new. Mesa, Arizona, is the only other U.S. city that can claim certification. The 52

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purpose is to make venues comfortable and welcoming for people with autism. “Currently, there are no venues outside the city participating, but there have been some exploratory conversations with some neighboring partners,” says Nancy Bowman, Visit High Point’s vice president of branding. “(Venues) have been working diligently to create programming, events, sensory guides and additional resources to ensure autistic visitors not only feel welcome but have time to prepare for what they are getting ready to experience.

“We are leveraging our mission as a community with shared values to drive the visitor economy, support local businesses, improve quality of life for our residents and lift up our destination’s branding of being kind and inclusive, while enhancing High Point’s visibility as a destination to live, work and play.”

PACKAGE DEAL “I think our greatest achievement (at the PTP) is just bringing the region together. And that’s occurred in the last 10 years,” Fox says.

“Our folks work collaboratively and cooperatively to make this a great place to live, and bring jobs. So, building this regional community and the brand of the Carolina Core has been our most remarkable contribution.”

Adds Qubein: “The Triad really is the giant that has been awakened recently. It’s an exciting time in the Core and in the Triad, because everyone is excited about the potential that lies ahead.”

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FOCUS FOCUS || WESTERN WESTERN REGION REGION

ON THE REBOUND

Western North Carolina is rebuilding from Hurricane Helene, and businesses are helping.

W

estern North Carolina, known for natural wonders as well as one of the most recognized man-made structures in the country, offers numerous dichotomies.

The destruction from Hurricane Helene has Asheville and the western North Carolina economy digging out and rebuilding.

Before the storm hit, Asheville and Buncombe County were beloved by tourists who provided a huge economic impact, national companies choosing western North Carolina for manufacturing sites and entrepreneurs excelling locally and nationally. The region is hoping it can continue those trends, and businesses are helping to ensure that happens.

Dogwood Health Trust, the nonprofit created by the sale of Mission Health, donated more than $30 million in relief funding to help western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene.

Priority is going for immediate needs and local organizations.

Officials say they are seeking to attract additional capital to the region, including from the federal and state governments.

Beyond urgent needs, Dogwood says it will support efforts tied to the FEMA response and maintaining critical healthcare services across the region.

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“Hurricane Helene has affected the people and communities of western North Carolina in unimaginable ways,” Dogwood CEO Susan Mims said in a news release. “Our response includes this funding for short-term relief and we will be here for longterm recovery and rebuilding as well.”

Many private and nonprofit organizations from across the U.S. have announced donations for relief efforts following the hurricane.

Dogwood’s investment is the largest one announced thus far.

Dogwood is directing $10 million to the Emergency and Disaster Response Fund at the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, which then will make smaller grants to human service and community-based organizations. More than $20 million will be given to direct-service nonprofits and organizations with connections in local communities, the group said.

Dogwood was formed after the $1.5 billion sale of Mission to Nashville, Tennessee-based HCA Healthcare in 2019. Its purpose is to improve the health and well-being of people in the Qualla Boundary and 18 western N.C. counties.

Hurt the most from the hurricane was tourism. At risk is an estimated $1.8 billion in visitors’ spending to western North

BIGGEST COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Western Carolina University, Cullowhee UNC Asheville Appalachian State University, Boone Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

ATTRACTIONS Biltmore Estate, Asheville Blue Ridge Parkway Carl Sandburg Home, Flat Rock Nantahala Outdoor Center, Bryson City Tryon International Equestrian Center, Mill Spring Sliding Rock, Transylvania County North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville Grandfather Mountain, Linville Chimney Rock State Park, Chimney Rock Linville Caverns, Marion Asheville Tourists minor league baseball Hickory Crawdads minor league baseball Cherokee Cultural Attractions, Cherokee Tweetsie Railroad, Blowing Rock

Asheville

WESTERN SNAPSHOT

COUNTIES: Alleghany Ashe Avery Buncombe Burke Caldwell Cherokee Clay

Graham Haywood Henderson Jackson Macon Madison McDowell Mitchell

Polk Rutherford Swain Transylvania Watauga Wilkes Yancey

INDUSTRIES Aerospace and defense Furniture Craft beer Data centers Tourism Advanced manufacturing Christmas trees

FOCUS | WESTERN REGION Hendersonville

Carolina in the fall. By season, the fall contributed 24% of tourism visits in North Carolina in 2023, ranking behind the summer at 26% and ahead of spring at 22% and winter at 14%, state tourism head Wit Tuttell says, citing his organization’s research.

Helene spared some mountain communities, such as Cherokee County, where “they have power, they have the internet, businesses are open and ready to host people,” Tuttell says.

“I’m sure some of these places are going to respond and recover more quickly than we anticipate, and we will be back on their feet pretty quickly, but some aren’t,” he says. “It’s going to be a challenge in getting people into those places that are ready to accept visitors and keeping them away from the places that aren’t.”

Tuttell urged people to look beyond the Helene headlines and make plans to visit North Carolina’s coast and Piedmont.

“Two-thirds of the state is still open and needs those visitors to come and help contribute to the economy,” he says.

HOMEGROWN SUCCESS The Economic Development Coalition’s board launched Venture Asheville in 2015 as part of its “AVL 5X5 Strategic Plan,” which laid out directives to add 5,000 new jobs and $500 million

Ginger Frank with Poppy’s Handcrafted Popcorn (left) and Demo Day with the Venture Asheville’s Elevate Program (right.)

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in capital investments. Its mentorship-based incubator, Elevate, had raised upward of $50 million in capital and generated more than $100 million in revenue. It has served more than 70 Asheville-headquartered start-ups that have created more than 360 jobs with wages averaging $78,000 a year.

“In the world of entrepreneurship, success often hinges on the ability to navigate complex and rapidly changing environments,” says director Jeff Kaplan. “At Elevate, we believe that mentorship, experiential learning and competency assessments are essential tools for founders seeking to build resilient and sustainable businesses. Investing in this community of founders is a smart long-term strategy, as these entrepreneurs will become our region’s future philanthropists, civic leaders and possibly elected officials.”

One company that grew through Venture Asheville’s Elevate incubator is Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn.

Company founder Ginger Frank started Poppy in 2014 as a one-woman show. She now employs 45, has more than 30 flavors, and her Parmesan & Black Pepper variety ranked No. 1 of all bagged popcorns by Tasting Table, a popular website for food and beverage connoisseurs.

“Venture Asheville came along at a very pivotal point in the Poppy journey. I didn’t even know VA existed and Josh Dorfman reached out to me in 2017,” Frank says. “After joining VA, I was assigned an incredible team of mentors: Robert Anoff, Dawn Walker, John Forrester, John Bernard. This group of volunteers jumped in with me with both feet. They offered advice, helped me carve out direction, provided connections to financial resources, helped me solve problems, even showed up at times to help fix machinery or fill orders.”

Venture Asheville and the camaraderie of entrepreneurs helped guide her success. She credits Kaplan, the organization’s director, for helping build that sense of community and being a confidence builder and source of wisdom as each entity grows. Frank and other entrepreneurs started a peer mentorship group that has grown from five members to more than 30.

“While we’re all at different stages, we know where to turn if we need advice or guidance,” she says. “We truly want to see each other succeed.

We are each other’s biggest fans.”

Buncombe County’s list of growing and big businesses includes many breweries, which make up the largest employer within the manufacturing sector, according to Duncan.

HURRICANE HELENE RECOVERY The Defense Department supported local, state and federal emergency responders in a massive effort to bring relief to residents impacted by Hurricane Helene. DOD support efforts have ranged from assisting with rescue operations and delivering humanitarian relief to debris cleanup and engineering support in the affected areas.

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FOCUS | WESTERN REGION

PART OF THE PLAN The “AVL 5×5 Strategic Plan” has five areas of focus: nurture local growth in sectors with a homegrown competitive advantage; recruit new growth; fast-track startups; integrate and strengthen workforce systems; develop industrial sites and buildings.

The 2020-2025 outline is the plan’s third cycle. It also is targeting growing and recruiting in five employment sectors: advanced manufacturing (automotive, aerospace, food and beverage), life sciences (biotech and medical devices), climate technology, outdoor products and office/information technology.

The EDC plans to conduct retention interviews, consult companies about such things as expansion, recruiting workforce and financial needs, and visit at least one national headquarters a year for companies that have branch offices in Buncombe.

The report notes: “We find a strong positive correlation between the employment rates of adults who live in a tract and rates of upward mobility for children who grow up there.

Evidently, what predicts upward mobility is not proximity to jobs, but growing up around people who have jobs. … Research is making it clear: If we want better outcomes for our nextgeneration residents, we must work to provide jobs to their parents and neighbors.”

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“For the west, it really is about attracting the next generation and the technological state of our workforce,” Duncan says. “We are one of those regions that lags behind the rest of the state in a wage perspective, so that’s the highest priority of our coalition – mobility and career paths that will sustain us for the next several generations. Our automotive and aerospace sectors and our entrepreneurship really speak to our innovation.”

The AVL 2015-2020 report notes the EDC and its partners assisted in attracting three new companies, eight expansions and 1,180 direct jobs, with an investment total of $198.9 million.

“We have a very specific focus. We have always been a low-unemployment market, and in the five years going into 2020 we had the lowest unemployment in all 100 counties,” Duncan says. “That also speaks to a tighter market. So, we want to, number one, grow our economic participation, and two, create partnerships to bring more people into economic opportunities. When I say that, I’m talking about populations that are typically disconnected, whether through poverty, substance abuse or re-entering the economic picture from justice involvement. We see great value in fast-tracking those individuals to high-wage employment opportunities.

“We’re really focusing on growing those pipelines and bringing more people into western North Carolina’s success.”

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FOCUS | WESTERN REGION

GETTING THERE AND LIVING THERE With business growth comes the need for more transportation, the local airport is responding.

Twelve miles from downtown, Asheville Regional Airport is steadily growing to serve the Asheville-Buncombe County metro area’s 450,000 residents and its many visitors.

With 25 domestic and international destinations, it’s the third-busiest airport in North Carolina, according to a release from the N.C. Department of State Treasurer. Asheville Regional Airport has experienced historic growth with more than 2.2 million passengers in 2023. This summer the airport experienced two record-breaking days with more than 6,400 passengers screened in one day.

To meet passenger demand, the Transportation Security Administration began the installation of a fourth security screening lane in July 2024, and it is now fully operational.

“Our TSA officers are looking forward to working in the new space where they will have a larger area to carry out their important security duties,” says TSA North Carolina Spokesperson Dan Velez. During AVL’s routine busiest days, TSA is screening more than 5,800 people a day. The fourth line alleviates wait times during peak travel hours.

