charlotte USA economic development guide charlotteusaeconomicdevelopment.com
What’s Online 
See a video tour of the Charlotte region
Wheels of Fortune NASCAR companies roar here
Let the Sun Shine In Nuclear, solar and electricity become major power players
Frankly, Charlotte
Region remains an economic powerhouse
Sponsored by the Charlotte Regional Partnership | 2010
Kings Mountain Proud History … Promising Future
Kings Mountain … a wonderful place to live, work and play. With Interstate 85 and US Highway 74 running through the city, Kings Mountain is ideally located for the transportation needs of its many businesses. These modern transportation corridors, a diverse, skilled workforce, and substantial cost advantages for business and industry, along with three successful industrial parks have diversified the business environment. The nearby Charlotte Douglas International Airport gives the city a virtual lifeline to the world. There is no question about it – the City of Kings Mountain, NC has an extraordinary history. Incorporated on February 11, 1874, Kings Mountain takes its name from a pivotal and significant Revolutionary War battle fought just five miles away. This battle, which ended Loyalist ascendance in the Carolinas, is considered by historians to be the turning point of the American Revolution in the South. Hence, our motto, “The Historical City”. The location, tradition and livability not only make Kings Mountain unique, but also the fact that it owns and operates its own gas, electric, water and sewer utilities, providing one-stop shopping convenience with friendly, affordable and dependable services. The city also owns Moss Lake with a 15-billion-gallon impoundment that not only provides recreational activities, but also provides the city’s water supply. With a strong focus on economic development, Kings Mountain offers a winning combination of assets that make it a premier community in which to do business. Whether it’s our convenient location, low tax rate, top-notch utility services or exceptional schools, prospective employers will agree that Kings Mountain is the place to be. Offering a high quality of life in a small-town setting – we’ve got it all!
City of Kings Mountain City Hall P.O. Box 429 • 101 W. Gold St. • Kings Mountain, NC 28086 (704) 734-0333
www.cityofkm.com
Accessibility. C Affordability. Livability.
leveland County Economic Development Partnership has been actively recruiting new industry and creating a healthy and diverse environment for existing, expanding, and new businesses, as well as increase job opportunities for more than five years.
One of Cleveland County’s finest boasting points is its location. Nestled in the rolling hills of the southwestern piedmont of North Carolina, we are the gateway between Asheville and Charlotte, and centered between two of the largest metro areas of the Carolinas – Charlotte and Greenville, SC. Small-town charm with big-city amenities only 30 minutes away.
Cleveland County public officials are committed to maintaining low property taxes. As a pro-business community, our county and local municipalities work diligently to ensure that local property taxes are competitive in our region.
Lifestyle in the Cleveland County community means relaxing, family oriented and simple. Where there are over 100 festivals held annually and always a place to meet the locals; where lakes, parks, greenways, wineries and trails make Cleveland County a great place to call home.
200 S. Lafayette St. • Shelby, NC 28150
(704) 487-8521 • www.CCEDP.com
CLEVELAND COUNTY BUSINESS PARK EAST At the Cleveland County Business Park East, we offer great access to US 74 in one minute and I-85 in four minutes. It is a North Carolina Certified Industrial Park with a total of 176+/- acres with four parcels remaining, totaling 47+/- acres. Each lot is serviced by Kings Mountain, NC sub surface utilities (gas, power, water and sewer) with Duke Energy power available where desired. Companies currently located at the park are: Sara Lee, Owens and Minor, Kitchen Ventilation Systems, and TelerX has recently been announced as the new home to Duke Energy Generation Support Center.
FOOTHILLS COMMERCE CENTER With over 150 acres available, this North Carolina Certified Site offers tenants the space and flexibility to fit almost any building configuration, and can be subdivided to carve out as few as 10 acres. Businesses will appreciate its location only 16 miles from I-85 via US Hwy. 74, and employees will enjoy the amenities found just minutes away in historic uptown Shelby. Electricity City of Shelby • New 7.2/12.47 kV three-phase ACSR distribution line on Artee Road Natural Gas City of Shelby • Main size: 8” • Feeder size: 6” and 4” • Distribution pressure: 150 psi Water City of Shelby • Main size: 16” • 750,000 gallon storage tank one mile north of the site • System Capacity Total/Excess: 12 mgd/ 8 mgd Wastewater City of Shelby • Main size: 15” • System Capacity Total/Excess: 6 mgd/ 3.2 mgd Telecommunications AT&T and Time Warner • Fiber optics and digital switching are available
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Workstyle A Strategic Defense
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The Charlotte region lands as one of the nation’s top aerospace and defense clusters.
Stayin’ Alive in Charlotte USA
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Life sciences are big business.
Bank on It
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Charlotte continues to grow in financial services.
Wheels of Fortune
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Charlotte’s motorsports industry revs up the economy.
Lights, Camera, Charlotte USA
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The film and television production industry packs an economic punch for the region. Table of Contents Continued
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On the Cover The Charlotte skyline as seen from the solar-paneled roof at Optima Engineering Photo by Todd Bennett
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Insight
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Overview
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Business Almanac
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Business Climate: Frankly, Charlotte
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Energy: Let the Sun Shine In
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Transportation
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Economic Profiles
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Livability Gallery
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Health
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Education
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Livability: Something for Everyone
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Please recycle this magazine
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City of Tega Cay
south carolina
Incorporated in 1982, the City of Tega Cay (Polynesian for “Beautiful Peninsula”) is a fullservice community nestled on the shores of beautiful Lake Wylie in York County, South Carolina. Although it is only 15 minutes away from uptown Charlotte and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, our community abounds in natural beauty and affords our 8,500 residents a quality of life that is truly unparalleled in the Carolinas. Our local public school district is ranked among the very best in the nation – a fact that coupled with our low taxes and excellent amenities serves to make Tega Cay the most sought after residential and business location in the region. Tega Cay’s award-winning golf courses and conference center sit on over 200 acres surrounding Lake Wylie. Our stately 15,000-square-foot clubhouse is complete with restaurant, golf shop, private dining and separate grill. Overlooking our practice putting green facility and championship croquet court is Tega Cays’ beautiful event pavilion designed specifically for large groups. This facility comes complete with a scoreboard, tables and chairs, corner serving area for beverages, and restrooms. Adjacent to the Tega Cay Clubhouse, is the exquisite Philip T. Glennon Community and Conference Center featuring a 23,000-square-foot facility capable of accommodating groups of up to 500. The Glennon Center is a perfect location for weddings, banquets, receptions, business meetings, seminars, or retreats. The center
is a full-service facility with all food and beverage provided exclusively by our talented on-site staff providing our guests with the highest food and beverage service possible. Several menu selections are available or our staff can design a custom menu to highlight your individual taste and personality. Tega Cay’s three 9-hole golf courses (27holes in total) offers both the novice and the skilled player outstanding opportunities for fun and challenge. Tega Cay routinely hosts corporate, celebrity and national caliber tournaments for the enjoyment of participants and spectators alike. Whether you seek to locate a business or a residence in the area, or simply wish to arrange a memorable outing, we invite you to come to Tega Cay and experience the best of “The Good Life” in the Charlottemetro region. Grant W. Duffield Tega Cay City Manager City of Tega Cay 120 Shoreline Parkway Tega Cay, SC 29708 (803) 548-3512 grant@tegacaysc.org www.tegacaysc.org Bryan Bradshaw Certified PGA Professional General Manager Tega Cay Golf & Conference Center 15083 Molokai Dr. Tega Cay, SC 29708 (803) 548-3500 Ext. 223 bbradshaw@tegacaygolfclub.com www.tegacaygolfclub.com
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•
More than 2,200 new jobs were announced in 2008-2009 for new businesses in Hickory including Fortune 500 Fiserv, which employs technical support representatives to assist customers in the financial services industry to homegrown businesses such as Merchants Distributors Inc. (MDI), a privately owned wholesale grocery store distributor.
• Hickory is a regional water provider recently chosen to provide water to the new Apple data center. • Affordable building sites, excess water and sewer capacity, trained workforce, and local grant opportunities including
monies for businesses investing in vacant buildings. •
Located on two major highways, I-40, one of the country’s most traveled west- east interstates and US 321, along the North Carolina Data Center Corridor.
