Winning Combination Charlotte USA’s business advantages, quality of life generate jobs, investment
Story by Bill Lewis
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hat do you call a 16-county region with more than 2.7 million people, nine Fortune 500 company headquarters, a world-class transportation infrastructure, a highly skilled workforce, and a diverse, vibrant and expanding economy? The answer is Charlotte USA, a global center of banking and financial services that has built significant industry clusters in aerospace, life sciences, energy, film production and motorsports. A cooperative and collaborative regional approach to economic development has spurred remarkable growth in jobs and investment from around the country and around the world, making the region a great place to work, live and prosper. New and expanding businesses have invested more than $33 billion in the region since 2000, creating nearly 150,000 jobs. “When you talk with people whose companies have moved or expanded in Charlotte USA, you’ll hear the same thing over and over again. Our region has outstanding accessibility, a talented workforce and a business-friendly climate. Those are the reasons that they
cite, but if you talk to them longer, another reason they came – or have stayed – is our culture of collaboration, vibrant urban core and generally outstanding quality of life,” says Ronnie Bryant, president and CEO of the Charlotte Regional Partnership.
Charlotte-Area Fortune 500 Headquarters
Big Names, Big Companies Evidence of the region’s success is ample and ongoing: • Chiquita Brands International has relocated its global headquarters to Charlotte USA, bringing 400 jobs with it, in part because of the superior international air service available at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. • Apple built a $1 billion state-of-the-art data center in Catawba County and is investing millions more on a 4.8-megawatt fuel cell project that, along with a 40-megawatt solar farm on site, will help the facility generate more than half of its electricity needs. The center will support Apple’s iCloud online data storage system and its SIRI voice-recognition software. • Rockwood Lithium opened its Global
Nucor: Charlotte
Bank of America: Charlotte Lowe’s: Mooresville, N.C. Duke Energy: Charlotte Family Dollar Stores: Matthews, N.C. Goodrich: Charlotte Sonic Automotive: Charlotte Domtar: Fort Mill, S.C. SPX: Charlotte
Building supplies giant Lowe’s has its corporate headquarters in Mooresville, N.C.
ch a r l o t t e us a e c o n o m i c d e v e l o pm e n t . c o m
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