In Beaufort County, N.C. Department of Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco shows off the latest article on North Carolina's No. 1 ranking from Site Selection magazine

North Carolina named America's 'Top Business Climate'

Governor Bev Perdue announced on Nov. 1 that North Carolina ranked as the nation's "Top Business Climate," according to Site Selection magazine. It is the tenth time in the last 12 years the state has taken the top honor in the annual ranking by Site Selection, one of the nation's premier economic development magazines.

"North Carolina is a great place to do business and a place where companies and their employees can thrive," said Perdue. "We have a long history of making critical investments in education and customized training programs to build the workforce of tomorrow. We have a low cost of doing business, we encourage innovation. [N.C. Department of Commerce] Secretary [Keith] Crisco and I and our regional, county and city partners have been very aggressive on recruiting companies to North Carolina and growing North Carolina's home grown small businesses."

Over the past year, executives from some of the world's most respected corporations that chose to locate or expand in North Carolina identified the state's wealth of talented and skilled labor, the outstanding custom training programs, a solid transportation infrastructure, the low cost of doing business and a high quality of life as competitive advantages found in North Carolina. Read more.

Environmental consulting firm to expand in Cleveland County

Governor Bev Perdue on Nov. 2 announced that Steag Energy Services, a provider of environmental consulting and manufacturing services, will expand its operations in Cleveland County. The company plans to create 29 jobs and invest $6 million dollars over three years in Kings Mountain. The project was made possible in part by a $50,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund. The N.C. Department of Commerce's Uconda Dunn was the developer on this project.

Steag Energy Services, which is part of the STEAG group, provides cost-effective engineering and consulting services that enable some of the nation's largest energy producers to meet environmental regulations. The company specializes in selective catalytic reduction installations, flue-gas desulfurization systems and ammonia injection technology. Steag Energy Services currently employs more than 50 employees at its facility in Kings Mountain.

Through the use of the One North Carolina Fund, more than 60,000 jobs and $11 billion in investments have been created since 2001. Other partners that helped with this project include: N.C. Community Colleges, Cleveland County, City of Kings Mountain and the Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership. Read more.

Participants in the Main Street Basic Training class in Clayton

Main Street Basic Training held in Clayton

The staff of the N.C. Department of Commerce's Office of Urban Development conducted a three-day Main Street Basic Training class Oct. 24-26 in Clayton. Thirty-eight Main Street managers, board members, volunteers and town government staff from across the state came together to participate in Basic Training. Participants traveled from as far west as Highlands and as far east as Richlands. The classroom-style training was held at the Clayton Law Enforcement Training Room with in-depth instruction about Main Street's Four-Point Approach of downtown revitalization: organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring. Visit the N.C. Main Street website for more information about the Four-Point Approach.

CLT among top growth markets for international travelers

The Brookings Institution has listed Charlotte among the fastest-growing major markets for international travelers, according to the Washington, D.C.-based organization's recent "Global Gateways: International Aviation in Metropolitan America" report. International air travel was up 66.4 percent last year from 2003, with 1.1 million airline passengers traveling between Charlotte and international destinations, up from 632,359. Of the total international travelers passing through Charlotte Douglas International Airport, 44.8 percent were coming from or headed to Latin America or the Caribbean, the largest share by far. The next most common destinations or origins were Western Europe (27.6 percent) and other places in North America (12 percent).

Charlotte among top growth markets for international travelers (Charlotte Business Journal, Oct. 29)

Deck of the Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington

Battleship sees record year, sets large economic footprint

Last month the Battleship North Carolina reported its highest annual attendance in 10 years. From Oct. 1, 2011 to Sept. 30, 2012, 216,438 visitors paid to tour the World War II battleship, which is moored across from downtown Wilmington.

"That's an amazing number of visitors," said Capt. Terry Bragg, the ship's director. "We sort of build around the summer tourism season and go from there." The 2012 attendance record is the third best since 1995. That year, the battleship recorded its highest attendance ever, with 232,000 visitors coming aboard. Bragg said he attributes the recent increase in visitors to a strengthening of the ship's programs and educational opportunities, as well as an expanded marketing strategy. The boost in attendance comes just one year after the ship celebrated a half-century in Wilmington.