City of Hickory 76 North Center Street Hickory, North Carolina (828) 323-7400
www.hickorygov.com
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charlotte USA economic development guide 2010 Edition , volum e 1
visit our
advertisers 1 Bank of America Center www.1bankofamericacenter.com
Duke Energy www.considerthecarolinas.com
Alexander County Economic Development Corporation www.alexanderedc.org
Energy United www.energyunited.com
Content Director/Business Publications Bill McMeekin Proofreading Manager Raven Petty Content Coordinators Jennifer Graves, Erica Hines Staff Writer Kevin Litwin Copy Editors Lisa Battles, Joyce Caruthers, Jill Wyatt Contributing writers Carol cowan, michaela jackson, Katie Kuehner-Hebert, Kevin litwin, betsy Williams Media Technology Director Christina Carden Senior Graphic Designers Laura Gallagher, Jessica Manner, Janine Maryland, Kris Sexton, Candice Sweet, Vikki Williams Media Technology Analysts Chandra Bradshaw, Yamel Hall, Alison Hunter, Marcus Snyder Photography Director Jeffrey S. Otto
Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm www.garfinkelimmigration.com
Anson County Economic Development Corporation www.ansonedc.org
Senior Photographers Jeff Adkins, Brian McCord
Bank of America www.bankofamerica.com
Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte/Concord www.charlotteconcord.hgi.com
Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation www.cabarrusedc.com
Lancaster County Economic Development Corporation www.lancasterscworks.com
Carolinas Healthcare System www.carolinasmedicalcenter.org
Lincoln Economic Development Association www.lincolneda.org
Staff Photographers Todd Bennett, Antony Boshier Web Content Managers John Hood, Kim Madlom Web Design Director Franco Scaramuzza Web Designer Leigh Guarin Ad Production Manager Katie Middendorf Ad Traffic Assistants Marcia Miller, Patricia Moisan I.T. Director Yancey Bond I.T. Service Technician Ryan Sweeney Regional Sales Manager Charles Sweeney Sales Support/Community, Business, Custom Rachael Goldsberry Senior Accountant Lisa Owens Accounts Payable Coordinator Maria McFarland Accounts Receivable Coordinator Diana Guzman Office Manager/Accounts Receivable Coordinator Shelly Miller Integrated Media Managers David moskovitz, Clay Perry Sales Support Manager Cindy Hall Chairman Greg Thurman President/Publisher Bob Schwartzman Executive Vice President Ray Langen Senior V.P./Sales Todd Potter, Carla Thurman Senior V.P./Operations Casey Hester Senior V.P./Client Development Jeff Heefner
Catawba County Economic Development Corporation www.catawbaedc.org
Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation www.cityofrockhill.com
V.P./Content Development Teree Caruthers V.P./Custom Publishing Kim Newsom V.P./Visual Content Mark Forester V.P./Content Operations Natasha Lorens V.P. Sales Charles Fitzgibbon, Herb Harper, Jarek Swekosky
Charlotte Regional Partnership www.charlotteusa.com
Town of Clover www.cloversc.info
Controller Chris Dudley Content Director/Travel Publications Susan Chappell Marketing Creative Director Keith Harris Distribution Director Gary Smith Recruiting/Training Director Suzy Simpson
City of Concord North Carolina www.ci.concord.nc.us
Town of Dallas www.dallasnc.net
Executive Secretary Kristy Duncan Human Resources Manager Peggy Blake Receptionist Linda Bishop
Charlotte USA Economic Development Guide is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Charlotte Regional Partnership. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.
City of Hickory www.ci-hickory.nc.us
Town of Stallings www.stallingsnc.org
City of Kings Mountain www.cityofkm.com
UNC Charlotte Belk College of Business www.belkcollege.uncc.edu
For more information, contact: Charlotte Regional Partnership 550 S. Caldwell St., Suite 760 • Charlotte, NC 28202 Phone: (704) 347-8942 • (800) 554-4373 (outside NC and SC) Fax: (704) 347-8981 • email: info@charlotteusa.com www.charlotteusa.com
Visit Charlotte USA Economic Development Guide online at CharlotteUSAEconomicDevelopment.com ©Copyright 2010 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent. Member Member
Magazine Publishers of America Custom Publishing Council
City of Shelby www.cityofshelby.com City of Tega Cay www.tegacaysc.org
UNC Charlotte Continuing Education www.continuinged.uncc.edu
Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership www.ccedp.com
Union County Partnership for Progress www.unioncpp.com
Member Charlotte Regional Partnership
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Overview
Power of People Brings Success to Charlotte USA Pro-Business Culture, low costs and Talented Workforce Put region on the map
IRE D E L L
Taylorsville
ALEXANDER
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Statesville
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Hickory Conover Newton
LINCOLN
R O WA N
Denver
Kannapolis
Davidson Cornelius
GASTON Gastonia
Belmont
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Clover
Norwood
Mint Hill 218
Matthews
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York
Fort Mill 5
Ansonville
Weddington
Wadesboro
Monroe
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Rock Hill
UNION
YORK
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ANSON Pageland
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Chester 321
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S TA N LY
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Smyrna
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Albemarle
Charlotte MECK L E N B U R G
CHESTER
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CABARRUS
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Kings Mountain
Richfield
Concord
Huntersville
Cherryville
Shelby
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Mooresville
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321
Lincolnton
CLEVELAND
Salisbury
L. Norman
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CATAWBA
For more information, contact: Ronnie Bryant, CEcD, FM, HLM President & CEO Charlotte Regional Partnership 550 South Caldwell St., Suite 760 Charlotte, NC 28202 Phone: (704) 347-8942 (800) 554-4373 outside NC/SC info@charlotteusa.com Fax: (704) 347-8981 www.charlotteusa.com
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relationships, public and private support, and a well-planned strategy. In short, Charlotte USA is the total package.
16 counties are fiercely competitive, but they put aside their individual agendas to work together for mutual benefit. Together, we leverage our collective assets for both existing industry and new businesses. When Site Selection magazine named the Charlotte Regional Partnership one of the nation’s top 10 economic development organizations for 2009, the Charlotte region was called a proven “economic powerhouse.” This is the result of a clear, universally embraced vision, carefully cultivated
There’s no question that Charlotte USA has a pro-business culture, low operating costs and a talented work force. Our regional community and technical colleges provide the custom ized training and retraining that attract and retain companies. And our transpor tation network easily connects businesses by road, rail or nonstop air service to customers and offices throughout North America and Europe, as well as South American destinations. These assets alone are strong business magnets, but what truly sets Charlotte USA apart is our people. Our
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Richburg Lancaster 9 Fort Lawn
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LANCASTER
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Great Falls
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Chesterfield
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Cheraw
CHESTERFIELD
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Heath Springs
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Kershaw McBee Bethune
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Economic Development Contacts Charlotte Regional Partnership: David Swenson Business Development Services (704) 347-8942 (800) 554-4373 (outside NC and SC) dswenson@charlotteusa.com info@charlotteusa.com www.charlotteusa.com Alexander County, NC: David Icenhour Alexander County EDC, (828) 632-1161 dicenhour@alexandercountync.gov www.alexanderedc.org Anson County, NC: Misty Harris Anson County Economic Development (704) 694-9513, mharris@co.anson.nc.us www.ansonedc.org
Chesterfield County, SC: Brenda H. Workman Chesterfield County ED Board (843) 623-6500, bworkman@shtc.net www.chesterfieldcountysc.org
Lincoln County, NC: Barry I. Matherly Lincoln Economic Development Association, (704) 732-1511, barry@lincolneda.org, www.lincolneda.org
City of Charlotte: Tom Flynn Economic Development Division (704) 432-1395, www.charmeck.org/ city/charlotte/nbs/ed
Mecklenburg County, NC: John Allen Economic Development Office (704) 432-2426 john.allen@mecklenburgcountync.gov www.charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/edo
Cleveland County, NC: Kristin H. Fletcher Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership, (704) 487-8521, Kristin@clevelandchamber.org www.ccedp.com
Rowan County, NC: Robert M. Van Geons RowanWorks, (704) 637-5526 robert@rowanworks.com www.rowanworks.com
Gaston County, NC: Donny Hicks Gaston County EDC, (704) 825-4046 dhicks@co.gaston.nc.us, www.gaston.org
Stanly County, NC: Kevin Gullette Stanly County EDC, (704) 986-3682 kgullette@co.stanly.nc.us, www.stanlyedc.org
Cabarrus County, NC: Ryan McDaniels Cabarrus EDC, (704) 782-4000 rmcdaniels@cabarrus.biz www.cabarrusedc.com
Iredell County, NC: C. Michael Smith Greater Statesville Development Corp (704) 871-0062, info@greaterstatesville.org www.greaterstatesville.org
Union County, NC: Maurice Ewing Union County Partnership for Progress (704) 291-9860, mdewing1@ctc.net www.unioncpp.com
Catawba County, NC: Scott L. Millar Catawba County EDC, (828) 267-1564 smillar@catawbacountync.gov www.catawbaedc.org
Iredell County, NC: Russell N. Rogerson Mooresville-South Iredell EDC (704) 664-6922, russell@edcmooresville.org www.edcmooresville.org
Union County, NC: R. Christopher PlatĂŠ Monroe Economic Development (704) 282-5780, cplate@monroenc.org www.developmonroe.com
Chester County, SC: Karlisa Parker Chester County Economic Development (803) 377-1216, kparker@choosechester.co www.choosechester.org
Lancaster County, SC: Keith Tunnell Lancaster County EDC, (803) 285-9471 keith.tunnell@lancasterscworks.com www.lancasterscworks.com
York County, SC: Mark Farris York County ED Board, (803) 802-4300 mark.farris@yorkcountygov.com www.ycedb.com
Trust us, we’ve done the math. At the Charlotte Regional Partnership, it all adds up to one key advantage. Our strength lies in our ability to work together to sustain and enhance the economic growth, vitality and global competitiveness of Charlotte USA. We are one region. And with this spirit of cooperation and collaboration, we all win.
To join this dynamic partnership, please contact us at (800) 554-4373. www.charlotteusa.com
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Almanac Wet Your Appetite Hang onto your helmets. The U.S. National Whitewater Center has become a raging success on the Catawba River, just outside of Charlotte. The center brings outdoor recreational opportunities to the public thanks to activities that include kayaking on Class IV whitewater rapids. There is also canoeing and rafting along flat water portions of the river near the center. Besides water activities, the facility is home to 400 acres of woodlands and one of the world’s largest outdoor climbing challenges. There is also 14 miles of biking, hiking and running trails.
Breezing Right Along A growing demand for wind turbines is paying dividends for PPG Industries operations in the city of Shelby in Cleveland County, N.C.
An all-access daily pass to the U.S. National Whitewater Center costs $49 for adults and $29 for children ages 4-10.
In 2009, the company was awarded a $740,000 U.S. Department of Energy grant to conduct research and further test wind-turbine blades. The grant was part of an overall $13.8 million awarded by the Department of Energy that has been earmarked toward 28 new wind energy projects currently taking place throughout the nation. PPG is a leading producer of fiberglass and coatings, and the Shelby plant makes materials used to fabricate blades for wind turbines. In fact, the fiberglass plant has been revitalized because of the company’s diversification into wind energy and green products.