“This couldn’t come at a better time,” says Lew Bleiweis, president and CEO of Asheville Regional Airport. “The growth is real at AVL, and we’ve exceeded our record passenger numbers from 2023 every month this year so far. Our security lines were at capacity. TSA has seen our growth and responded to ensure our passengers can move through screening more quickly.”

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Asheville Regional Airport renderings for proposed by firm Gresham Smith.

AROUND THE STATE | INCENTIVES

MORE THAN MONEY Businesses expand or locate in North Carolina for many reasons, including financial incentives and grants. Here are some of what’s available and the investments they helped make possible.

NORTH CAROLINA’S 2023 SCOREBOARD

$1.55B

$12.9B

14,114

(compared to $1.83B in 2022)

(compared to $15.58B in 2022)

(compared to 27,144 in 2022)

projected new annual payroll

in capital investment

new jobs

source: Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina

BIGGEST JOBS ANNOUNCEMENTS

2024 Kempower

Siemens Mobility

601 506

Epsilon Advanced Materials 500

2022

2023

1,802

VinFast

7,500

Siemens Mobility

500

Macy’s

2,800

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy

485

Toyota Motor

2,100 1,750 850

Wolfspeed

Bosch

404

So-Pak-Co

440

Boom Supersonic

Autel Energy

400

Bank of London

350

Amazon

Ameriprise Financial

388 source: Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

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AROUND THE STATE | EXPANSIONS

Global investors dominate North Carolina’s biggest job-creating projects.s

FOREIGN TRADE

By Lawernce Bivens

W

estern North Carolina, known for natural wonders as well as one of the most recognized man-made structures in the country, offers numerous dichotomies.

The dominant player is Toyota, which disclosed plans for a large Randolph County plant in late 2021, then raised the ante to a projected $14 billion investment. It has hired more than 800 people in preparation for production starting next year of electric and hybrid batteries to be used across the lineup of the world’s largest automotive company.

Eight of the 10 largest job announcements came from foreign enterprises, compared with five in 2022 and four in 2021. More investment may be on the way after the Biden Administration in May quadrupled the tariff on Chinese-produced electric vehicles to 100%. The rate for foreign-made semiconductors and solar cell needles is also rising to 50% this year.

TOYOTA MOTOR TOKYO, JAPAN NEW JOBS: 3,000 COUNTY: RANDOLPH PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $8B N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $315 MILLION OVER 39 YEARS, PLUS $50 MILLION MORE IF CERTAIN JOB TARGETS ARE HIT.) LOCAL INCENTIVES: $167 MILLION

Ready talent was commonly cited as a top factor in companies’ interest in the state, with several CEOs trumpeting their partnerships with N.C. universities and community colleges.

North Carolina also benefits from available land and buildings that have access to industrial-grade infrastructure.

Many “megasites” have filled up as the state wins kudos as a top location for business. That is prompting leaders to seek developers for other sites with suitable land and buildings.

This annual list is based on job-creation projections for developments announced between June 1, 2023 and May 31, 2024. Details are gleaned from press releases, state reports and local media accounts. History shows many projects won’t meet their targets for jobs and investment, while some exceed their goals. State officials verify the companies’ job creation and capital spending before providing incentives.

Landing a $14 billion investment from Toyota cinches North Carolina’s place in global auto manufacturing, given the Japanese company’s status as the world’s top-selling vehicle producer for the past four years. It has sold more than 10 million vehicles annually for nine of the past 10 years, with hybrids and fully electric models gaining market share compared with its gas-only products.

To meet demand, Toyota announced the second phase of its proposed 7 million-square- feet manufacturing center launched 20 miles south of Greensboro in 2021. The expansion will add eight manufacturing lines to the two that Toyota previously announced, including capacity for hybrid vehicle batteries. It expects to eventually employ about 5,100 people in Randolph County.

Toyota is benefiting from its emphasis on hybrid vehicles, rather than promoting all-electric vehicles, auto analysts say. Its sales in the US soared 23% in the first three months of this year, aided by new hybrid versions of its Prius, Camry and Rav4 models. EV leader Tesla, which doesn’t offer hybrids, reported a nearly 9% decline in deliveries, its first quarterly decline since 2020. Hybrid, hydrogen-powered and battery-electric vehicles made up 36% of total Toyota sales in the first quarter. The company says it takes the same amount of battery resources to make one EV as it does to produce 90 hybrids because materials are so scarce.

Still, Toyota says it plans to offer 30 all-electric vehicles by 2030.

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AMAZON

BOVIET SOLAR

SEATTLE

BAC GIANG CITY, VIETNAM

NEW JOBS: 1,000

NEW JOBS: 908

COUNTIES: CUMBERLAND, JOHNSTON

COUNTY: PITT

PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $200 MILLION

PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $294 MILLION

N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: N/A

N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $8.28 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS

LOCAL INCENTIVES: $6.3 MILLION (SMITHFIELD)

LOCAL INCENTIVES: $18 MILLION

$2.5 MILLION (FAYETTEVILLE)

On May 31, Amazon started hiring more than 1,000 full-time staffers and an undisclosed number of part-timers for its 1.3 million-square-foot distribution facility in Fayetteville. The giant e-commerce company had completed the building in mid2023, then paused for about a year as it assessed its needs and economic conditions. Local officials say it will become one of the Cumberland County city’s five largest private employers. In April, the company opened a 620,000-square-foot distribution center in Smithfield in Johnston County. It was announced in 2021 and is expected to employee as many as 1,000.

ROSS STORES SAN BRUNO, CALIFORNIA NEW JOBS: 852 COUNTY: RANDOLPH

The company is part of China’s publicly traded Boway Alloy, a material manufacturer. Boviet will make solar panels and photovoltaic cells for commercial, residential and industrial markets in the U.S. Its Greenville operations will span 1 million square feet in a vacant facility and newly constructed space.

Boviet considered 60 possible locations in nine states before picking finalists Greenville, Phoenix and Atlanta. The area’s modest cost-of-living, proximity to ports and highways, and skilled workforce helped Pitt County win its largest-ever economic development project.

FUJIFILM DIOSYNTH BIOTECHNOLOGIES TOKYO, JAPAN NEW JOBS: 680

PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $450 MILLION

COUNTY: WAKE

N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $7.61 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS

PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $1.2 BILLION

LOCAL INCENTIVES: $40 MILLION

N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $14.99 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS

Not all of Randolph County’s recent wins involve batteries. In Randleman, near the junction of I-74 and U.S. 311, discount retailer Ross Stores plans 1.7 million square feet of distribution space. The company, founded in 1950, does business as Ross Dress for Less, operating 1,765 stores in the U.S. and Guam.

Abundant available labor helped the community seal the deal.

Last year, Klaussner Furniture shuttered its operations in the county, idling 884 workers.

LOCAL INCENTIVES: $54.3 MILLION

Just three years after announcing its initial $2 billion investment in Holly Springs, Fujifilm unveiled expansion plans for its largescale cell culture manufacturing site there. Based in Denmark but part of a Japanese conglomerate, the company credited the community’s diverse talent pool, infrastructure and sustainable energy resources. The new jobs, which expand on the site’s existing payroll of about 700, are expected to pay an average annual wage of nearly $110,000.

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AROUND THE STATE | INCENTIVES

SIEMENS ENERGY MUNICH, GERMANY NEW JOBS: 559 COUNTY: MECKLENBURG/WAKE PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $150 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $6.98 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $5.4 MILLION

Siemens Energy arrived in Charlotte in 1969 and employs about 1,200 at its turbine-manufacturing plant off Westinghouse Boulevard. The company’s expansion plans center on repurposing about 53,000 square feet of floor space to manufacture large power transformers. With long production lead times, the school bus-sized equipment is a key component of the nation’s electrical grid. The company’s engineering center in Raleigh expects to add 84 positions. Siemens had considered expanding a facility in Kansas for the project

SHENZHEN, CHINA NEW JOBS: 545 COUNTY: LINCOLN PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $140 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $3.64 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $2.5 MILLION

Established in 2023, China’s Green New Energy Materials supplies lithium-ion battery components for electric vehicles, tools and industrial equipment. It maintains strategic partnerships with Tesla, Ford, LG and others. It is leasing a half million square feet at Lincoln Commèrce Center, its first U.S. site, with production slated to start next year.

CRYSTAL WINDOW & DOOR SYSTEMS

EPSILON ADVANCED MATERIALS

FLUSHING, N.Y.

MUMBAI, INDIA

NEW JOBS: 501 COUNTY: JOHNSTON PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $83.6 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $4.14 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $3.7 MILLION

A 43-acre site in Selma, 30 miles southeast of Raleigh, will house Crystal’s new plant. The company founded in 1990 supplies windows and doors to residential and commercial builders in 40 states. Local leaders credited recent investments in public infrastructure for landing Crystal, which plans to pay average annual wages of about $56,000. “Sound economic fundamentals are Selma’s secret sauce when it comes to job creation and prosperity,” Mayor Byron McAllister said.

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GREEN NEW ENERGY MATERIALS

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

NEW JOBS: 500 COUNTY: BRUNSWICK PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $650 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $3.44 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: NA

Proximity to southern U.S. automotive supply chains, along with community college training support, helped convince Epsilon to build a 1.5 million-square-foot synthetic graphite production facility at Mid-Atlantic Industrial Rail Park, about 18 miles from the Port of Wilmington. The material is a component of cleanenergy batteries, enabling a faster, longer-lasting charge than natural graphite. The expansion caps off Southeastern North Carolina’s “near-port” economic development vision, which regional leaders launched 15 years ago to promote large sites within easy reach of the port.

