First in flight. First in business. The Old North State is No. 1 for business for the second year in a row and the 2024 Economic Development Guide takes a look at the businesses, industries and people that make North Carolina so strong. This year's guide features new energy resources with thousands of new jobs, many in the Charlotte and Triangle regions. In the East, educational partnerships are creating jobs across the region’s 29 counties — including one company that is up in the air. The Triad, in the middle of the state, is also at the center of big business expansions and Western N.C.’s economy thrives with national companies, homegrown businesses and tourism.