A Positive Altitude To air is human, especially at the annual Carolina BalloonFest in Statesville. The event has been held since 1974, making it the second-oldest balloon rally in the nation. The three-day festival in October occurs at Statesville Regional Airport with more than 50 hot air balloons and 50,000 spectators in attendance. Highlights of the weekend include a 50-balloon mass ascension, a nighttime balloon glow and hot air balloon rides. Besides ballooning, attractions include live music, a kids zone, wine tasting, Market Place food booths and an Artisan Village arts and crafts area. The 2010 Carolina BalloonFest is scheduled for Oct. 22-24. Admission is $10 teens/ adults, $5 ages 6-12, and free admission for ages 5 and under.
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See Spot Run A fetching setting for national-level field and retriever dog competitions is located near Charlotte.
Animal Attraction More than 35,000 people visit Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge each year. The refuge features more than 8,400 acres of bottomland hardwoods, a pine forest, croplands, old fields and moist soil units. It serves as an ideal habitat for 180 bird, 50 amphibian and reptile, 25 mammal, and 20 fish species. The refuge was established in 1963 and is part of the Carolina Thread Trail, a regional network of greenways and paths that is currently being developed to span 15 counties. The Pee Dee refuge is actually located in Anson and Richmond counties of North Carolina, and employs a seven-person staff.
Chesterfield County, S.C., is home to the H. Cooper Black Jr. Memorial Field Trial and Recreation Area. The expanse covers 7,000 acres of longleaf pine forest and fields, and the park’s facilities include stables, kennels, corrals, arenas, waterfowl ponds and campgrounds. Besides the ideal accommodations for hunting dogs, also on site are more than 20 miles of equestrian trails. The recreation area is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. The acreage is also situated next to Cheraw State Park, which offers tourism attractions such as a championship golf course, cabins, camping, boating and fishing.
Hear Them Roar One of the largest grocery chains in the U.S. is headquartered in Salisbury, which has 1,255 employees at its corporate facility. Food Lion was founded in 1957 as Food Town, and the Food Lion name was implemented in 1983. Today, a total of 1,200 stores are located in 11 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states – specifically North Carolina, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. A total of 70,000 employees work nationwide for the huge grocer. The company stores offer nationally and regionally advertised brand name products, plus private label products manufactured and packaged for Food Lion. Food Lion also has supermarkets such as Bloom, Harveys and Reid’s under its corporate umbrella.
Just Bag It The Dole Fresh Vegetables plant in Bessemer City got a fresh start in December 2006, and today has more than 600 employees. The plant supplies bagged lettuce to stores along the U.S. eastern seaboard, all the way up to Pennsylvania and New York. It uses produce grown solely from farms in North Carolina, Florida and Georgia, and distributes the packaged lettuce to more than 11 states. The plant is situated in the Southridge Business Park. Dole itself does business in more than 90 countries, employing 60,000 full-time and seasonal/ temporary workers worldwide. It also oversees a Dole Nutrition Institute dedicated to healthy living through nutritious eating and an active lifestyle.
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Can Withstand a Hurricane An applied research and training facility in Chester County, S.C., is able to withstand a Category 3 hurricane. The Institute for Business & Home Safety’s $40 million structure is constructed out of materials designed to withstand multiple hazardous conditions – even a hurricane. The institute will ultimately use the building as a laboratory for designing safer building materials that can be used in the construction of full-sized one- and two-story homes as well as light commercial construction and agricultural buildings. The Chester County site was chosen because it is only 100 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The IBHS building is scheduled to be fully operational by late 2010.
This Is a Stretch Shipping is what Paragon Films is all about, but the shipping doesn’t involve boats. Paragon is a leading stretchfilm manufacturer that has been operating a production facility in Alexander County since December 2005. Stretch film is a thin, sturdy, transparent plastic used to wrap and protect products during storage or shipment. A major use of Paragon’s products is to wrap goods stacked on wooden pallets for shipping. Paragon invested $10 million in a 20,000-square-foot warehouse area along with a 20,000-square-foot production area. The company’s 25 employees manufacture at least 15 million pounds of stretch film annually.
Feeling Right at Home This company handles a lot of furniture near Charlotte. Crate and Barrel, a company that specializes in housewares, furniture (indoor and out) and home accessories, has opened a 400,000-square-foot distribution center in Lincolnton. The Lincolnton facility cost more than $23.5 million to construct and has met stringent green building and performance certifications. In fact, it is the first distribution center in North Carolina to earn LEED certification. The center opened in June 2009 and supports home delivery operations to the company’s Southeast market. It began with 70 employees and is expected to ultimately grow to a workforce of more than 200.
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Business Climate
innovative enterprises
corporate headquarters
workforce
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c h a r lo t t e U S A
Frankly, Charlotte Two-state region is an economic powerhouse Story by Kevin Litwin Photography by Todd Bennett
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t’s not just Charlotte – it’s Charlotte USA. Charlotte USA is a 16-county economic region that encompasses 12 counties in North Carolina and four in South Carolina. The region – roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts – is home to 2.6 million people and eight Fortune 500 companies, and its business friendly environment has attracted $40 billion in investments and 200,000 jobs since 1995. “If I were a company looking to locate or expand, I would choose Charlotte USA for a
number of reasons,” says Ronnie Bryant, president and CEO of the Charlotte Regional Partnership, which promotes the 16-county region. “Our market is one of the most dynamic in the world thanks to great transportation infrastructure, a qualified workforce, strong academic institutions, a probusiness government and easy access to and from the 8th busiest airport in the country – Charlotte Douglas International.” More than 850 foreign-owned companies
Fortune 500 Msas with seven or more Fortune 500 headquarters • New York, 43 • Houston, 25 • Dallas, 12 • Chicago, 12 • Atlanta, 9 • St. Louis, 8 • Charlotte, 7* • Columbus, 7 • Minneapolis, 7 * The Charlotte USA region is home to eight Fortune 500 companies
The statue representing industry at the intersection of Trade and Tryon streets in Charlotte.
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Fortune 500 Fortune 500 companies based in Charlotte USA Region Company/City/ 2009 Revenue Bank of America Corp., Charlotte, $113.1B Lowe’s, Mooresville, $48.2B Nucor, $23.7B, Charlotte Duke Energy, $13.2B, Charlotte Sonic Automotive, $7.5B, Charlotte Goodrich, $7.1B, Charlotte Family Dollar Stores, $7.0B, Matthews SPX, $6.1B, Charlotte
representing 50 countries have a presence in the Charlotte USA region, more than 180 of them from Germany alone. Major recent foreign investment success stories in the region include Siemens Power Generation Inc.’s generator manufacturing plant in Mecklenburg County that created 226 jobs. Charlotte Regional Partnership staffers augment their 30 domestic business recruiting trips each year with international trips to meet decision makers and spread the word about Charlotte USA’s advantages as a global business destination. And those marketing efforts are being noticed. In May 2010, the Charlotte Regional Partnership was recognized as one of the top economic development organizations in the U.S. by Site Selection magazine. The magazine has also ranked North Carolina’s business climate among the top for all states in eight of the last nine years.
The region has created a powerhouse economy that includes the largest financial center in the United States outside New York City. Charlotte USA has built diverse and vibrant industry clusters that include defense and aerospace, life sciences, energy, film and television production, and motorsports. Companies with headquarters or major operations in the region include Bank of America, Belk, Bobcats Sports & Entertainment, Duke Energy, Food Lion, Lowe’s, Lufthansa German Airlines, NASCAR, Speedway Motorsports, Time Warner Cable, US Airways and Wells Fargo. “The Charlotte USA mission advocates the 16 counties working together to reinforce the powerful concept of regionalism,” Bryant says. “Without a doubt, regionalism is the most effective strategy for global-city regions like ours to grow and prosper in the 21st century world economy. As a result, it has become the driving force behind everything we do.”
Bank of America Stadium
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Charlotte USA By the Numbers
2.6M
Population of the 16-county region
850+
Number of foreign-owned firms operating in the region, representing 50 nations
$40B
In capital investment since 1995
No. 2
Rank of region as financial center in United States, trailing only New York City
The 871-foot-high Bank of America Corporate Center is a symbol of Charlotte USA’s economic might.
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A Strategic Defense Charlotte USA builds one of the nation’s top aerospace and defense clusters
Story by Betsy Williams
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he 16-county Charlotte USA region has built an impressive roster of household names in the aerospace, security and defense industries, placing the area at the top of the list when it comes to creating good jobs and investment in these lucrative sectors.
Household names in aerospace, defense and security with major operations in the region include General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Scott Technologies and Curtiss Wright Flight Systems. A cadre of companies produce everything from aircraft tires
to armaments, helicopter engines to gear that protects combat troops. With its international headquarters in Charlotte and a recently expanded maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in nearby Monroe in Union County, N.C., Goodrich Corp. maintains a strong presence in the
An engineer at Northrop Grumman adjusts a fiber amplifier in a high-energy laser lab. Northrop is a leading global security company. Left: More than 1,000 companies in the Charlotte USA region have been awarded defense contracts totaling $3.7 billion in the last decade.