ADDITIONAL NOTABLE INVESTMENTS SCHOTT PHARMA MAINZ, GERMANY

CLAYTON SUPPLY MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE

AMREP MANUFACTURING CHARLOTTE

NEW JOBS: 401 COUNTY: WILSON

NEW JOBS: 263 COUNTY: STANLY

NEW JOBS: 170 COUNTY: ROWAN

PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $371 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $4.94 MILLION

PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $46.6 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $2.06 MILLION

PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $21 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $1.62 MILLION

OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $16.1 MILLION

OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $2.7 MILLION OVER 10 YEARS

OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $269,248 OVER FIVE YEARS; ROWAN COUNTY ALSO SOLD

BOSCH GERLINGEN, GERMANY NEW JOBS: 400 COUNTY: LINCOLN PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $130 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $12.73 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $4.4 MILLION

AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. NEW JOBS: 400 COUNTY: MECKLENBURG PROJECTED INVESTMENT: N/A N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: N/A LOCAL INCENTIVES: N/A

DAI NIPPON PRINTING TOKYO, JAPAN NEW JOBS: 352 COUNTY: DAVIDSON PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $233 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $2.74 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $1.85 MILLION

PROKIDNEY WINSTON-SALEM

AMREP APPROXIMATELY 20 ACRES OF LAND FOR ABOUT $300,000 BELOW

COMMSCOPE HICKORY

TAX VALUE

NEW JOBS: 250 COUNTY: CATAWBA PROJECT INVESTMENT: $60.3 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $1.9 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $1,436,541 FROM CATAWBA COUNTY OVER SIX YEARS

FORGE NANO DENVER, COLORADO NEW JOBS: 204 COUNTY: WAKE PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $165 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $1.53 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $3 MILLION FIVE TO EIGHT YEARS

PURPLE CROW WINSTON-SALEM NEW JOBS: 199 COUNTY: FORSYTH PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $50 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: 0 LOCAL INCENTIVES: $1.4 MILLION OVER

NEW JOBS: 330

FIVE YEARS

COUNTY: GUILFORD PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $458 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $5.1 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS

DEHN NEUMARKT, GERMANY NEW JOBS: 195

INNOVATION CONSTRUCTION GROUP JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA NEW JOBS: 157 COUNTY: CHATHAM PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $39.8 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $1.83 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $1.1 MILLION OVER FIVE YEARS

TTX CHARLOTTE NEW JOBS: 150 COUNTY: MECKLENBURG PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $14.5 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $1.83 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $555,000

FUJIHATSU & TOYOTSU BATTERY COMPONENTS LIBERTY NEW JOBS: 133 COUNTY: RANDOLPH PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $60.4 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: N/A LOCAL INCENTIVES: N/A

LOCAL INCENTIVES: $28.5 MILLION

COUNTY: IREDELL PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $38.6 MILLION

BOXMAN STUDIOS MOUNT HOLLY

HONDA AIRCRAFT GREENSBORO

N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $1.17 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $1.84 MILLION OVER SEVEN YEARS

NEW JOBS: 116 COUNTY: GASTON PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $2.95 MILLION

NEW JOBS: 280 COUNTY: GUILFORD PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $55.7 MILLION N.C. CASH INCENTIVE: $3.4 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS

AUCTION DIRECT USA ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

LOCAL INCENTIVES: $1.13 MILLION

NEW JOBS: 173 COUNTY: GRANVILLE PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $2.9 MILLION

N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: N/A LOCAL INCENTIVES: $45,000

N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $2.1 MILLION OVER 12 YEARS LOCAL INCENTIVES: $25,000 NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

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AROUND THE STATE | PR I VAT E CO M PA N I E S

NORTH CAROLINA’S LARGEST PRIVATE COMPANIES For more than 30 years, Business North Carolina magazine has recognized privately-owned businesses that play pivotal, but often understated, roles in building the state’s economy. Its list, compiled with revenue and employment information shared by companies, includes best estimates for those that prefer not to disclose that information. Private equity controlled companies whose operations are based in North Carolina are eligible for the list. The majority of businesses are closely held organizations with long histories in the state. The list is based on 2023 revenue.

$1 BILLION AND MORE

66

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

To view the complete list, visit businessnc.com

or scan the code to go directly to the page.

$500 MILLION TO $999 MILLION

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

67

AROUND THE STATE | PU B L I C CO M PA N I E S

NORTH CAROLINA’S TOP PUBLIC COMPANIES Business North Carolina magazine used stock-market performance as of June 30, 2024, to determine this list of the largest public companies headquartered in North Carolina. Stocks of North Carolina’s largest public companies took widely divergent paths in the past year: 17 recorded gains of more than 40%, while nine declined by at least 40%. That was a major change from a year earlier, when only 12 of the 75 companies showed any increases, reflecting a difficult for investors.

1 TO 25

68

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

MARKET VALUE

PRICE & STOCK PERFORMANCE

NET INCOME

To view the complete list, visit businessnc.com

26 TO 50

or scan the code to go directly to the page.

MARKET VALUE

PRICE & STOCK PERFORMANCE

NET INCOME

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

69

AROUND THE STATE | HIGHER EDUCATION

NORTH CAROLINA’S HIGHER EDUCATION DIRECTORY UNC GREENSBORO GREENSBORO uncg.edu

PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY BOONE, HICKORY appstate.edu

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY GREENVILLE ecu.edu

ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY ELIZABETH CITY ecsu.edu

FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY FAYETTEVILLE

UNC PEMBROKE PEMBROKE uncp.edu

UNC SCHOOL OF THE ARTS WINSTON-SALEM uncsa.edu

UNC WILMINGTON WILMINGTON uncw.edu

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY CULLOWHEE

wssu.edu

CAROLINA CHRISTIAN COLLEGE WINSTON-SALEM carolina.edu

CAROLINA COLLEGE OF BIBLICAL STUDIES FAYETTEVILLE ccbs.edu

CAROLINA UNIVERSITY carolinau.edu

SALISBURY

catawba.edu

CHARLOTTE

chamberlain.edu

CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE AND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY CHARLOTTE

charlottechristian.edu

PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS

CHOWAN UNIVERSITY MURFREESBORO chowan.edu

BARTON COLLEGE

RALEIGH

WILSON

ncsu.edu

barton.edu

UNC ASHEVILLE

BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE

unca.edu

belmontabbycollege.edu

UNC CHAPEL HILL

BENNETT COLLEGE

BELMONT

CHAPEL HILL

GREENSBORO

unc.edu

bennett.edu

UNC CHARLOTTE

BREVARD COLLEGE

uncc.edu

brevard.edu

70

campbell.edu

CHAMBERLAIN UNIVERSITY NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

CHARLOTTE

BUIES CREEK

CATAWBA COLLEGE

WINSTON-SALEM

ncat.edu

ASHEVILLE

CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY

WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY

GREENSBORO

nccu.edu

cabarruscollege.edu

WINSTON-SALEM

NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL AND TECHNICAL STATE UNIVERSITY

DURHAM

CONCORD

wcu.edu

uncfsu.edu

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

CABARRUS COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

BREVARD

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

DAVIDSON COLLEGE DAVIDSON

davidson.edu

DEVRY UNIVERSITY CHARLOTTE devry.edu

DUKE UNIVERSITY DURHAM duke.edu

ECPI UNIVERSITY

CHARLOTTE, GREENSBORO, RALEIGH ecpi.edu

ELON UNIVERSITY

MARS HILL UNIVERSITY

elon.edu

mhu.edu

ELON

MARS HILL

SOUTHEASTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY WAKE FOREST sebts.edu

GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY

MEREDITH COLLEGE

gardner-webb.edu

meredith.edu

SOUTHEASTERN FREE WILL BAPTIST BIBLE COLLEGE

GREENSBORO COLLEGE

METHODIST UNIVERSITY

sfwbc.edu

greensboro.edu

methodist.edu

ST. ANDREWS UNIVERSITY

MID-ATLANTIC CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

sa.edu

BOILING SPRINGS

GREENSBORO

GUILFORD COLLEGE GREENSBORO guilford.edu

HERITAGE BIBLE COLLEGE

RALEIGH

FAYETTEVILLE

ELIZABETH CITY

macuniversity.edu

DUNN

MILLER-MOTTE COLLEGE

HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY

miller-motte.edu

heritagebiblecollege.edu

HIGH POINT

FAYETTEVILLE, JACKSONVILLE, RALEIGH, WILMINGTON

WENDELL

LAURINBURG

STRAYER UNIVERSITY NORTH CAROLINA CHARLOTTE, CONCORD, GREENSBORO, HUNTERSVILLE, MORRISVILLE, RALEIGH strayeruniversity.edu

UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT OLIVE

highpoint.edu

MONTREAT COLLEGE

JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY

montreat.edu

MOUNT OLIVE, DURHAM, GOLDSBORO, SMITHFIELD

NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

CHARLOTTE jwu.edu

JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY CHARLOTTE jcsu.edu

LEES-MCRAE COLLEGE BANNER ELK lmc.edu

LENOIR-RHYNE UNIVERSITY

MONTREAT, BLACK MOUNTAIN

ROCKY MOUNT

omu.edu

WINSTON-SALEM

ncwc.edu

wfu.edu

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

WARREN WILSON COLLEGE

northeastern.edu

warren-wilson.edu

PFEIFFER UNIVERSITY

WATTS SCHOOL OF NURSING

CHARLOTTE, ONLINE

SWANNANOA

DURHAM

ASHEVILLE, HICKORY

MISENHEIMER, CHARLOTTE, RALEIGH, DURHAM

lr.edu

pfeiffer.edu

LIVING ARTS COLLEGE

QUEENS UNIVERSITY

WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY

living-art-college.edu

queens.edu

wgu.edu/north-carolina

LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE

SAINT AUGUSTINE’S UNIVERSITY

WILLIAM PEACE UNIVERSITY

livingstone.edu

st-aug.edu

peace.edu

LOUISBURG COLLEGE

SALEM COLLEGE

louisburg.edu

salem.edu

MANNA UNIVERSITY

SHAW UNIVERSITY

manna.edu

shawu.edu

RALEIGH

SALISBURY

LOUISBURG

FAYETTEVILLE

CHARLOTTE

RALEIGH

WINSTON-SALEM

wattsschoolofnursing.org

DURHAM, ONLINE

RALEIGH

WINGATE UNIVERSITY WINGATE, CHARLOTTE, HENDERSONVILLE wingate.edu

RALEIGH

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

71

AROUND THE STATE | HIGHER EDUCATION

CARTERET COMMUNITY COLLEGE MOREHEAD CITY

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

carteret.edu

ALAMANCE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CONOVER, HICKORY, NEWTON, TAYLORSVILLE

BURLINGTON, GRAHAM alamancecc.edu

ASHEVILLE-BUNCOMBE TECHNICALCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE ARDEN, ASHEVILLE, CANDLER, MARSHALL, WOODFIN abtech.edu

BEAUFORT COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CATAWBA VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE cvcc.edu

CENTRAL CAROLINA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

DUNN, LILLINGTON, PITTSBORO, SANFORD, SILER CITY

BREVARD, FLAT ROCK, HENDERSONVILLE

FAYETTEVILLE, FORT BRAGG, SPRING LAKE faytechcc.edu

FORSYTH TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

GASTON COLLEGE

CLEVELAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE

BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

FAYETTEVILLE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CENTRAL PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

BLADEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE bladencc.edu

edgecombe.edu

KERNERSVILLE, KING, WALNUT COVE, WINSTON-SALEM

WASHINGTON

DUBLIN

ROCKY MOUNT, TARBORO

cccc.edu

CHARLOTTE, HUNTERSVILLE, MATTHEWS cpcc.edu

beaufortccc.edu

EDGECOMBE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SHELBY

clevelandcc.edu

COASTAL CAROLINA COMMUNITY COLLEGE JACKSONVILLE

forsythtech.edu

BELMONT, DALLAS, LINCOLNTON gaston.edu

GUILFORD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

COLFAX, GREENSBORO, HIGH POINT, JAMESTOWN gtcc.edu

HALIFAX COMMUNITY COLLEGE WELDON

halifaxcc.edu

blueridge.edu

coastalcarolina.edu

BRUNSWICK COMMUNITY COLLEGE

COLLEGE OF THE ALBEMARLE

brunswickcc.edu

abemarle.edu

CALDWELL COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTE

CRAVEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE HAVELOCK, NEW BERN

BOONE, HUDSON

cravencc.edu

COLUMBUS, RUTHERFORDTON, SPINDALE

cccti.edu

CAPE FEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE

DAVIDSON-DAVIE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

JAMES SPRUNT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

cfcc.edu

davidsondavie.edu

BOLIVIA, LELAND, SOUTHPORT, SUPPLY

BURGAW, CASTLE HAYNE, HAMPSTEAD, WILMINGTON

BARCO, EDENTON, ELIZABETH CITY, MANTEO

BERMUDA RUN, LEXINGTON, MOCKSVILLE, THOMASVILLE

DURHAM TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

DURHAM, HILLSBOROUGH durhamtech.edu

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NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

HAYWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE CLYDE

haywood.edu

ISOTHERMAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE isothermal.edu

KENANSVILLE

jamessprunt.edu

JOHNSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CLAYTON, FOUR OAKS, SMITHFIELD johnstoncc.edu

LENOIR COMMUNITY COLLEGE KINSTON, LA GRANGE, PINK HILL, SNOW HILL, TRENTON lenoircc.edu

MARTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE WILLIAMSTON, WINDSOR martincc.edu

MAYLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE

BURNSVILLE, NEWLAND, SPRUCE PINE mayland.edu

MCDOWELL TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE MARION

mcdowelltech.edu

MITCHELL COMMUNITY COLLEGE MOORESVILLE, STATESVILLE mitchellcc.edu

MONTGOMERY COMMUNITY COLLEGE TROY

montgomery.edu

ROANOKE-CHOWAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

TRI-COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

roanokechowan.edu

tricountycc.edu

AHOSKIE

ROBESON COMMUNITY COLLEGE LUMBERTON robeson.edu

ROCKINGHAM COMMUNITY COLLEGE

MARBLE, MURPHY, ROBBINSVILLE

VANCE-GRANVILLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CREEDMOOR, HENDERSON, LOUISBURG, WARRENTON vgcc.edu

rockinghamcc.edu

WAKE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

ROWAN-CABARRUS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

waketech.edu

WENTWORTH

CONCORD, KANNAPOLIS, SALISBURY

CARY, MORRISVILLE, RALEIGH, WAKE FOREST, WENDELL, ZEBULON

rccc.edu

WAYNE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SAMPSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

waynecc.edu

CLINTON

sampsoncc.edu

SANDHILLSCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE PINEHURST, CARTHAGE, RAEFORD, ROBBINS

GOLDSBORO

WESTERN PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE MORGANTON wpcc.edu

sandhills.edu

WILKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE

nashcc.edu

SOUTHEASTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

wilkescc.edu

PAMLICO COMMUNITY COLLEGE

sccnc.edu

NASH COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROCKY MOUNT

BAYBORO, GRANTSBORO pamlicocc.edu

PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROXBORO, YANCEYVILLE piedmontcc.edu

PITT COMMUNITY COLLEGE WINTERVILLE pittcc.edu

RANDOLPH COMMUNITY COLLEGE ASHEBORO

randolph.edu

RICHMOND COMMUNITY COLLEGE HAMLET, LAURINBURG richmondcc.edu

WHITEVILLE

SPARTA, WEST JEFFERSON, WILKESBORO

WILSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SOUTH PIEDMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

WILSON

wilsoncc.edu

MONROE, POLKTON, WADESBORO spcc.edu

SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYLVA

southwesterncc.edu

STANLY COMMUNITY COLLEGE ALBEMARLE, LOCUST stanly.edu

SURRY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

DOBSON, ELKIN, MOUNT AIRY, PILOT MOUNTAIN, YADKINVILLE surry.edu

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

73

AROUND THE STATE | HOSPITALS

Business North Carolina’s list of the state’s best hospitals with 50 or more beds examines data compiled from several sources to determine which medical centers provide the best care for their patients.

The rankings are calculated using more than 25 metrics, including information provided by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Patient-satisfaction surveys, as well as infection, readmission and death rates for common procedures, are also taken under consideration.

Other factors include safety report cards by the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit The LeapfrogGroup, distinction awards from insurer Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and national performance ratings from U.S. News & World Report.

5

1 DUKE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL DURHAM

BEDS: 1,048 2023 RANK: T-3 PRESIDENT: GREGORY PAULY

2 CONE HEALTH MOSES CONE HOSPITAL GREENSBORO

8 TIED

UNC REX HEALTHCARE

FIRSTHEALTH MOORE REGIONAL HOSPITAL

BEDS: 489

BEDS: 402

2023: RANK: T-3

2023 RANK: T-3

PRESIDENT: KRISTEN RIGGS

PRESIDENT: MICKEY FOSTER

RALEIGH

6 TIED MISSION HOSPITAL ASHEVILLE

BEDS: 529

BEDS: 7815

2023 RANK: 1 PRESIDENT: PRESTON HAMMOCK

2023 RANK: T-12 CEO: CHAD PATRICK

PINEHURST

10 NOVANT HEALTH FORSYTH MEDICAL CENTER WINSTON-SALEM BEDS: 859 2023 RANK: T-7 PRESIDENT AND CEO: CHAD SETLIFF

6 TIED

3 UNC MEDICAL CENTER CHAPEL HILL

NOVANT HEALTH PRESBYTERIAN MEDICAL CENTER CHARLOTTE

11 ATRIUM HEALTH WAKE FOREST BAPTIST WINSTON-SALEM

BEDS: 985

BEDS: 622

2023 RANK: T-3 PRESIDENT: JANET HADAR

BEDS: 885

2023 RANK: 16 CEO: SAAD EHTISHAM

2023 RANK: T-12 CEO: JULIE ANN FREISCHLAG

8 TIED

4 DUKE REGIONAL HOSPITAL

DUKE RALEIGH HOSPITAL

DURHAM

RALEIGH

BEDS: 388

BEDS: 186

2023 RANK: 9 PRESIDENT: DEVDUTTA SANGVAI

74

2023 RANK: 19 PRESIDENT: DR. BARBARA GRIFFITH

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

12 UNC HEALTH PARDEE

HENDERSONVILLE BEDS:222 2023 RANK: T-20 CEO: JAME KIRBY II

13 TIED

17 TIED

21 TIED

CAROLINAEAST HEALTH SYSTEM

NOVANT HEALTH MINT HILL MEDICAL CENTER

ATRIUM HEALTH WAKE FOREST BAPTISTHIGH POINT MEDICAL CENTER

NEW BERN BEDS: 350

2023 RANK: T-7 CEO: MICHAEL SMITH

MINT HILL

BEDS: 351

2023 RANK: NR

2023 RANK: NR

CEO: JOY GREEAR

13 TIED

19

ATRIUM HEALTH WAKE FOREST BAPTISTHIGH POINT MEDICAL CENTER

ADVENTHEALTH

HIGH POINT

BEDS: 103

BEDS: 351

2023 RANK: NR

2023 RANK: 11

HIGH POINT

BEDS: 36

PRESIDENT: JAMES HOEKSTRA

23 CATAWBA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER

HENDERSONVILLE

HICKORY BEDS: 258

2023 RANK: NR

CEO: BRANDON MUDD

CEO: DENNIS JOHNSON

PRESIDENT AND CEO: JAMES HOEKSTRA

20 13 TIED UNC HEALTH NASH ROCKY MOUNT BEDS: 272 2023 RANK: T-22 CEO: L. LEE ISLEY

17 TIED ATRIUM HEALTH CABARRUS CONCORD BEDS: 457 2023 RANK: T-10 VICE PRESIDENT: ASHA RODRIGUEZ

ATRIUM HEALTH CAROLINAS MEDICAL CENTER CHARLOTTE

24 ECU HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER GREENVILLE

BEDS: 907

BEDS: 974

2023 RANK: T-12 FACILITY EXECUTIVE: D. CHANNING ROUSH

21 TIED NORTHERN REGIONAL HOSPITAL MT. AIRY

2023 RANK: 18 PRESIDENT: JAY BRILEY

24 NOVANT HEALTH MATTHEWS MEDICAL CENTER

BEDS: 133

MATTHEWS

2023 RANK: NR

BEDS: 157

PRESIDENT: CHRIS LUMSDEN

2023 RANK: NR PRESIDENT, CEO: JASON BERND

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

75

AROUND THE STATE | COUNTY BY COUNTY

A L A M A NCE Alamance Chamber of Commerce 336-228-1338 alamancechamber.com

A L EXA N DER EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 18.5% Retail: 14.5%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Alexander County Economic Development Corp.

828-632-1161 alexanderedc.org

Laboratory Corporation of America

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

HIGHER EDUCATION

Elon University; Alamance Community College

A LLEGHA NY Alleghany County Chamber of Commerce 336-372-5473 alleghanycountychamber.com

Taylorsville: population 2,327

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

46.9 cents per $100 value

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 36.8 8.8 8.3% $29.8

2023* 36.4 8.8 3.2% $48.0

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 19.2% Retail: 9.1%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Anson Economic Development Corp.