Bragg said that around 39 percent of the battleship's visitors came from out of state and just under 60 percent of visitors came from outside the "typical commuting area." "We're communicating a very large economic footprint," Bragg said. "We're very proud of our high attendance and success."

President and CEO of the Wilmington and Beaches CVB Kim Hufham said the battleship's high attendance is proof of an increase in tourism overall in Wilmington.

"The area is rebounding with tourism and the battleship is such an integral part of that," Hufham said. "It's our best known attraction. It's been here since the early 1960's and it just plays such an important part in our history. It's truly an attraction both the young and the old can enjoy. When our attractions do well, we all do well."

N.C. Department of Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco speaks at the 2012 Workforce Development Partnership Conference.

Governor announces awards for excellence in workforce development

Governor Bev Perdue on Nov. 1 announced the Governor's Awards for Excellence in Workforce Development that were awarded in Greensboro that day. A furniture company, tire manufacturer, trailblazing apprenticeship program, and four North Carolinians were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions in helping North Carolina achieve its workforce development goals.

"Our hard-working and talented citizens are the capstone of our economic development efforts and they are helping us on the road to economic recovery," said Perdue. "I congratulate these award recipients for their determination, innovation and commitment to helping make our employees the nation's best."

The N.C. Commission on Workforce Development recognized these outstanding individuals and businesses as part of the 2012 Workforce Development Partnership Conference held in Greensboro Oct. 31-Nov. 2. More than 800 professionals from across the state gathered for this 25th annual conference to network, share best practices and stay current on industry trends. The highlight of the event was the Thursday evening banquet and the presentation of the Governor's Awards. Read more.

N.C. Department of Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco (left)welcomes Beaufort County Economic Development Director Bob Heuts to his new position.

Crisco welcomes new Beaufort County ED director

On Nov. 1, N.C. Department of Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco spoke to the Beaufort County Committee of 100 in Washington, and welcomed the county's new economic development director, Bob Heuts, to his first day on the job.

The Beaufort County Committee of 100 is a nonprofit service organization that works to bring industry to the county and create more and better jobs for its citizens. The committee works with local municipalities, chambers of commerce, businesses, political leaders, departments of state, and many other people and organizations to help the Beaufort County Economic Development Commission in its mission.

Regional labor analysis points to opportunities for Southeastern N.C. workforce

Researchers at Regional Technology Strategies Inc. have finalized an exhaustive analysis of Southeastern North Carolina's workforce assets, issuing a 95-page report on how the 11-county region can better align its human resources with the anticipated manpower needs of employers there. The complete report, "Workforce Needs Analysis & Strategic Plan for North Carolina's Southeast Region, and an executive summary are available online.

"This is the most thorough and objective assessment ever done on our region's greatest economic asset: its people," says North Carolina's Southeast President Steve Yost. North Carolina's Southeast is the regional economic development partnership that sponsored the 18-month study. RTS researchers gathered voluminous data on the region and its 545,000-person workforce and sought face-to-face input from business executives, educators, economic developers, workforce service providers and local government leaders. Read more.

Year-to-date Metrics

Below are year-to-date metrics tracked by the N.C. Department of Commerce's Division of Business and Industry Development that illustrate some of the recent activities of the Division. The metrics include the number of new economic development projects assigned to B&I development staff; the number of economic development project announcements; the number of announced jobs created and capital invested; the number of interactions existing industry staff had with businesses throughout the state; and the number of contacts received by the Business Link North Carolina/Business ServiCenter.

N.C. in the News

This Week's Highlights

• Ecuador’s president visits research campus (Cabarrus News, Nov. 2)
• One year later: The Caterpillar plant in Winston-Salem (Business Journal of the Greater Triad, Nov. 2)
• Road show to reveal Research Triangle Park's future (Triangle Business Journal, Nov. 1)
• Honda starts making small jets in U.S., aims for 'Civic of the Sky' (Reuters, Oct. 31)
• Perdue emphasizes industry, education collaboration at aerospace roundtable (News 14 Carolina, Oct. 31)
• WSSU event to focus on doing business in India (Business Journal of the Greater Triad, Oct. 31)
• Fitzgerald Nursery to create 10 jobs (Morganton News Herald, Oct. 30)
• EDC: Lack of suitable buildings hurting growth (Independent Tribune - Concord and Kannapolis, Oct. 26)

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