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aerospace industry and is a key reason why Monroe is consistently named as one of the nation’s top aerospace cluster markets. In fact, Monroe has the highest concentration of aerospace companies in North America. The region is well-positioned when it comes to recruiting companies and employees, says Bob Butz, Goodrich Customer Services Americas vice president and general manager. “The biggest success point for us has been the ability to attract the employees we’ve been able to attract in this region, with their mechanical aptitude skills,” he says, noting that a significant population of former military professionals helps provide needed skills. “There is an aerospace focus in this region and a desire by the leadership to grow it.” More than 1,000 companies in the region have been awarded defense contracts totaling $3.7 billion in the last decade. Charlotte USA also is home to more than 8,000 highly skilled engineers. Part of Goodrich’s global MRO campus network, the 115,000-squarefoot Monroe facility, manufactures and repairs commercial and military aircraft components, actuation and cargo systems, regional landing gear, lighting and electrical power systems. The facility expanded in 2008, nearly doubling in size to accommodate business growth. The company consolidated operations in Monroe after plant closings in New Jersey and Ohio. “Charlotte’s excellent quality of life helped with the recruitment of employees from those plants, but you aren’t going to relocate all of your employees,” Butz says. “Clearly what helped us was the skilled workforce that was here.” Success in the sector has been built, in part, because of the work done through such support services as the Partnership for Defense Innovation, which has facilities at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The PDI has two programs, says Gary Mitchell, PDI’s senior business developer. One is the Defense and Security Technology Accelerator, a state-supported program that guides entrepreneurs through the process of
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Top left and middle: General Dynamics’ Charlotte operations provide a range of products for military and commercial application, including high-performance weapon and armament systems, defensive armor and aerospace composite solutions. Top right: Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems is a major presence in Charlotte USA’s aerospace and defense industry sector. Bottom: Goodrich, a global leader in systems and services to aerospace, defense and homeland security markets, is headquartered in Charlotte and has a maintenance repair and overhaul facility in Monroe in Union County, N.C.
Employment Major Defense/ Security Employers in Charlotte USA • Goodrich Corp. headquarters, aircraft parts and equipment • Michelin Aircraft Tire Corp., aircraft tires • General Dynamics Arm & Tech Products, firearms and ordnance • BAE Systems, troop protection products • Defense Technologies, electronic circuit cards
Ph o t o C o u r t e s y o f G a r y K i o u s
• Northrop Grumman Space & Technology, military/industrial components • DSM Desotech, high-tech UV-curable coatings • Turbomeca Manufacturing, helicopter engines • Ultra Machine & Fabrication, welded armored sub-assemblies • Tyco Scott Technologies, fire protection • Curtiss Wright Flight Systems, aircraft parts • Mac Lean Jameson LLC, lighting equipment manufacturing • ATI Allvac, titanium superalloys • Colfax, pumps for naval applications • Newgard Industries, aircraft parts manufacturing
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becoming a defense contractor. It also assists entrepreneurs and innovators with technologies that have applications in the military, defense and intelligence communities. The second program is the PDI Research and Development Lab, which focuses on work with the Department of Defense in conducting research, development, testing and evaluation for related equipment. With strong support from regional, legislative and congressional leaders, the center has created approximately 150 durable careers, Mitchell says. “When you look at the state and federal investment that has come into this building, we’ve had about a 6:1 return
on investment and infused more than $30 million back into the state economy.” At least half of the DSTA clients are prior service personnel who have a working prototype, but need assistance to develop it. The PDI utilizes strategic relationships with some of the more than 20 universities and technical institutions in the region, often securing services of faculty and graduate students to work on solutions as a practical exercise. “Most of our clients have never acted as a defense or government contractor,” Mitchell says. “We provide the mentorship and training while guiding them through building a business infrastructure to successfully do business with the government.”
By The Numbers On the Offense on Defense
1,000
Number of Department of Defense contractors in 16-county Charlotte USA region since 2000
$3.7B
Amount of Department of Defense contracts in region since 2000
15
Number of military installations in the Carolinas
$23B
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Estimated economic impact of military installations in North Carolina alone
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Stayin’ Alive in Charlotte Region emerges as life sciences heavyweight
Story by Michaela Jackson Photography by Todd Bennett
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trypsin digest, a bioscience procedure that breaks proteins down into their individual amino acids, traditionally takes between 18 and 24 hours. The scientists at CEM Corp. in Matthews, a company that pioneered the field of microwave chemistry, can do it in about five minutes. This kind of innovation is not unusual in the Charlotte region, where the burgeoning health and life sciences sector employs more than
10,000 people. Clusters of established industry names and cutting edge start-ups are brimming with worldclass research in the medical device manufacturing, pharmaceutical development and biotechnology fields. An established pool of intellectual capital, active involvement by area universities and easy transportation access have made the region a hotbed of bioscience development and manufacturing, and many companies have chosen to anchor their work in
the Charlotte area. Prodigy Diabetes Care, whose Charlotte-based parent was ranked the region’s fastest-growing private company by the Charlotte Business Journal, is converting a warehouse four miles from its Charlotte headquarters into a state-of-the-art assembly and manufacturing facility that will allow the company to shift production operations from China and Taiwan to Charlotte. “The manufacturing facility, along
The Bioinformatics Research Center on the UNC Charlotte campus houses a $35 million wet and dry laboratory facility for gene expression, proteomics, microscopy, crystallography and computing. It is the campus’s first LEED-certified building.
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By The Numbers Life Sciences Facts and Figures
200
Companies that produce medical devices and equipment in the Charlotte USA region
7,600
Employment in medical devices and equipment in the region
40
Pharmaceutical manufacturing companies located in the region
10,000
Workers employed in the health/life sciences and biotech in the region
with new products we plan on rolling out in the very near future, will add at least another 150 jobs here,” says Pete Bosak, vice president of public relations at Prodigy Diabetes Care. “We think that as other companies look for creative ways to bring jobs back home, more companies will follow our lead.” While many factors lured Prodigy Diabetes Care to expand its presence in Charlotte, a well-developed transportation infrastructure and highly educated workforce were among the most compelling. “With all of the universities and colleges in this region, there is a great talent pool to choose from, and universities are open to collaborating with business and industry, which is another benefit,” Bosak says. “Also important is the ability to move product. With Charlotte Douglas International Airport right here, along with the highways system, Charlotte makes it easy to do that.” The region boasts an established culture of partnership to achieve innovation, and the industry’s collegial atmosphere in Charlotte extends beyond the business community to the region’s leading research institutions. Kannapolis is home to the $1.5 billion North Carolina Research Campus, a one-of-akind, 350-acre collaborative community of
research universities and private companies focused on advancing the fields of biotechnology, nutrition and health. At UNC Charlotte, the Bioinformatics Research Center offers scientists a $35 million wet-and-dry laboratory in which to explore gene expression, proteomics, microscopy, crystallography and other life science pursuits. The deep network of resources available to Charlotte’s bioscience industry, along with the academic and commercial infrastructure in place, not only attracts new companies to the area, but also allows homegrown innovators to expand with ease. CEM, the company performing the superfast trypsin digests in Matthews, has called the Charlotte USA region home since 1978 when a chemist, an electrical engineer and a mechanical engineer (hence, CEM) decided to go into business. “We’ve got people who have been here 25 or 30 years, and we get a lot of organic growth,” says Keller Barnhardt, product manager for CEM’s synthesis division. “This is a huge and growing area that we’re very pleased to be a part of, and even more pleased to see the growth that’s happening around the Charlotte area as a result.”
Samples and tubes in a lab at the Bioinformatics Research Center on the UNC Charlotte campus. Right: The Bioinformatics Research Center at UNC Charlotte is one of the region’s key bioscience assets.
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The David H Murdock Laboratory Building on the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis
Refashioning an Economy Research campus blossoms on site of former textile mill From the remains of a shuttered textile plant in Cabarrus County, a promising future is taking shape in the Charlotte USA region. The North Carolina Research Campus, a public-private venture that is home to multiple collaborative efforts in biotechnology, nutrition and health, includes more than a million square feet of lab and office space. The complex in Kannapolis includes the 311,000-square-foot David H. Murdock Research Institute, named for the visionary businessman who conceived the project and invested $1.5 billion to make it a reality. The campus is home to facilities for Duke University along with
presence from the University of North Carolina system campuses in Chapel Hill, Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina A&T State University and Appalachian State University. Rowan Cabarrus Community College and a growing corps of private companies also have plans to be in residence. The Murdock Research Institute is a $100 million state-of-the-art facility on the campus that brings equipment needed for a variety of disciplines – such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, clinical discovery, histochemistry, cell culture and transgenics – under one roof. It includes 80,000 square feet dedicated to specialized labs that
house the most sophisticated scientific equipment available. “(Murdock) knew the textile jobs were not coming back, and that other jobs were leaving, so he wanted to re-educate the workforce to get them ready for 21st century jobs,” says Lynne Scott Safrit, president of Castle & Cooke LLC, the developer of the campus. “The lab is there to support the universities in their work, but he has put together a combination of equipment unlike anywhere else in the world. The goal is for private industry to locate here because they want to utilize the equipment and the minds that they can’t get anywhere else.” – Joe Morris
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Bank On It Charlotte Continues To Grow in Financial Services
Story by Katie Kuehner-Hebert
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n hindsight, it now seems that Charlotte was destined to become a national financial powerhouse. Through aggressive acquisitions in the 1980s and 1990s, two local banking companies grew to be among the largest in the country, Bank of America Corp. and Wachovia Corp., now part of Wells Fargo & Co. Because of their stature, other financial service companies have flocked to the region – more than 1,000 companies in the last decade – and more than 60,000 work in the sector today. Former Bank of America chairman Hugh McColl once
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likened the aggressiveness of both his company and crosstown rival Wachovia to the make-up of Charlotte’s early residents, who routinely had to fend off would-be invaders. Indeed, rebels during the American Revolution drove Britain’s Gen. Charles Cornwallis out of Charlotte to ultimate defeat in Yorktown, Va., earning Charlotte the nickname, “nest of hornets.” The predecessors of Bank of America and Wachovia – North Carolina National Bank (NCNB) and First Union Corp. – were able to get a jump on acquisitions over superregionals elsewhere because of liberal state banking laws at the time that permitted them to expand more than those in other states. Then after interstate banking restrictions eased in the 1980s, the North Carolina banks proved their prowess and amassed billions in assets through their buying sprees. As a result, Bank of America is now the largest bank in the country by assets, and Wachovia, now part of Wells, is the fourth (before the merger, Wachovia was the fourth and Wells was the sixth). “Bank of America and others have continued to build on their competitive advantages – diversified business models, skill in digesting mergers, highly efficient operations and capital to reinvest in our businesses to better serve our customers and communities,” says Charles Bowman, North Carolina and Charlotte market president for Bank of America. After Wells completed its acquisition of Wachovia, job
Bank of America is one of several financial institutions to call Charlotte home. It is the largest bank in the country by assets.