336-430-6318 ansonedc.com

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Wadesboro: population 4,921

59.7 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Wilkes Community College

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 25.4 7.5 10.2% $29.2

2023* 22.1 6.7 4.O% $50.2

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 16.1% Health care: 14.9%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Avery County Economic Development Council 828-387-0994 averycounty.com/edc

77.7 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

South Piedmont Community College

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Hospitality: 13.1% Retail: 12.5%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

American Emergency Vehicles

Sugar Mountain Resort

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Jefferson: population 1,628 2013 26.8 7.0 10.5% $30.9

2023* 27.0 7.3 3.0% $44.4

Beaufort County Economic Development 252-946-3970 beaufortedc.com

Banner Elk: population 1,174

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

44.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Wilkes Community College

BE AU FO RT

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 17.8 6.6 9.9% $29.0

2023* 17.3 7.2 3.0% $45.7

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 14.5% Retail: 14.1%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Bertie County Economic Development 252-794-5301 co.bertie.nc.us

HIGHER EDUCATION

Lees-McRae College; Mayland Community College

Government: 13.3% Health care: 12.6%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Perdue Farms

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Washington: population 9,705 2023* 43.8 15.5 4.0% $54.6

40.0 cents per $100 value

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 46.8 15.6 10.0% $37.5

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

B ERT I E

Nutrien

76

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

AVERY

Ashe County Economic Development 336-846-5535 growashe.com

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

Catawba County Community College

Peoplease

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

ASHE

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

HIGHER EDUCATION

Manufacturing: 20.0% Government: 13.9%

Sparta: population 1,906 2023* 11.4 3.2 4.5% $44.5

65.0 cents per $100 value

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 10.9 3.2 9.2% $30.4

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

A N SO N

Parkdale Mills

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Burlington (part): population 58,193 2023* 181.4 66.7 3.4% $49.0

Manufacturing: 34.2% Government: 10.2% Craftmaster Furniture

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 153.6 57.4 8.4% $34.2

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Windsor: population 3,230

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

62.5 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Beaufort County Community College

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 19.9 6.1 11.3% $31.3

2023* 16.8 5.1 4.4% $49.4

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

93.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Roanoke-Chowan Community College; Martin Community College

For sources and notes, see page 88

BLADEN

B RUN SWI C K

Bladen County Economic Development Commission 910-645-2292 bladennc.govoffice3.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 47.0% Education: 6.8%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Brunswick Business and Industry Development 910-408-1603 brunswickbid.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 16.5% Hospitality: 14.4%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Smithfield Foods

Walmart

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Elizabethtown: population 3,253 POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 33.4 11.9 11.6% $31.9

2023* 28.9 13.7 4.2% $48.4

Leland: population 30,264

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

78.5 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Bladen Community College

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 112.7 28.7 9.3% $36.4

B U N CO M B E

B URK E

Economic Development Coalition EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY Health care: 18.5% Asheville-Buncombe County Hospitality: 13.2% 828-258-6101

Burke Development Inc. 828-764-9370 burkedevinc.com

ashevillechamber.org/economic-development

2023* 160.0 39.6 4.2% $58.3

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

34.2 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Brunswick Community College

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 25.0% Health care: 21.7%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Mission Health

Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Asheville: population 97,036 POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 249.3 116.5 6.4% $37.4

2023* 276.4 138.4 2.7% $61.6

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

51.8 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

UNC Asheville; Montreat College; Warren Wilson College; Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

CA BA RRUS Cabarrus Economic Development Corp.

704-703-1725 cabarrusedc.com

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 88.0 29.4 9.5% $28.9

2023* 89.2 29.5 3.3% $44.6

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 15.0% Health care: 13.3%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Amazon

Caldwell County Economic Development 828-728-0768 caldwelledc.org

2023* 243.9 85.0 3.2% $54.8

Western Piedmont Community College

57.6 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Barber-Scotia College; Rowan-Cabarrus Community College; Cabarrus College of Health Sciences

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 22.6% Health care: 13.9%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Lenoir: population 18,766 POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 81.6 23.0 9.7% $28.7

2023* 81.8 25.4 3.4% $44.8

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

63.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute

CA RT ERET

Camden County Economic Development Commission 252-338-6363 camdencountync.gov

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Government: 11.5% Retail: 10.0%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Carteret County Economic Development Department 252-648-7880 carteretedc.com

Easter Seals UCP North Carolinas

HIGHER EDUCATION

College of The Albemarle

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Morehead City: population 10,050

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

73.0 cents per $100 value

Hospitality: 17.8% Retail: 17.7%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Elizabeth City (part): population 39 2023* 11.1 1.2 3.3% $56.9

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Walmart

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 9.9 1.5 7.6% $41.5

HIGHER EDUCATION

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

CA M DEN

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

56.0 cents per $100 value

Merchants Distributors

Concord (part): population 113,371 2013 188.7 64.9 7.8% $37.0

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

CA L DWEL L

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

Morganton: population 18,260

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 68.2 22.1 7.7% $41.1

2023* 70.3 24.7 3.2% $63.5

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

34.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Carteret Community College

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

77

AROUND THE STATE | COUNTY BY COUNTY

CA SWE LL

CATAWB A

Caswell County Office of Economic Development 336-933-4674 allincaswellnc.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Government: 19.5% Education: 16.0%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Catawba County Economic Development Corp.

828-267-1564 catawbaedc.org

WS Construction

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

Hickory (part): population 45,298

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

58.5 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Piedmont Community College

C HATHA M

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 155.6 80.5 9.6% $35.9

2023* 166.4 90.1 3.3% $55.2

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 16.0% Retail: 10.2%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Cherokee County Economic Development 828-835-9564, ext. 204 cherokeecounty-nc.gov

2023* 80.5 17.3 3.0% $79.8

Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Murphy: population 1,838

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

72.5 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Central Carolina Community College

C HOWA N

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 27.2 7.7 11.2% $28.1

2023* 29.2 8.0 3.9% $40.0

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 16.8% Retail: 12.8%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Clay County Economic Development 828-389-0089 economic.claync.us

HIGHER EDUCATION

Tri-County Community College

Retail: 18.7% Hospitality: 13.1%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Ingles Markets

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Edenton: population 4,458 2023* 13.8 5.1 3.6% $51.0

Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership 704-669-4703 chooseclevelandcountync.com

Hayesville: population 461

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

69.5 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

College of The Albemarle

C L EVE L A ND

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 10.7 1.9 8.2% $28.3

2023* 11.8 2.1 3.7% $43.8

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 19.8% Health care: 14.4%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Columbus County Economic Development Commission 910-640-6608 columbusedc.com

43.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Tri-County Community College

Gardner-Webb University; Cleveland Community College

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Whiteville: population 4,720

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

HIGHER EDUCATION

Health care: 17.1% Retail: 13.4%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Shelby: population 22,105 68.8 cents per $100 value

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

International Paper

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2023* 100.6 36.4 3.5% $45.1

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

CO LUMB US

Walmart

78

61.0 cents per $100 value

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Meherrin Agricultural & Chemical

2013 96.8 33.3 9.4% $31.2

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

C L AY

Edenton Chowan Partnership Inc. 252-482-2007 edenton.net

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

Lenoir-Rhyne University; Catawba Valley Community College

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Siler City: population 7,909

2013 14.6 4.5 9.7% $34.1

HIGHER EDUCATION

Retail: 18.0% Health care: 17.0%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

39.9 cents per $100 value

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Carolina Meadows

2013 66.0 14.1 5.7% $49.2

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

C H ERO K EE

Chatham County Economic Development Corp.

919-542-8274 chathamedc.org

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Yanceyville: population 1,855 2023* 22.1 2.9 3.6% $41.2

Manufacturing: 26.5% Retail: 12.6% Corning Optical

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 23.5 3.1 8.5% $29.5

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 56.1 16.4 11.2% $30.1

2023* 50.0 15.0 4.0% $44.1

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

80.5 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Southeastern Community College

For sources and notes, see page 88

C RAVEN

CUMB ERL A N D

Craven County Economic Development 252-633-5300 cravencountync.gov

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Fayetteville Cumberland

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

910-500-6464 fcedc.com

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Health care: 17.5% Government: 16.7%

Economic Development Corp.

BSH Home Appliances

Walmart

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Fayetteville: population 209,975

New Bern: population 33,917 POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 103.6 37.5 9.3% $37.9

2023* 104.4 40.8 3.5% $54.3

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

44.5 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Craven Community College

CU RRI TU CK Currituck County Economic Development 252-232-0719 currituckcountync.gov

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 332.8 117.7 9.6% $34.0

2023* 342.9 122.4 4.7% $46.0

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 19.4% Education: 13.2%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce 252-441-8144 outerbankschamber.com

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Kill Devil Hills: population 7,852

62.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

College of The Albemarle

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 34.8 18.8 10.4% $45.2

2023* 37.8 20.2 4.0% $76.1

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 23.0% Retail: 11.8%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Davie County Economic Development Commission 336-751-2714 daviecountyedc.com

College of The Albemarle

54.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Davidson County Community College

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 26.2% Retail: 12.3%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Mocksville: population 6,439

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

D U PLI N

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 41.2 10.1 7.9% $39.6

2023* 44.3 13.5 3.1% $60.6

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

73.3 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Davidson County Community College

DURH A M

Duplin County Economic Development Commission 910-296-2180 duplinedc.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 30.2% Retail: 9.4%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce 919-328-8750 durhamchambered.org

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 18.2% Professional services: 14.4%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Duke University

Butterball

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Durham (part): population 297,556

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Wallace (part): population 3,476 POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

HIGHER EDUCATION

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Thomasville (part): population 27,380 2023* 176.1 46.3 3.4% $48.5

40.1 cents per $100 value

Ashley Furniture Industries

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 163.1 41.0 8.9% $32.4

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

DAVI E

Cornerstone Building Brands

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

Methodist University; Fayetteville State University; Fayetteville Technical Community College

Food Lion

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

DAVIDS O N Davidson County Economic Development Commission 336-236-3233 davidsoncountyedc.com

HIGHER EDUCATION

Hospitality: 23.6% Retail: 19.8%

Myock, unincorporated 2023* 32.2 7.5 3.1% $59.4

79.9 cents per $100 value

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 24.2 6.3 6.3% $39.3

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

DA RE

Food Lion

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

Health care: 19.4% Retail: 13.7%

2013 56.1 19.9 8.8% $34.0

2023* 49.2 19.3 3.3% $52.8

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

73.5 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

James Sprunt Community College

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 288.0 184.0 6.7% $41.3

2023* 337.3 233.9 3.1% $59.1

79.9 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Duke University; NC Central University; Durham Technical Community College

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

79

AROUND THE STATE | COUNTY BY COUNTY

E D GECO MB E Carolinas Gateway Partnership 252-442-0114 econdev.org

FO RSYT H EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 20.4% Government: 14.0%

Greater Winston-Salem Inc. 336-728-9200 winstonsalem.com

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Sara Lee

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Winston-Salem: population 255,417

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Rocky Mount (part): population 15,306 POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2023* 48.0 15.1 5.7% $43.5

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

89.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Edgecombe Community College

F R A N KLI N

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 360.6 175.6 8.0% $39.8

2023* 393.3 192.1 3.5% $57.8

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 19.0% Construction: 11.8%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Gaston County Economic Development Commission 704-825-4046 gaston.org

Novozymes North America

2023* 77.1 13.4 3.5% $46.3

50.5 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Louisburg College; Vance-Granville Community College

Manufacturing: 17.8% Health care: 16.9%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 210.4 67.4 9.2% $34.7