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p h o t o s b y T o d d B e n n e tt
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Brian McCord
losses at the company were not nearly as dire as experts were predicting – despite the worst recession in decades, says Rob Wright, who is now corporate development group manager for Wells. “Wells continues to look at Charlotte as an East Coast hub,” Wright says. The two giants’ scope of operations in the Charlotte region has become a magnet for related industries, including customer service and data centers for financial services companies that include CitiFinancial, GE Capital/Lowe’s Credit and the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association College Retirement Equities Fund, or TIAA-CREF. Charlotte has now become the second-largest financial center in the United States, surpassed only by New York City, and banking and financial services account for nearly a third of the region’s gross domestic product. Wright says that having so many financial companies headquartered in and around Charlotte helps the region prosper further. “More loans are made around here, more decisions of financing growth are made here, more real estate deals are financed here.” In addition to spending hundreds of millions of dollars with a range of vendors and other service providers in the region, financial companies based in Charlotte also invest in philanthropic endeavors, from the arts to schools to community development, Bowman says. “As important as anything, our employees volunteer in the community and provide civic leadership,” he says. The Charlotte region also houses the corporate headquarters of Royal & Sun Alliance and Transamerica Reinsurance. Allstate, AmeriCredit, The Hartford, Kemper, Liberty Mutual, MetLife, Nationwide, State Farm and Travelers all have operational or processing centers in the Charlotte region. In late 2009, Fiserv, a technology vendor to financial institutions, announced that it would expand its operations in the region by opening a customer service center in Hickory, creating more than 400 new jobs. Lance Beck, Fiserv’ director of customer solutions and electronic banking services, said that the Charlotte region is a strong base to support Fiserv’s customer base, located in every region of the country and around the globe – not to mention banks and credit unions that are headquartered in Charlotte and the Southeast. “As a technology provider, it was a plus for us that the Charlotte/Hickory area gave us access to a talent pool near the technology triangle, and individuals with banking industry experience and professional customer service attitudes,” Beck says.
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Start Your Engines Charlotte’s motorsports industry revs up the economy
Story by Michaela Jackson
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f the Charlotte region had an official flag, it would be checkered. Motorsports are central to the economy and the culture of the region, with NASCAR teams, a storied speedway, motorsports research outfits and racing-related media groups fanning out from Charlotte like so many spokes on a wheel. According to a 2006 North Carolina Motorsports Association study, the economic impact of the motorsports industry in the region is $5 billion and more than 20,000 direct and indirect jobs. The bread and butter of Charlotte’s motorsports industry is NASCAR racing. More than 90 percent of all NASCAR teams are within a 50-mile radius of downtown Charlotte, and the city hosts three major races each year
at the famed Charlotte Motor Speedway. Charlotte is also home to the NASCAR Research and Development Center and the NASCAR Technical Institute, as well as the brand-new NASCAR Hall of Fame. NASCAR’s high fan appeal means big business for Charlotte’s racing industry. “From a tourism perspective, you look at all the major events at Charlotte Motor Speedway and, now, the presence of the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” says Marshall Carlson, general manager of Charlotte-based Hendrick Motorsports. “That’s thousands of plane flights, hotel rooms and rental cars directly tied to racing. You can look at it any number of ways, but studies have shown that racing is a $6 billion industry in North Carolina. It’s difficult to ignore statistics like that.”
Driving Revenue The economic impact of the motorsports industry in Charlotte USA is $5 billion and more than 20,000 direct and indirect jobs. More than 90 percent of all NASCAR teams are within a 50-mile radius of downtown Charlotte. North Carolina is home to more than 1,000 teams, tracks, businesses and educational institutions related to motorsports.
The zMax Dragway is part of the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex in Concord. p h o t o b y A n t o n y B o s h i e r
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Moving Along The Charlotte region is a center of automotiverelated enterprise. More than 250 automotive companies employ some 15,000 people. Daimler North America, with a corporate campus in York County, has three major assembly plants in the region, and the BMW facility lies just 75 minutes from Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Additional major autorelated manufacturing facilities include Dana Corp., ArvinMeritor, Continental Tire, Eaton Corp., Goodyear, Mayflower Vehicle Systems, Meridian Automotive Systems and ZF Lemforder.
The motorsports industry and its ancillary businesses fan throughout the region and create a cultural and economic network built around “anything that goes fast,” according to Ahmed Soliman, director of the North Carolina Motorsports and Automotive Research Center at UNC Charlotte. The state is home to more than 1,000 teams, tracks, businesses and educational institutions related to motorsports. The area is a hub of racing-related media activity, claiming a roster that includes the NASCAR Media Group, SpeedTV, the Performance Racing Network and the Motor Racing Network. Three wind-tunnel testing facilities support the engineering side of racing by allowing cars to reach speeds nearing 200 miles an hour on a rolling road that keeps them in place. Soliman’s Center at UNC Charlotte is currently home to roughly 90 undergraduate and 20 graduate students performing research and seeking motorsports-related degrees. “It’s a racing region, and we see the students come from all over the country to participate
in our program and to graduate from our program,” Soliman says. “They grow up with racing, specifically when they’re from this region, so it’s in their blood.” The center also works with the racing divisions of automakers such as Toyota, which built a $28 million research and testing facility in Salisbury in 2008. Belmont Abbey College in Gastonia offers the first-ever business administration degree with a concentration in motorsports management, and the program requires three motorsportsrelated internships. “That’s a win-win for everyone because the students get to try their hand at a variety of different aspects of the industry to find out what they like and where they want to go,” says Tracy Rishel, director of the Motorsports Management Program. “And employers get to try out the students to see what their skills are, whether they fit in with the culture of the team or the track or the supplier or whatever kind of organization they’re working with, and everybody benefits.”
More than 90 percent of all NASCAR teams are based within 50 miles of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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Sta ff Ph o t o
Museum Gets Vroom With a View Charlotte revs up for new $195 million NASCAR Hall of Fame It is only fitting that Charlotte, a hub of motorsports enterprise, is the host city for the 150,000-square-foot NASCAR Hall of Fame, which made its debut in May 2010. The $195 million project designed by the architectural firm of I.M. Pei is in the heart of Charlotte and part of a 5-acre complex that includes the Charlotte Convention Center and a newly developed, 390,000-squarefoot, 19-story office tower. The hall includes dozens of interactive artifacts, exhibits and simulators that chronicle the 60-year history of NASCAR and immerse visitors in a complete race-day experience. The ground level includes the 278-seat High Octane Theatre with a 64-foot curved screen that will show a variety of NASCAR-related films, a state-of-the-art broadcast studio and newsroom, and a 19,000-square-foot patio that will host induction ceremonies and other special events. On the ground level, the hall’s exterior features a swirled facade that suggests the high banks of NASCAR’s famous tracks and a Hall of Honor with electronic
The NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte
display information and videos about the inductees careers. Glory Road, a banked ramp that leads to the second level, includes 18 historic cars and details on 46 current and historic race tracks. The second level includes simulators that replicate the race week experience, the driver’s perspective during a race and a team transporter, the “nerve
center” for operations during a race. The third level includes individual heritage galleries and a glass-enclosed vault of important artifacts from NASCAR’s history. The hall is owned by the city of Charlotte, licensed by NASCAR and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. For more on the NASCAR Hall of Fame, go to www.nascarhall.com.
ToWn of CLoveR
114 Bethel St. Clover, SC 29710 (803) 222-9495 (803) 222-6955 www.cloversc.info
The charming community of Clover, located in northwestern York County, offers an excellent quality of life in a perfect small-town setting. Area residents and visitors enjoy Clover’s downtown where there are quaint shops and restaurants. Beautiful churches serve a multi-denominational faith community. Clover school districts consistently exceed state academic and athletic standards. There are many opportunities for active and passive recreation at Clover Community and Roosevelt Parks as well as at nearby Kings Mountain State Park. Located at the edge of town, Westgate Industrial Park is poised and ready for additional growth. Clover is York County, South Carolina’s best kept secret.
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Lights, Camera, Charlotte The film and television production industry packs an economic punch for the Charlotte region
Story by Michaela Jackson
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irectors of the world, take notice. The Charlotte region is ready for its close-up. But that’s nothing new. The area around Charlotte has been front and center in the film and television production industry for years. The industry packs an annual economic impact of nearly $500 million and 2,500 jobs. Dozens of blockbusters have taken to the silver screen in Charlotte over the years, including The Patriot, Talladega Nights, Cold Mountain, Leatherheads and Shallow Hal.
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Dreambridge Films, a film finance and production company based in Charlotte, produces movies seen by people all over the world. The Kids Are Alright and The Romantics, two Dreambridge films that were screened at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, have both sold to major production studios for nationwide release. “We have people in the area who have worked in film since the Days of Thunder days with Tom Cruise,” says Todd K. Labarowski, owner and CEO of Dreambridge. “So the industry has
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Scenic beauty, incentive programs and a solid production infrastructure have given the region a starring role in a number of film and television projects, including Cold Mountain.
been here for a long time, and it’s not going anywhere, either.” The longstanding film industry in the region is bolstered by an outstanding infrastructure of supporting companies and a talented workforce that can only be built over decades. Cinelease, one of the largest motion picture production equipment rental companies in the country, has been in operation since 1977 and in Charlotte since 2006. “The amount of equipment and technical support here in North Carolina is incredible, and it’s something that most states don’t have,” says Steve Spalding, general manager of Cinelease in Charlotte. “It’s rare in any state to have a company like Cinelease in the state, which then makes it, in turn, so that major motion picture companies ... can actually come and actually film.” Feature films tend to grab the headlines, but television production, commercials and music and industrial videos are also a boon to the local economy. Much of the programming is racing-related, but the Charlotte region enjoys a diverse base of production. As in the film industry, much of television’s success in Charlotte can be attributed to a full roster of resources and support. MediaComm in Charlotte is a studio production facility that essentially serves as an incubator for fledgling or start-up networks. Over the years, the company has provided behind-the-scenes support to networks including NASCAR Images and Speedvision, as well as promotion for North Carolina’s Panthers and Bobcats. “We do all the behind-the-scenes,
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Ph o t o C o u r t e s y o f b i ll r u s s
Film Production The Charlotte Regional Film Commission, a division of the Charlotte Regional Partnership, offers an online film production directory with up-to-date information on film and video production crews and companies offering services ranging from pre-production to equipment and stages. Check out the directory at http://www.charlotteusa. com/Film/film_ production_directory.asp.
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Anson County
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Progressive, Picturesque Charming
Anson County offers the best of both worlds. A small community where people genuinely care about each other, combined with a low cost of operating a business, while having a major city within an hour’s commute time. Solid infrastructure: Ample capacity for heavy users of water, sewer, electricity and broadband. High-Speed Internet capability in 96 percent of the county. Ideal location: Only 50 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina’s largest city. Anson is less than one hour from five major interstate highways (I-95, I-20, I-85, I-485, I-77) and only 2 ½ hours from the Port of Wilmington. Pro-business attitude: Anson is focused on growth and expansion. The community is designated as a Tier 1 County by the NC Department of Commerce, therefore businesses that locate or expand here are provided the highest level of tax credits.
www.AnSonedC.org
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nuts-and-bolts work so the client is able to focus on making their content amazing,” says Mark Kramer, president of MediaComm. “We provide the editors, the graphics designers, all of that creative and technical infrastructure we provide, just enabling the client to not worry about who’s going to do what.” The region is also home to NASCAR Media Group, which oversees all of the racing league’s broadcast, digital and image operations. The group, which is spending $45 million for state-of-theart digs in in the NASCAR Plaza tower, employs some 175 people and produces 75 to 90 hours of content each week across its platforms. Regardless of the end product, be it television, feature film or somewhere in between, the same qualities attract production companies to Charlotte time and again. “There’s a lot of competition out there, but Charlotte is obviously wellpositioned between the mountains and the ocean, we’ve got the cityscape, and good traffic in and out of the community with the airport, as well,” Kramer says. “You’ve just kind of got to go down the checklist: ‘Do they have great locations? Yes. Do they have a capable and enthusiastic infrastructure? Yes.’ The more checkmarks you can get, the better off you are to attract those kinds of clients.”
Production Incentives
Cinelease is a motion picture equipment rental company with a branch in Charlotte.
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North Carolina and South Carolina boast a variety of state-specific film production incentives ranging from refundable tax credits and wage rebates to goods and services rebates. Check out http://www.charlotteusa. com/Film/film_incentives.asp to learn more.
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Gallery
Signs pointing sister cities of Charlotte from all over the world Photo by Todd Bennett
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Lake Norman Staff Photo
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A weather vane stands next to the Murray & Minges General Store in Catawba County, where visitors can crack the lid of an antique Coca-Cola refrigerator and grab a drink in the bottle. Photo by Todd Bennett
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Catawba County Museum of History in Newton, North Carolina Staff Photo
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Energy/Technology
Full of Energy Region generates innovation in nuclear, solar, electricity
Story by Michaela Jackson Photography by Todd Bennett
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n many regions, the idea of an “energy economy” has become so hackneyed that the word “green” is slapped on just about anything – even absent meaningful innovation or impact. Charlotte USA is not one of those regions. The energy economy in and around Charlotte is thriving, and the communities that are boasting success have more than passionate anecdotes to make their case. The numbers tell the story. The Charlotte region is home to more than 235 energyrelated businesses, from utilities and nuclear engineering to alternative energy and energy storage, that employ more than 26,000 people. The experts are on notice. Site Selection magazine, the nationally recognized economic development publication, ranked North Carolina among the nation’s top five states The Ritz-Carlton’s roof is planted with a groundcover called sedum. Tomatoes, herbs and lavender grow in raised beds on one side; two beehives are on the other side.
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for corporate facility expansions in alternative energy. The industry’s tremendous economic impact is supported by world-class energy research facilities and a growing pool of highly educated scientists and engineers. “I think we have some pretty enlightened people here,” says Mitchell Pulwer, vice president and general manager of Concord-based Celgard. “You have some universities that are very active in this particular area.” Charlotte-based Piedmont Natural Gas, a Fortune 1000 energy services company, distributes natural gas to 1 million residential, commercial and industrial utility customers in a three-state region. That includes 62,000 customers served by municipalities that are wholesale customers.
Piedmont subsidiaries are involved in a number of energy-related ventures including unregulated retail natural gas marketing, interstate natural gas storage and intrastate natural gas transportation. The company employs about 1,800 people. Charlotte is also home to the research and development facilities for the independent nonprofit Electric Power Research Institute. One of the pillars of Charlotte’s energy sector is the burgeoning alternative energy industry, and the region enjoys a diverse portfolio of leading players. Celgard produces lithium-ion battery separator, a critical component in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries, for Charlotte-based Duke Energy is one of 235 energy-related businesses in the Charlotte USA region.
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Energy Saviors The Energy Production Infrastructure Center at UNC Charlotte will house a department of electrical and civil engineering and is designed to address the shortfall of trained engineers capable of servicing and replacing an aging fossil fuel and nuclear infrastructure. • Project recently received $56 million in state funding and plans to build 200,000-squarefoot research center • Market driven effort with significant corporate involvement by companies such as Duke Energy, Shaw and URS • Initiative will also develop future technologies for wind, solar and biofuels
makers of lithium-ion battery-powered devices such as laptop computers, cell phones and electric cars. The company received a $49 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2010 that will fund a new manufacturing facility in Concord and expand its Charlotte facility, creating 289 additional jobs. The national spotlight focused on Charlotte twice when President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu each toured the Celgard campus. “It’s become very clear that Celgard is one of the big players in the energy storage industry in the entire world, and we’re situated right here in Charlotte,” Pulwer says. The litany of alternative energy successes in Charlotte is long. Fortune 500 Company Duke Energy is investing $50 million to build between 100 and 400 mini-solar power generation plants throughout North Carolina over a two-year period. Siemens Energy announced in March 2010 that it will add a $130 million expansion to its
Charlotte turbine and generator manufacturing facility. The expansion will create as many as 650 jobs in the region. Solar-module manufacturer Sencera has announced plans to build a $37 million production facility capable of manufacturing panels with 35 megawatts of solar energy capacity each year. Six new nuclear reactors are in the planning stages, and major industry players including Shaw Group, AREVA and Westinghouse have ramped up their presence in the area. The URS Corporation opened its URS Nuclear Center in Lancaster County, S. C. to serve as a headquarters for commercial nuclear energy engineering and construction. And the list goes on. “There’s still a lot of wood to chop, but I think the Charlotte area has all the makings of being the energy capital of the United States,” Pulwer says. “And there are a number of people other than me who are working on that kind of initiative.”
• Academic training provided in transmission and distribution, environmental issues, construction management and logistics
Celgard is one of more than 235 energy-related businesses that employ more than 26,000 people. Companies range from Duke Energy to solar panel manufacturing to nuclear engineering companies.
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Getting Fired Up Over Renewables Catawba County’s EcoComplex Feeds Charlotte Region’s Green Ambitions The Charlotte USA region is home to a number of companies and initiatives fueling innovation in renewable energy. Catawba County’s Regional EcoComplex and Resource Recovery Facility is home to four operations that use waste byproducts of other EcoComplex partners to generate energy or create new products. The central component of the 800-acre complex in Newton is the Blackburn Resource Recovery Facility, a landfill that takes in about 680 tons of waste daily. The Gas-toEnergy Electricity Generating Facility burns the methane produced naturally in the landfill to produce electricity, which is sold to Duke
Power and is enough to power roughly 1,400 homes. Other partners in the complex include Gregory Wood Products, a high-tech dimensional lumber manufacturer whose waste stream provides the raw materials for Pallet One Inc., the largest new-pallet manufacturer in the United States. Near-term plans call for wood waste from both companies, as well as county-produced bio-materials, to fuel a wood-fired gasifier and steam production plant expected to produce three megawatt hours of electricity and 15,000 pounds of steam per hour. Other planned components of the complex include a biosolids processing facility that will have the capacity to
serve the county’s wastewater sludge management needs for the next 20 years, and kiln space for local potters in a specialty brick company that plans to locate in the complex. In early 2010, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte announced plans to become a partner in the complex, focusing its efforts on research in new technologies to generate energy, cut landfill operating costs, reduce waste volumes and improve waste processing. The complex so far has created $35 million in taxable investments and more than 150 jobs, with an additional 115 jobs projected when other entities begin operation. – Carol Cowan
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Transportation
By Air, Rail, Ground Integrated transportation network moves people, product
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he Charlotte USA region knows how to move people and product. A central location within a 10-hour drive of more than 60 percent of the U.S. population, ready access to three major interstates and major rail and airport assets make the region a destination of choice for distribution operations. The robust transportation infrastructure allows raw material and
finished product to easily move in and out. More than 450 trucking firms have operations in the region, carrying goods to 160 million people within a 650-mile radius. Interstate 77, a major northsouth corridor, intersects with I-85 in Charlotte, and I-40, a major east-west route, passes through the northern section of the region near Statesville.