2023* 240.9 77.5 3.4% $49.7

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

59.9 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Belmont Abbey College; Gaston College

G RA H A M

Gates County Chamber of Commerce 252-435-4603 gatescountync.gov

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 12.9% Government: 11.0%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Graham County Planning and Economic Development 828-479-7984 grahamcounty.org

Ashton Lewis Lumber

2023* 10.5 1.4 3.3% $49.9

HIGHER EDUCATION

College of The Albemarle

G R A NVILLE Granville County Economic Development 919-693-5911 granvillecounty.org

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 8.6 2.1 14.8% $28.2

2023* 7.7 1.9 4.4% $41.3

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 21.7% Manufacturing: 18.9%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

North Carolina Global TransPark Economic Region 252-775-6180 ncgtpedr.com

59.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Tri-County Community College

Vance-Granville Community College

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Snow Hill: population 1,447

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

HIGHER EDUCATION

Government: 25.4% Health care: 12.1%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Oxford: population 8,986 63.1 cents per $100 value

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

HWY 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2023* 62.2 20.4 3.0% $46.9

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

G REEN E

Food Lion

2013 57.5 20.3 8.7% $32.4

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Robbinsville: population 565

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

84.0 cents per $100 value

Construction: 19.3% Hospitality: 16.2%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Gatesville: population 261 2013 11.4 1.4 6.8% $33.3

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Crisp & Crisp

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

80

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Gastonia: population 83,983

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

G ATES

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

Wake Forest University; Salem College; WinstonSalem State University; UNC School of the Arts; Forsyth Technical Community College

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Louisburg: population 3,187

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

HIGHER EDUCATION

CaroMont Health

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 61.6 11.3 7.8% $30.3

67.8 cents per $100 value

G A STO N

Franklin County Economic Development Commission 919-554-1863 franklincountync.gov

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

Health care: 21.7% Retail: 11.9%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

2013 54.4 18.0 13.7% $30.2

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 20.8 4.0 8.8% $29.2

2023* 19.9 4.5 2.9% $39.0

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

78.6 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Lenoir Community College

For sources and notes, see page 88

G UI LFO R D Greensboro Chamber of Commerce 336-387-8310, greensboro.org High Point Economic Development Corp.

336-883-3116, highpointnc.gov

H A L I FAX EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 13.0% Retail: 11.3%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Cone Health

Halifax County Economic Development Commission 252-519-2630 halifaxdevelopment.com

Greensboro: population 302,756

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

Roanoke Rapids: population 14,662

73.1 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Bennett, Guilford and Greensboro colleges; High Point and NC A&T State universities; UNC Greensboro; Guilford Technical Community College

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 52.7 16.0 12.3% $31.3

2023* 46.8 15.1 5.2% $44.8

Harnett County Economic Development 910-893-7524 harnettedc.org

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 17.7% Health care: 12.4%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Haywood County Economic Development Council 828-456-3021 haywoodchamber.com

Food Lion

2023* 141.5 27.7 3.9% $44.2

Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development 828-692-6373 gohendersoncountync.org

59.1 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Campbell University; Central Carolina Community College

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 59.2 16.5 7.5% $33.4

2023* 63.7 17.5 3.0% $50.9

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 18.7% Retail: 13.1%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Hertford County Economic Development 252-358-7801 hertfordcountync.gov

Retail: 19.2% Hospitality: 14.9%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

55.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Haywood Community College

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 24.5% Retail: 18.2%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Duck Thru

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Hendersonville: population 16,830 2023* 120.2 42.6 2.9% $55.2

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

H ERTFO RD

AdventHealth Hendersonville

Ahoskie: population 4,658

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

43.1 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Blue Ridge Community College

H OKE

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 24.0 9.0 9.6% $27.9

2023* 19.7 8.5 4.7% $41.5

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

84.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Chowan University; Roanoke-Chowan Community College

H YDE

Raeford Hoke Economic Development Commission 910-875-6113 hokecounty.net

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 21.2% Manufacturing: 18.9%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Hyde County Office of Planning and Economic Development 252-926-4178 hydecountync.gov

Butterball

2023* 55.4 9.0 4.4% $41.2

HIGHER EDUCATION

Sandhills Community College

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Swan Quarter, unincorporated

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

73.0 cents per $100 value

Government: 19.6% Hospitality: 18.2%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Raeford: population 4,673 2013 49.9 10.7 8.9% $28.6

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Illinois Tool Works

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

Halifax Community College

Waynesville: population 10,646

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

H ENDERSON

2013 108.2 35.0 6.2% $35.9

HIGHER EDUCATION

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Dunn: population 8606

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

70.0 cents per $100 value

Haywood Regional Medical Center

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 122.7 22.4 9.6% $30.2

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

H AYWO O D

H AR NET T

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

2023* 550.5 287.1 3.9% $55.0

Health care: 16.7% Manufacturing: 15.2% Resers Fine Foods

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 507.7 267.2 8.7% $38.5

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 5.6 2.2 9.8% $35.0

2023* 4.5 1.7 5.8% $48.6

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

92.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Beaufort County Community College

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I R E DELL

JAC KSO N

Iredell Economic Development Corp.

704-663-1898 iredelledc.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 14.6% Manufacturing: 14.0%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Lowe’s

Jackson County Office of Economic Development, 828-631-2240 jacksonthrive.jacksonnc.org Jackson County Chamber of Commerce 828-586-2155, mountainlovers.com

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2023* 202.8 82.5 3.2% $64.4

HIGHER EDUCATION

Mitchell Community College

JO HNSTO N Johnston County Economic Development 919-205-1232 growwithjoco.com

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 40.6 12.5 8.1% $27.2

2023* 43.2 14.5 3.6% $44.9

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 13.8% Retail: 13.5%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Jones County Economic Development 252-448-1315 jonescountync.gov

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Maysville: population 823

67.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Johnston Community College

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 10.1 1.7 8.9% $37.0

2023* 9.1 1.6 3.2% $48.6

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 26.6% Retail: 13.1%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

North Carolina Global TransPark Economic Development Region 252-775-6180 ncgtpedr.com

Caterpillar

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

74.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Lenoir Community College

2023* 66.6 25.8 4.0% $49.6

HIGHER EDUCATION

Central Carolina Community College

LI NCO LN

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 58.2 27.9 9.2% $34.7

2023* 53.8 29.0 3.4% $51.0

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

84.5 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Lenoir Community College

MACO N

Lincoln Economic Development Association 704-732-1511 lincolneda.org

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 17.9% Retail: 13.2%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Macon County Economic Development Commission 828-369-2306 maconedc.com

Walmart

HIGHER EDUCATION

Gaston College

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Franklin: population 4,297

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

49.9 cents per $100 value

Retail: 17.4% Hospitality: 15.7%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Lincolnton: population 11,764 2023* 95.4 27.4 3.0% $58.2

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Drake Software

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 78.7 20.8 8.8% $36.3

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Kinston: population 19,242

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

65.0 cents per $100 value

Manufacturing: 27.7% Health care: 16.3%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Sanford: population 32,371 2013 59.4 24.3 10.5% $33.4

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Sanderson Farms

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

82

Western Carolina University; Southwestern Community College

L EN O I R

Sanford Area Growth Alliance 919-774-8439 growsanfordnc.com

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

HIGHER EDUCATION

Brookstone Living Center

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

LE E

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

38.0 cents per $100 value

Health care: 20.1% Government: 11.9%

Clayton (part): population 30,151 2023* 240.8 58.6 3.2% $49.7

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 178.0 42.5 7.3% $33.6

Harris Regional Hospital

JO N ES

Industries LP

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Sylva: population 2,518

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

50.0 cents per $100 value

Education: 21.1% Hospitality: 17.4%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Mooresville: population 56,517 2013 165.7 65.4 8.4% $41.5

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 34.2 10.6 9.5% $32.6

2023* 38.1 12.4 3.2% $48.3

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

27.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Southwestern Community College

For sources and notes, see page 88

M A DI S O N

MA RT I N

Madison County Economic Development Board 828-649-3766 investinmadison.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 13.4% Retail: 12.8%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Martin County Economic Development Corp.

252-789-4904 martincountyedc.com

Ingles Markets

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

HIGHER EDUCATION

Mars Hill College; Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

M CDOWELL McDowell Economic Development Association Inc. 828-652-9391 mcdowellgov.com

Williamston: population 5,019

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

36.0 cents per $100 value

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 23.4 7.1 10.1% $30.6

2023* 21.1 6.1 4.4% $42.6

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 31.5% Retail: 13.7%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Charlotte Regional Business Alliance 704-378-1300 charlotteregion.com

56.8 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

McDowell Technical Community College

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 991.6 585.9 8.5% $48.9

2023* 1,166.6 780.5 3.4% $76.4

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 16.7% Retail: 14.8%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Montgomery County Economic Development 910-576-4221, ext. 1308 montgomerycountync.com

Sibelco North America

Health care: 11.8% Finance and insurance: 10.8%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Wells Fargo Bank

48.3 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Davidson College; Johnson C Smith, Johnson & Wales, Pfeiffer and Queens universities; UNC Charlotte; Central Piedmont Community College

HIGHER EDUCATION

Mayland Community College

M O O RE

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Troy: population 2,998

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

56.0 cents per $100 value

Manufacturing: 30.7% Health care: 11.7%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Spruce Pine: population 2,173 2023* 14.8 5.0 3.6% $44.0

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Jordan Lumber & Supply

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 26.9 9.0 9.4% $29.2

2023* 25.5 9.1 3.6% $46.8

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

61.5 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Montgomery Community College

N A SH

Moore County Economic Development Partnership 910-246-0311 moorecountyedp.org

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 25.1% Hospitality: 15.1%

Nash County Economic Development 252-462-2737, selectnashnc.com

2023* 108.3 38.6 3.4% $62.9

Manufacturing: 20.2% Health care: 13.6%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Hospira

Pinehurst: population 18,885 2013 90.8 32.1 8.1% $44.2

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

FirstHealth of the Carolinas

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

MO N TG O MERY

Mitchell County Economic Development Commission 828-537-1690 mitchellcountyedc.org

2013 15.3 5.0 11.5% $30.6

Martin Community College

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

M I TCHELL

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

HIGHER EDUCATION

Charlotte: population 911,609

Marion: population 7,718 POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

81.0 cents per $100 value

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2023* 44.4 15.6 3.2% $44.0

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

MECK L EN B URG

Baxter International

2013 44.7 14.9 9.6% $28.1

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Mars Hill: population 2,239 2023* 21.3 4.2 3.2% $44.5