Concord Regional Airport serves corporate and general aviation traffic in and around Concord. Left: Queen Charlotte by Raymond Kaskey stands in front of the terminal at Charlotte Douglas International Airport
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And goods don’t only move by road. An extensive network of rail lines and Tier I rail service through CSX Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp. links the region to 22 states and Canada via 46,000 miles of track. CSX subsidiary CSX Intermodal Inc. invested $8 million in 2007 to expand its Charlotte train and truck terminal operation, including technology upgrades, 10,000 feet of extended track, additional loading and unloading equipment, and expanded parking capacity for trailers. The investment doubled the Charlotte terminal’s capacity to 160,000 annual lifts, the movement of a container or trailer on or off a train. Norfolk Southern worked with the city of Charlotte and several federal agencies to lease land at Charlotte Douglas International Airport for a planned $90 million rail, air and truck intermodal facility. When completed in late 2012, it is projected to handle 250,000 container lifts a year and generate some $7 billion in economic impact over a 20-year period. A jewel in the region’s transportation crown is Charlotte Douglas International, the 8th busiest U.S. airport in operations and 26th busiest in the world in 2009. The airport, with a five-concourse terminal totaling 1.7 million square feet, served more than 34.5 million passengers in 2009. The major hub for US Airways and serviced by seven other domestic carriers, two foreign airlines and several regional carriers, the airport offers nonstop international service to Europe, Mexico, Canada, South America and the Caribbean Basin among its 584 daily departures to 132 nonstop destinations. In February 2010, the airport officially opened a 9,000-foot third parallel runway, a $325 million project that is projected to save airlines $65 million in annual delay avoidance costs. Charlotte Douglas, which has an annual economic impact of $10 billion, also supports a thriving air cargo operation that handled more than 132,000 tons of cargo in 2008. The airport’s cargo facilities, which are adjacent to a foreign trade zone, includes 20 air cargo carriers, more than 500,000 square feet of facilities and 50 acres of airplane ramp space.
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Health
Expanding Coverage Charlotte Region’s growing health-care services receive top marks Story by Betsy Williams Photography by Todd Bennett
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ore than one million people annually utilize the Charlotte region’s sophisticated cadre of health-care services, leading-edge treatments and technologies that have generated national acclaim and reputations for excellence. Those services and their resulting capital investment mean significant growth in one of the region’s key economic contributors. The nation’s third-largest public
health system, Carolinas Healthcare System, provides a full array of services in 32 CHS-affiliated hospitals that blanket the Carolinas. The system’s flagship hospital, Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, is an 874-bed facility that includes a Level 1 Trauma Center, a research institute and numerous specialty units ranging from heart treatment to organ transplants. CMC also serves as one of North Carolina’s
five Academic Medical Center Teaching Hospitals, providing graduate medical education for more than 250 physicians in 18 specialties. Opening in July is the Carolinas Medical Center-Lincoln, a 182,000-square-foot facility that replaces the old 101-bed hospital that was once owned by Lincoln County. “Moving a hospital down the street into a brand new, highly functional building is an achievement that has
The five-hospital Presbyterian Healthcare system includes the flagship Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte and the Presbyterian Hemby Children’s Hospital. Left: Carolinas Healthcare System’s flagship is the 874-bed Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
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monumental importance for the community,” says Lesley Chambless, CMC-Lincoln spokesperson. “The vision and teamwork of today will still be benefiting us and our grandkids 25 years from now.” Construction is under way on the expansion of the Carolinas Medical Center-Pineville, with 245,000 square feet of new construction that includes a new 114-bed patient tower, a maternity center expansion and a surgical suite addition. The project also includes 56,000 square feet of phased renovations throughout the facility. Presbyterian Health Services of Charlotte is part of Novant Health Services, formed from the 1997 merger of Carolina Medicorp of WinstonSalem and Presbyterian Health. Novant’s presence in the Charlotte USA region includes the 531-bed Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, the
268-bed Rowan Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Presbyterian Orthopaedic Hospital in Charlotte, Presbyterian Hospital Matthews, the 50-bed Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville and numerous specialty practices, doctor groups and clinics throughout the region. The health system employs more than 9,000 people in the area. Presbyterian Health offers a range of services and treatments, from cancer and heart care to pain management, women’s health, sleep disorders and weight loss. In 2009, the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) recognized Presbyterian Hospital as one of 26 participating U.S. hospitals that achieved exemplary outcomes for surgical patient care. Frye Regional Medical Center, located in Hickory, has evolved since
its founding in 1911 into a major medical facility offering specialized care for complex needs. From the latest in minimally invasive heart surgery to laser-guided cancer treatment, Frye provides advanced diagnostics, medicine and surgery through a convenient network of hospital campuses and outpatient locations. Most recently, the 355-bed facility was named a Consumer Choice Award winner and has been designated as a Most Preferred Hospital for Best Overall Quality and Image by National Research Corporation. Iredell Memorial Hospital in Statesville has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers. This notfor-profit hospital, begun in 1954, has grown from 100 to 247 beds, with 1,600 employees and 140 physicians on staff representing a variety of specialties.
Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia, NC
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Education
These Students Mean Business Colleges prepare future workforce for hot careers
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ost of the 1,400 students at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte participate in some kind of internship, whether it is paid, unpaid or solely for college credit. The students work at companies and organizations such as Bank of America, Duke Energy, NASCAR,
the IRS, FBI and Food Lion. So why do the students intern? Simply to better prepare themselves for the career world, says Barbara D. Wilks with the Center for Career Development at Johnson C. Smith University. “We help every incoming freshman compile
How Educated? Charlotte USA Educational Attainment
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Charlotte’s rank among smartest U.S. cities
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Charlotte’s rank among top U.S. cities for recent grads (Business Week)
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South Carolina and North Carolina’s rank among top 10 Workforce Training Programs in the nation
The Science and Technology building on the campus of York Technical College in Rock Hill, S.C. Left: Orbis by Housi Knecht, a spectacular steel and water sculpture UNC Charlotte campus
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an appropriate and professional resume, and they keep it updated with every activity and internship during the years they are enrolled here,” Wilks says. “Those resumes can then be quickly sent by us to employers looking for interns.” Wilks says the university also helps guide students toward the most in-demand 21st century careers, including business, accounting, management, marketing, computer science, engineering and communication arts. “Many students are also interested right now in our criminology major, plus retail management is an increasingly hot career,” she says. “Getting our students prepared for success is what Johnson C. Smith University does.” Such is the case throughout the entire 16-county Charlotte USA region, where more than three dozen colleges and universities are providing employers with knowledgeable and skilled workers. One of those institutions is Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., where current alumni members work at jobs such as operations analysts for JetBlue, actors in New York and marketing analysts for Dell Computers. “A total of 65 percent of our graduating seniors become employed in full-time occupations during their first year out of college,” says John E. Adams, Office of Career Services director at Davidson College. “Other alumni have
Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte
Four-year colleges and universities
Website
Location Enrollment
UNC Charlotte
www.uncc.edu
Charlotte
Winthrop University
www.winthrop.edu Rock Hill, SC
6,300
Gardner Webb University
www.gardner-webb.edu
Boiling, NC
3,800
24,700
Queens University of Charlotte
www.queens.edu
Charlotte
2,600
Johnson & Wales University
www.jwu.edu
Charlotte
2,500
Pfeiffer University
www.pfeiffer.edu Misenheimer, NC
2,000
Wingate University
www.wingate.edu Wingate, SC
2,000
Davidson College
www.davidson.edu Davidson, NC
1,683
Lenoir-Rhyne University
www.lr.edu
Hickory, NC
1,600
Johnson C. Smith University
www.jcsu.edu
Charlotte
1,500
Belmont Abbey College
www.belmontabbeycollege.edu
Belmont, NC
1,300
Catawba College
www.catawba.edu Salisbury, NC
1,288
Livingstone College
www.livingstone.edu Salisbury, NC
895
Barber-Scotia College
www.b-sc.edu
Concord, NC
488
Wake Forest University at Charlotte
www.wfu.edu
Charlotte
138
Strayer University
www.strayer.edu
Charlotte
n/a
University of Phoenix
www.phoenix.edu
Charlotte
n/a
more at CharlotteUSAEconomicDevelopment.com
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current careers such as a basketball player in Europe, an English teacher for the French Ministry of Education, and a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.” At York Technical College in Rock Hill, S.C., students can choose from 90 credit programs in popular curriculum such as engineering technology, industrial technology, information technology, business and health. Meanwhile at Central Piedmont Community College, President Tony Zeiss says CPCC provides training solely for the jobs of today and tomorrow. “CPCC offers more than 285 degree, diploma and certification programs along with customized corporate training,” Zeiss says. At the Charlotte Research Institute on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, plenty of companies partner with UNC Charlotte on research projects as well as the recruitment of top graduates for the business community. “We have 25,000 students at UNC, with many of them ultimately going to work for leading companies throughout the nation,” says Robert Wilhelm, Charlotte Research Institute executive director. “We emphasize that our students become efficient in critical thinking and creative writing skills, and as a result the top companies all know how educated and well-rounded the graduates are from UNC Charlotte.”
Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory includes four colleges: Arts and Sciences; Education and Human Services; Health Sciences; and Professional and Mathematical Studies.
Workforce Resource Region’s colleges provide specialized training A major tool for attracting new investment and helping existing businesses expand in the Charlotte USA region is a strong network of community colleges that focus on the training and development needs of the workforce and employers. Many of the programs the colleges offer qualify for state or other subsidies for companies meeting certain investment or job creation requirements. In Iredell County, N.C., for example, new or existing businesses undergoing a major expansion that results in the addition of 12 or more production jobs are eligible for state-subsidized training programs administered by Mitchell Community College. The flexible programs are designed jointly by the college and industry to meet specific workforce needs. The Corporate Education Office at Gaston College in Dallas, N.C., oversees a variety of process improvement programs for business, from lean manufacturing, to ISO certification to Six Sigma, many delivered on site. York Technical College in Rock Hill, S.C., operates the 20,000-square-foot Institute for Manufacturing in partnership with two industrial machine manufacturers to train workers on the latest high-tech manufacturing equipment and assist local industries in identifying in-house manufacturing, process and operational improvements. The institute, which opened in 2002, has served more than 2,000 industry students from across the globe for companies such as Rolls-Royce, Boeing, Honda and Harley-Davidson. Among the offerings at Cleveland Community College in Shelby, N.C., is a workforce development center that includes customized training programs conducted at the college or on site for businesses making significant capital investment, deploying new technology, creating jobs or enhancing the skills of their workers. And in its new facility on the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College offers a biotechnology curriculum, grounded in molecular biology and chemical engineering. RCCC prepares its graduates to meet industry demands for skilled labratory technicians and research assistants. All 10 community colleges in the 16 Charlotte USA counties work closely with existing and incoming businesses to ensure they have skilled workforce necessary to be competitive in the global market. C h a r lo t t e U S AEco n o m icD e v e lo p m e n t . co m
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Livability
Something for Everyone Charlotte USA blends Southern tradition with cosmopolitan flair
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he 16-county Charlotte USA region is in the heart of the Carolinas and offers a healthy dose of Southern hospitality, charm and tradition. But that is what would be expected in a region that hosts more than 850 foreign-owned companies, eight Fortune 500 corporate headquarters and is the No. 2 financial center in the United States. Charlotte USA is highly diverse and sophisticated, offering cultural, recreation and lifestyle choices that are the envy of far larger areas. “Charlotte USA is a robust region, and it gets more robust all the time,” says Ronnie Bryant, president and CEO of the Charlotte Regional Partnership, a nonprofit, private/ public organization that promotes economic development in the region.
Start with a mild four-season climate that includes 214 days of sunshine each year, mix in a cost of living that is only 94 percent of the national average, include both Blue Ridge Mountains retreats and coastal scenes within an easy drive and you have the recipe for a superior quality of life that dovetails with the region’s numerous advantages as a place to do business. Relocate-America.com ranked Charlotte No. 1 on its Best Places to Live list based on such factors as education, economy, crime, parks, recreation and housing. More than a dozen schools in the region ranked on Newsweek’s 2008 list of Top High Schools. The region boasts 37 higher education institutions and two major health-care systems. Oprah magazine
A mural hangs outside the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
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Clockwise: Downtown living spaces in Charlotte; The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture; the LYNX light-rail trains shuttle commuters through downtown Charlotte.
in 2008 put Charlotte in its top 20 among the best cities for single people. Whether it’s a condominium in the heart of downtown, a subdivision in the suburbs or a spread in one of the region’s more rural communities, Charlotte USA offers affordable housing – an average of $242,000 for a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home – to match any living option. A vibrant arts and culture scene includes renowned galleries such as the Mint Museum of Art. Some 65,000 arts and culture events generate $158 million to the local economy each year and support more than 4,700 jobs. Long a center of motorsports racing, the region has added a full menu of spectator sports options, from the Carolina Panthers of the NFL and Charlotte Bobcats of the NBA, to a major college bowl game, a PGA Tour golf event and minor league baseball and hockey. The U.S. National Whitewater Center opened just outside of Charlotte in 2006, a premier outdoor recreation and environmental education center that includes biking and running trails, a climbing center and a multiple-channel, customized whitewater river for rafting and canoe/kayak enthusiasts of all levels. “Our 16 counties offer an excellent quality of life, with world-class cultural attractions, a full range of housing options, professional and collegiate sports, and multiple greenspaces,” Bryant says. “We are also an easy drive to beaches and mountains. Our quality of life helps to attract and keep a talented and creative workforce.”
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Opportunity.
Community. Stability.
The new orchid conservatory at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Gastonia
Getting to Know Charlotte USA Region offers abundance of culture, recreation options Charlotte USA offers a wealth of cultural, recreational, educational and cultural attractions. Here is just a small sample:
Carolina Thread Trail www.carolinathreadtrail.org The trail is a regional network of greenways and trails that will eventually include 15 counties and link people, places, cities, towns and attractions. The trail is designed to preserve the region’s natural areas and foster exploration of nature, culture, science and history.
Discovery Place www.discoveryplace.org Located in the heart of Charlotte, the hands-on science museum draws more than 500,000 visitors each year who engage the facility’s everchanging displays and exhibits that focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The museum includes an IMAX Dome Theatre. The Charlotte Nature Museum adjacent to Freedom Park lets visitors walk among free-flying butterflies, observe live animals, buzz around with insects or hang out in the natural world.
Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture www.ganttcenter.org The 46,500-square-foot center is
located in Charlotte’s central business district in a neighborhood that was once the heart of the region’s black community. For 35 years, the center has served as a community epicenter for music, dance, theater, visual art, film, arts education programs, literature and community outreach.
(704) 821-8557 www.stallingsnc.org
North Carolina Transportation Museum www.nctrans.org The museum is located in Rowan County on the site of what was once Southern Railway Co.’s largest steam locomotive repair facility. The site features an authentic train depot, antique automobiles and a 37-bay roundhouse that includes 25 locomotives, dozens of rail cars and other exhibit areas. The museum offers seasonal train rides, guided tours for scheduled groups, and special events scheduled throughout the year.
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden www.dsbg.org Located on 380 acres on the banks of Lake Wylie near Belmont, N.C., the gardens include sparkling fountains, a conservatory dedicated to the display of tropical plants and orchids, a visitor pavilion, gift shop and nature walk. HGTV named Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden as one of the nation’s “20 Great Gardens.”
CEM Corporation – Global Provider of Innovative Microwave Systems and Solutions for Critical Laboratory Applications
AEP Industries – National Packaging Solutions Provider
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economic profile Business snapshot Charlotte USA is home to the world headquarters of eight Fortune 500 companies. Since 1995, new and expanding businesses have invested more than $40 billion here, creating more than 200,000 new jobs.
Population (2010) Charlotte USA Region, 2,687,799 Alexander, 37,526 Anson, 25,341 Cabarrus, 179,310 Catawba, 159,731 Chester, 33,146 Chesterfield, 43,753 Cleveland, 99,430 Gaston, 210,477 Iredell, 163,072 Lancaster, 76,643 Lincoln, 78,115 Mecklenburg, 937,963 Rowan, 142,013 Stanly, 60,892 Union, 207,572 York, 232,815
Major Employers Private employers Carolinas Healthcare System, 26,283 Wells Fargo/Wachovia, 20,000 Bank of America, 13,960 Walmart Stores, 13,192 Presbyterian Regional Healthcare, 9,000 Delhaize America Inc./ Food Lion, 8,658 Duke Energy, 7,757 US Airways, 5,955 Lowes Cos., 5,900 Ruddick Corp./Harris Teeter, 4,700
Major Industry Sectors (by percentage of total employment)
Construction, 8.1% Manufacturing, 14.5% Transportation & Utilities, 5.3% Information, 2.3% Wholesale Trade, 4.4%
Housing Market Average Home Price (four-bedroom, two bath) $242,000 Average Apt. Rental, $614
Cost of Living Comparison U.S. Average = 100
Charlotte, 93.5 Atlanta, 96.2 Boston, 131.1 Chicago, 118.3 New York, 218.0 Raleigh, 98.4 San Francisco, 162.1 Source: ACCRA Cost of Living Index 2010, Q1
Retail Trade, 11.2% Finance, Insurance & Real Estate, 8.9% Services 41.5%
Charlotte USA Transportation
Public Administration, 3.1%
Airport
Per Capita Income (2010) 2010, $27,237 2000, $21,939 % Change: +24.1
Median Household Income 2010, $56,501 2000, $43,301 % Change: +30.5
Educational Attainment
Government
Less than High School, 14%
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, 19,485 North Carolina, 7,479 City of Charlotte, 5,896 U.S. Postal Service, 5,400 Union County Public Schools, 4,744 Mecklenburg County, 4,700
High School Graduate, 29% Some college, 20% Associates degree, 9% Bachelor’s degree, 18% Master’s degree, 8% *Refers to highest level of education completed in total population, age 25+.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport www.charlotteairport.com The region is also served by 16 municipal or private airports.
Highways Charlotte is at the crossroads of I-77, which connects Cleveland to Columbia S.C., and I-85, which connects Montgomery, Ala., to Richmond, Va. I-40, which connects Knoxville, Tenn., to Wilmington, N.C., is in the northern section of the region.
Railroad Norfolk Southern and CSX serve 46,000 miles of track stretching over 20 states. L&C railway is based in Lancaster, S.C., and connects to the national rail network through both CSX and Norfolk Southern.
Water Deep-water ports in Charleston, S.C., Savannah, Ga., and Wilmington and Morehead City Source: www.charlotteusa.com
Labor Force (2010) Total labor force, 1,306,768 Employed, 1,131,661 Unemployed 175,107 Unemployment rate, 13.4%
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What’s Online For more in-depth demographic, statistical and community information on Charlotte USA, go to charlotteusaeconomicdevelopment.com and click on Demographics.
Lancaster SC Works. LANCASTER COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA
Our location within the Charlotte region makes Lancaster County a premier location for your business. Lancaster County has three distinct markets. Northern Lancaster County with its more urban setting is part of the Charlotte Metropolitan Area and is home to several headquarters and back-office operations, including Continental Tire’s North American headquarters. Central Lancaster County, highlighting the City of Lancaster, offers a vibrant city and a high quality of life providing its citizens opportunities with companies such as Proctor & Gamble – Duracell and Metso Power. Southern Lancaster County has a rural setting with the beautiful small towns of Heath Springs and Kershaw and large parcels of undeveloped property. ADM, Davis Neon Signs and Thomas & Betts make their home in Southern Lancaster County. Low-cost industrial parks and competitive incentive packages make Lancaster County the right choice for your next company relocation or expansion. In short, Lancaster SC Works! Lancaster County Economic Development Corporation 210 W. Gay St., P.O. Box 973 Lancaster, SC 29721 Toll-free: (866) 223-2281 www.lancasterscworks.com