Retail: 17.1% Health care: 14.6% Snacks Holdings

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 21.1 3.8 7.2% $28.0

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Rocky Mount (part): population 40,121

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

31.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Sandhills Community College

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 94.1 36.4 11.2% $35.1

2023* 97.3 39.2 4.6% $50.7

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

63.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

N.C. Wesleyan College; Nash Community College

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

83

AROUND THE STATE | COUNTY BY COUNTY

N EW H A NOVER

N O RT H A MPTO N

Wilmington Business Development 910-763-8414

Northampton County Economic Development Commission 252-534-1092 northamptonnc.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care:16.9% Hospitality: 12.9%

wilmingtonbusinessdevelopment.com

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

45.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

UNC Wilmington; Cape Fear Community College

O N SLOW

Gaston: population 962 POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 20.4 5.3 9.9% $30.4

2023* 16.2 5.0 4.6% $47.6

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 19.9% Hospitality: 16.5%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Orange County Economic Development 919-245-2326 orangecountync.gov

Walmart

2023* 212.4 53.4 4.0% $51.6

65.5 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Coastal Carolina Community College

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 139.8 63.8 5.5% $51.4

2023* 150.2 77.8 2.9% $77.6

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 16.5% Health care: 14.3%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Elizabeth City Pasquotank County Economic Development Commission

252-338-0169 elizabethcitypasquotankedc.com

YMCA of the Triangle

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

86.3 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

UNC Chapel Hill; Durham Technical Community College

2023* 12.2 3.7 3.3% $52.3

HIGHER EDUCATION

Pamlico Community College

PE N D E R

Health care: 19.3% Retail: 15.4%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Elizabeth City (part): population 19,604

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

64.5 cents per $100 value

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Bayboro: population 1,135 POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 39.3 15.5 10.3% $33.8

2023* 41.0 15.9 4.1% $47.2

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

62.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Elizabeth City State University; College of The Albemarle

PERQ UI MA N S

Wilmington Business Development 910-763-8414

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 14.1% Health care: 12.4%

wilmingtonbusinessdevelopment.com

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Perquimans County Economic Development 252-426-8484 perquimansecon.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Government: 13.2% Retail: 12.7%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Walmart

Food Lion

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Surf City (part): population 4,421

84

Education: 28.4% Health care: 25.5%

Sentara Healthcare

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 54.2 10.0 9.6% $33.3

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

PA SQ UOTA N K

Pamlico County Office of Economic Development 252-745-3081 pamlicocounty.org

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

Halifax Community College; Roanoke-Chowan Community College

Chapel Hill (part): population 60,375

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

PAMLI CO

2013 12.7 3.2 9.1% $37.4

HIGHER EDUCATION

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Jacksonville: population 72,543

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

83.0 cents per $100 value

NC Health

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 193.3 47.8 8.0% $41.6

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

O RA N G E

Jacksonville Onslow Economic Development 910-939-7023 joednc.com

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Wilmington: population 123,756 2023* 239.4 129.0 3.1% $60.9

Retail: 18.0% Wholesale: 16.1%

Meherrin Agricultural & Chemical

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 211.0 99.7 8.3% $37.6

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

2023* 67.4 14.2 3.2% $49.9

Hertford: population 1,968

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

73.8 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Cape Fear Community College

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 13.5 1.9 9.4% $34.9

2023* 13.2 2.4 4.0% $53.4

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

52.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

College of The Albemarle

For sources and notes, see page 88

PE RS O N

PI T T

Person County Economic Development Commission 336-597-1752 personcountyedc.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 16.9% Manufacturing: 14.7%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Pitt County Economic Development 252-902-2079 growpittcountync.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 24.1% Education: 13.0%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Patheon Manufacturing Services

GKN Automotive Components

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Greenville: population 92, 136

Roxboro: population 8,127 POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 38.7 9.5 8.9% $32.4

2023* 39.2 9.5 3.5% $45.3

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

72.3 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Piedmont Community College

P O LK

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 170.3 72.7 8.5% $35.7

2023* 176.6 80.2 3.9% $53.5

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 25.5% Hospitality: 9.5%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Randolph County Economic Development Corp.

336-626-2233 rcedc.com

Tryon International Equestrian Center

East Carolina University; Pitt Community College

2013 19.9 5.0 6.3% $37.0

2023* 19.6 5.4 3.3% $61.5

HIGHER EDUCATION

Isothermal Community College

R I C HMO ND Richmond County Economic Development Corp.

910-997-8190 richmondnced.com

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 142.1 43.5 8.6% $31.1

2023* 145.7 42.5 3.6% $46.7

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 23.3% Health care: 14.4%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Robeson County Office of Economic Development 910-739-7584 robesoncountyoed.org

75.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Richmond Community College

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 129.4 38.1 12.0% $27.0

2023* 117.6 38.1 5.0% $41.1

Randolph Community College

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Health care: 18.9% Manufacturing: 18.3%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

75.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

UNC Pembroke; Robeson Community College

ROWA N EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 20.5% Retail: 15.9%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Rowan EDC Partnership for Economic Development 704-637-5526 rowanedc.com

Walmart

Rockingham Community College

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Salisbury: population 37,805

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

HIGHER EDUCATION

Health care: 15.4% Retail: 13.1%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Eden: population 15,390 58.0 cents per $100 value

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Food Lion

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2023* 91.6 24.6 4.0% $45.3

HIGHER EDUCATION

Lumberton: population 19,168

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

R O CKINGHAM

2013 91.9 25.9 9.8% $31.5

50.0 cents per $100 value

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Rockingham: population 8,943

Rockingham County Center for Economic Development, Small Business & Tourism 336-342-8138 rockinghamcountync.gov

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

Mountaire Farms

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2023* 42.5 14.3 4.6% $46.0

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

RO B ESO N

Perdue Farms

2013 45.3 13.3 11.4% $29.9

Manufacturing: 26.7% Retail: 10.8%

Asheboro: population 27,819

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

53.4 cents per $100 value

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Tryon: population 1,564

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

HIGHER EDUCATION

Randolph Health

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

56.6 cents per $100 value

RA N DO L PH

Polk County Office of Economic Development 828-894-2895 polkedc.com

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 139.1 44.1 8.6% $31.1

2023* 152.1 50.8 3.4% $47.0

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

58.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Catawba College; Livingstone College; Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

85

AROUND THE STATE | COUNTY BY COUNTY

R UTHERFORD Rutherford County Economic Development 828-287-6200 rutherfordncedc.com

SA MP SO N EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 14.8% Manufacturing: 14.4%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Sampson County Economic Development Commission 910-592-8921 sampsonedc.com

Walmart

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

HIGHER EDUCATION

Isothermal Community College

S COTL A N D Scotland County Economic Development Corp.

910-266-4326 scotlandcountyedc.org

Clinton: population 8540

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

45.4 cents per $100 value

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 62.6 18.5 7.6% $33.8

2023* 59.4 17.1 3.5% $46.8

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 19.3% Health care: 19.2%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Stanly County Economic Development Commission 704-986-3682 stanlyedc.com

99.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

St. Andrews University; Richmond Community College

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 60.1 18.6 8.2% $31.8

2023* 63.8 21.8 3.0% $48.2

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 17.2% Education: 14.0%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Surry County Economic Development Partnership 336-401-9900 surryedp.com

Walmart

Waste management: 17.1% Manufacturing: 15.2%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

61.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Pfeiffer University; Stanly Community College

2023* 45.6 7.5 3.1% $46.4

HIGHER EDUCATION

Forsyth Technical Community College

S WA IN

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Mount Airy: population 10,664

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

71.0 cents per $100 value

Health care: 14.8% Retail: 14.6%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

King (part): population 6,980 2013 45.9 6.7 7.5% $30.5

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Pike Electric

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 72.3 27.2 9.0% $31.9

2023* 71.2 28.7 3.2% $48.8

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

55.2 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Surry Community College

TRA N SYLVA N I A

Swain County Economic Development 828-488-9273 swaincountync.gov

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Arts & Entertainment: 40.1% Government: 23.0%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Transylvania Economic Alliance 828-393-4130 transylvanianc.org

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 15.3% Health care: 15.1%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Cherokee Boys Club

Transylvania Regional Hospital

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Bryson City: population 1,500

86

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

SURRY

Stokes County Economic Development 336-593-2497 stokesedc.com

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

Sampson Community College

Albemarle: population 17,058

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

STO KE S

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

HIGHER EDUCATION

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Laurinburg: population 14,987 2023* 33.3 11.8 6.3% $41.1

62.5 cents per $100 value

ESS Southeast

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 35.7 11.6 15.4% $28.1

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

STA N LY

Scotland Memorial Hospital

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Forest City: population 7,394 2023* 64.4 18.3 4.6% $42.5

Manufacturing: 17.3% Retail: 13.3% Smithfield Foods

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 66.3 18.0 11.7% $28.3

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

2013 14.4 8.7 12.2% $32.1

2023* 13.9 10.8 2.9% $51.5

Brevard: population 7,843

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

41.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Southwestern Community College

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 32.5 8.3 8.5% $32.9

2023* 33.0 9.6 3.2% $55.4

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

60.3 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Brevard College; Blue Ridge Community College

For sources and notes, see page 88

TYRR ELL

UN I O N

Tyrrell County Economic Development 252-796-1371 tyrrellcounty.org

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Government: 18.8% Retail: 13.0%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

ASK Staffing

Monroe-Union County Economic EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY Manufacturing: 16.4% Development Commission Construction: 13.3% 704-282-5780 developunion.com LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER ATI Specialty Materials

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Columbia: population 596 POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 4.0 1.2 9.1% $31.6

2023* 3.3 0.9 5.1% $45.1

Indian Trail: population 43740

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

95.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Beaufort County Community College

VA NCE

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 210.9 55.4 7.2% $41.8

2023* 257.1 72.1 3.0% $67.6

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Retail: 15.0% Health care: 14.3%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Wake County Economic Development 919-664-7000 raleigh-wake.org

Wingate University; South Piedmont Community College

Professional services: 12.0% Health care: 11.4%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

WakeMed Health & Hospitals LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Raleigh (part): population 488,279

Henderson: population 14,454 2013 44.0 14.4 11.7% $30.3

2023* 41.0 14.2 5.4% $43.4

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

71.3 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Vance-Granville Community College

WA R REN

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 972.5 474.0 6.6% $48.3

2023* 1,189.6 639.9 3.0% $76.4

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Government: 19.4% Education: 14.6%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Washington County Economic Development 252-793-5823 washconc.org

HIGHER EDUCATION

Meredith College; William Peace University; St. Augustine’s University; Shaw University; N.C. State University; Wake Technical Community College

Manufacturing: 20.6% Health care: 15.9%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Domtar Paper

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Norlina: population 907 2023* 18.7 2.9 5.4% $3.6

Plymouth: population 3,163

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

81.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Vance-Granville Community College

WATAU GA

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 12.4 3.7 11.1% $32.2

2023* 10.4 3.1 4.8% $45.4

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

85.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Beaufort County Community College; Martin Community College

WAYN E

Watauga Economic Development Commission 828-264-2225 boonechamber.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Hospitality: 17.7% Health care: 15.3%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Appalachian Regional Healthcare System

North Carolina Global TransPark Economic Development Region 252-775-6180 ncgtpedr.com

HIGHER EDUCATION

Appalachian State University - Boone and Hickory; Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Goldsboro: population 34,239

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

31.8 cents per $100 value

Health care: 17.2% Retail: 15.4%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Boone: population 20,022 2023* 56.6 25.1 3.0% $48.4

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

UNC Health Wayne

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

2013 51.8 21.4 7.5% $30.3

51.4 cents per $100 value

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Glen Raven

2013 20.2 3.5 11.0% $25.5

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

WA SH I N G TO N

Warren County Economic Development 252-257-3115 warrencountync.org

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

HIGHER EDUCATION

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Walmart

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

58.8 cents per $100 value

WA K E

Henderson-Vance County Economic Development Corp.

252-492-2094 vancecountyedc.com

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 122.8 42.9 8.4% $33.7

2023* 116.9 41.1 3.7% $49.4

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

76.8 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

University of Mount Olive Wayne Community College

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AROUND THE STATE | COUNTY BY COUNTY

WI L KES

WI LSO N

Wilkes Economic Development Corp.

336-838-1501 wilkesedc.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 17.4% Health care: 16.2%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Wilson Economic Development Council 252-237-1115 wilsonedc.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 20.9% Health care: 12.7%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Tyson Farms

Bridgestone Americas

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

North Wilkesboro: population 4,392 POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 68.0 20.6 9.6% $30.6

2023* 66.0 19.0 3.7% $47.5

Wilson: population 48,098

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

66.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Wilkes Community College

YA D KI N

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 79.7 37.7 11.7% $35.1

2023* 78.4 35.7 4.9% $48.8

59.5 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Barton College; Wilson Technical Community College

YA N C EY

Yadkin County Economic Development Council 336-679-2200 yadkinedc.com

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Manufacturing: 24.7% Construction: 9.7%

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Yancey County Economic Development Commission 828-682-7722 yanceyedc.org

Unifi Manufacturing

2023* 374.0 10.0 3.1% $47.5

HIGHER EDUCATION

Surry Community College

SOURCES

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYER

Burnsville: population 1,585

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

65.0 cents per $100 value

Manufacturing: 22.9% Retail: 14.5%

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

Yadkinville: population 3,026 2013 37.9 10.4 7.5% $31.2

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY

Altec Industries

LARGEST CITY/TOWN

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

POPULATION (000S) EMPLOYMENT (000S) UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PER CAPITA INCOME (000S)

2013 17.8 3.7 10.2% $30.3

2023* 18.5 4.5 3.1% $42.0

COUNTY PROPERTY TAX

52.0 cents per $100 value HIGHER EDUCATION

Mayland Community College

Population, counties, largest city/town, employment and unemployment rate: N.C. Office of State Budget and Management. Hyde and Currituck counties have no incorporated towns. Employment share by industry sector and largest private-sector employer: N.C. Department of Commerce Labor and Economic Analysis Division, as of fourth quarter of 2023. 2024-25 property-tax rate: N.C. Department of Revenue. Per capita income: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Community colleges are listed for every county in their designated service area. *Per capita income is for 2022, the most recent year available.

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AROUND THE STATE | BY T H E N U M B E R S

TOP OF THE LIST

After being named the top state for business by CNBC for two consecutive years, North Carolina fell to No. 2 in 2023. However, the state continues to land companies investing millions and billions of dollars, and its education system, quality of life, business incentives and collaboration between government agencies score high in rankings

#1 #2 #2 #4 #4 #5 #7

REGIONAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Site Selection magazine

AMERICA’S TOP STATE FOR BUSINESS

LARGEST CITIES RANK

CITY

POPULATION

1

CHARLOTTE

911,609

2

RALEIGH

489,921

3

GREENSBORO

302.756

4

DURHAM

297,981

5

WINSTON-SALEM

255,417

6

FAYETTEVILLE

209,975

7

CARY

177,197

8

WILMINGTON

1 2 3 ,75 6 117, 206

9

HIGH POINT

10

CONCORD

113,371

11

ASHEVILLE

9 7,03 6

12

GREENVILLE

92,136

13

GASTONIA

83,983

14

JACKSONVILLE

72,543

15

APEX

71,958

16

HUNTERSVILLE

64,147

17

CHAPEL HILL

63, 288

18

BURLINGTON

60,380

19

KANNAPOLIS

57,706

20

MOORESVILLE

56,517

21

ROCKY MOUNT

55,427

BEST BUSINESS CLIMATE

22

WAKE FOREST

54,242

Business Facilities magazine

23

WILSON

48,098

24

HOLLY SPRINGS

46,052

25

HICKORY

45,415

26

INDIAN TRAIL

43,740 41,010

CNBC cable business network

BEST BUSINESS TAX CLIMATE Business Facilities magazine

27

FUQUAY-VARINA

28

GARNER

38,211

29

SALISBURY

37,805

30

MONROE

37,275

31

GOLDSBORO

34,239

32

NEW BERN

33,917

33

MORRISVILLE

32,431

34

SANFORD

32,371

TOP U.S. BUSINESS CLIMATES

35

CORNELIUS

31,792

36

STATESVILLE

30,560

Site Selection magazine

37

LELAND

30,264

38

CLAYTON

30,151

39

MATTHEWS

30,101

40

THOMASVILLE

27,984

41

KERNERSVILLE

27,876

42

ASHEBORO

27,819

43

MINT HILL

27,152

44

WAXHAW

23,353

BEST STATE TO START A BUSINESS Forbes magazine

TOP STATES FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TRAINING Area Development magazine

45

SHELBY

22,105

46

CLEMMONS

21,495

47

CARRBORO

21,319

48

HARRISBURG

21,019

49

KNIGHTDALE

20,957

50

GRAHAM

20,330

source: N.C. Office of State Budget and Management (Population as of July 1, 2023)

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AROUND THE STATE | FOR MORE INFORMATION

REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS CHARLOTTE REGIONAL BUSINESS ALLIANCE ANDREA SMITH, INTERIM PRESIDENT AND CEO jlabar@charlotteregion.com 330 S. Tryon Street Charlotte, NC 28202 charlotteregion.com | 704-378-1300

Serves Alexander, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly and Union counties in North Carolina and four South Carolina counties.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP OF NORTH CAROLINA CHRISTOPHER CHUNG, CEO clientservices@edpnc.com 150 Fayetteville Street, Suite 1200 Raleigh, NC 27601 edpnc.com | 919-447-7777

Serves the state, working with regional and local partners to help businesses relocate and grow.

MOUNTAIN WEST PARTNERSHIP JOSH CARPENTER, DIRECTOR 828.276.2897 josh@gownc.org 125 Bonnie Lane Sylva, NC 28779 gownc.org | 828-586-1962

Serves Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

NORTH CAROLINA GLOBAL TRANSPARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REGION MARK POPE, PRESIDENT mark.pope@ncgtpedr.com 2780 Jetport Road Kinston, NC 28504 ncgtpedr.com | 252-775-6180

Serves Greene, Lenoir, and Wayne Counties and the North Carolina Global TransPark.

NCEAST ALLIANCE VANN ROGERSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO rogerson@nceast.org 209 E. Fifth Street Greenville, NC 27858 nceast.org | 252-482-4333

Serves Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne and Wilson counties.

NORTH CAROLINA’S SOUTHEAST STEVE YOST, PRESIDENT locate@ncse.org 707 W. Broad Street, P.O. Box 2556 Elizabethtown, NC 28337 ncse.org | 910-862-8511

Serves Anson, Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Hoke, Lenoir, Montgomery, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland and Wayne counties.

PIEDMONT TRIAD PARTNERSHIP MIKE FOX, PRESIDENT AND CEO info@ptpnc.com 416 Gallimore Dairy Road, Suite M Greensboro, NC 27409 piedmonttriadnc.com | 336-668-4556

Serves Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP RYAN COMBS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR rcombs@researchtriangle.org P.O. Box 110351 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 researchtriangle.org | 919-670-2819

Serves Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Nash, Person, Wake, Warren and Wilson counties and Research Triangle Park.

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

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AROUND THE STATE | FOR MORE INFORMATION

EDPNC BUSINESS / INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT AND RECRUITMENT CLIENT SERVICES 919-447-7744 clientservices@edpnc.com edpnc.com

N.C. BOARD OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION John Hardin, executive director 919-814-4639 jhardin@nccommerce.com nccommerce.com/sti

NORTH CAROLINA INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES A. Hope Williams, president 919-832-5817 williams@ncicu.org ncicu.org

EDPNC EXPORT ASSISTANCE Mike Hubbard, director of international trade 919-447-7757 mike.hubbard@edpnc.com edpnc.com/start-or-grow-a-business/ export-assistance

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION Liz Dobbins-Smith, managing director 888-246-2332 liz@nceda.org nceda.org

NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS Andrea Bushnell, CEO 336-294-1415 abushnell@ncrealtors.org ncrealtors.org

STATE LIBRARY OF NORTH CAROLINA Susan Forbes, assistant state librarian 919-814-6786 susan.forbes@ncdcr.gov statelibrary.ncdcr.gov

NORTH CAROLINA LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES Rose Vaughn Williams, executive director 919-715-3930 nclm.org

UNC SYSTEM General administration 919-962-1000 northcarolina.edu

NORTH CAROLINA CHAMBER Gary Salamido, president and CEO 919-836-1403 gsalamido@ncchamber.com ncchamber.com

EDPNC TOURISM Wit Tuttell, vice president 919-447-7740 wit.tuttell@visitnc.com visitnc.com GOLDEN LEAF FOUNDATION Scott Hamilton, president 252-442-7474 shamilton@goldenleaf.org goldenleaf.org N.C. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Susan Fleetwood, executive director of economic development 919-814-4605 sfleetwood@nccommerce.com nccommerce.com

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N.C. COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM Bruce Mack, vice president of economic development 919-807-7150 mackb@nccommunitycolleges.edu nccommunitycolleges.edu

NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

N.C. STATE PORTS AUTHORITY Brian Clark, executive director 910-763-1621 brian.clark@ncports.com ncports.com