IN THE NEWS
Duke Energy to Help Prepare Nash County, N.C., Location for Potential Industrial Development
CGP and Nash County are collaborating with Duke Energy to study the site readiness of the Middlesex Corporate Centre. Duke Energy’s Site Readiness Program will aid in the development of the site for industrial development. Read the details here...
Steel Building Manufacturer to Create 29 Jobs in Edgecombe County. Read the details here...
Kingsboro Industrial Sites Receive CSX Select Site Designation. Read the details here...
Wire and Cable Manufacturer to add 67 jobs in Nash County. Read the details here...
EastCoast Packaging to bring jobs to Middlesex NC. Read the details here...
Pharmaceutical Manufacturer to Create 200 Jobs in Nash County. State Grant Helps Hospira Modernize, Expand Capabilities in Rocky Mount. Read the details here...
NC Eastern Region Cluster Analysis
In addition to updating data from 2005, this new report assesses the recent performance of the region's key economic clusters and offers insights on the implications for economic development. Read the details here...
UNC EASTERN N.C. J0B‐CREATION INITIATIVE YIELDS RESULTS
A new job‐creation initiative developed by a team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is yielding results for two eastern North Carolina counties six months after its launch. Read the details here...
Superior Essex Energy. Gov. Perdue Announces 116 Jobs with Superior Essex Energy LLC. Read the details here...
FCA to Begin Operations Creating 40 Jobs in Edgecombe County. Read the details here...
Ossid. State Grant Helps Food Packaging Company to Stay in Edgecombe County. Read the details here...
New Standard Corporation to Add 30 Jobs. Read the details here...
Keihin Carolina System Technology Announces Expansion in Edgecombe County. Read the details here...
QVC, Inc. to Add 200 New Jobs in Edgecombe County. Read the details here...
Sara Lee Bakery announces plans to expand their operations in Edgecombe County. Read the details here...
MORE NEW INDUSTRY SUCCESS STORIES:
MORE RETENTION AND EXPANSION SUCCESS STORIES:
Chief Executive Magazine Ranks North Carolina No. 2 Best State for Business - Praised for Workforce, Quality of Life
For the second consecutive year, North Carolina was ranked No. 2 on Chief Executive Magazine’s list of best states for business. North Carolina received five stars for living environment and four stars each for workforce quality and taxation and regulations in the rankings compiled from surveys of 550 CEOs from across the country. The CEOs considered the factors most critical to an environment where business can thrive.
"These CEOs recognize that North Carolina has what their business needs,” said Gov. Bev Perdue. “Our transition from industries like furniture, textiles and tobacco to knowledge-based jobs in banking, high-tech and pharmaceuticals is possible because our workers are well-educated and well-trained. There is no doubt that if we continue to make education a priority, we will continue to lead the south - and the country - out of this recession." (5/16/2011)
Rocky Mount Named "Small Market of the Year"
Rocky Mount (MSA) has taken the top honor in this year's SB&D 100 for small markets. Annually Southern Business & Development magazine judges a region's attractiveness to industry by identifying companies making significant financial commitments in a particular region. SB&D 100 rankings are publicized annually in their spring issue and report on the previous year's deals. In 2010, Rocky Mount (MSA) beat out several similarly sized communities earning a total of 25 points for commitments in 2010. SB&D noted the following deals from 2010:
Jobs Investment Cummin's RMEP 210 N/A Jade Apparel 250 $2 Million West Corp. 250 N/A
The criteria used in the SB&D 100 ranking are to assess points based on the number of jobs and the investment amount in public commitments that meet minimum thresholds. SB&D 100's minimum threshold is either 200 jobs and/or $30 million in investment. Five points are earned for creating 200 to 374 jobs and ten points for job creation above 375. Similarly, five points are earned for investments of $30 million to $101.99 million and ten points for all investments above $102 million. (2011)
North Carolina Ranked 4th in CNBC’s Top States for Business
"Arguably the most improved of the top five states"
Gov. Bev Perdue announced CNBC has declared North Carolina as most improved among the top five states for doing business, elevating the state from 9th to 4th in its annual survey, "America's Top States for Business."
"This shows that the hard work of the past year has paid off – our investments in education to build the workforce of tomorrow, policies that create a more business-friendly climate and our aggressive recruiting," said Gov. Bev Perdue. "When I took office, I pledged to take any meeting and make any call to bring jobs to this state. There's nothing I love more than convincing a corporate executive of what a great place this is to live and work."
The ranking is the highest North Carolina has achieved in the four years of the survey. In 2008 and 2007, North Carolina ranked 6th and 5th, respectively. In its rankings, CNBC scored the states on more than 40 measures of competitiveness based on the cost of doing business, workforce, quality of life, economy, transportation and infrastructure, technology and innovation, education, business friendliness, access to capital and cost of living. (7/13/2010)
North Carolina Named Nation's "Top Business Climate" for 9th Year in a Decade
Gov. Bev Perdue announced that North Carolina remains the state with the “Top Business Climate,” according to Site Selection magazine. It is the sixth year in a row and the ninth time in 10 years that the state has taken the top honor in the annual ranking by Site Selection, one of the nation’s premier economic development magazines.
As part of the ranking, the magazine surveys corporate executives that help businesses select new locations. This year, those executives ranked the Tar Heel state as the top for ease of doing business. "All states face economic and budgetary challenges these days, but this ranking reminds us that there are significant success stories, too," says Site Selection Editor in Chief Mark Arend. "North Carolina's first-place finish underscores its success across a wide spectrum of industries, from aerospace to life sciences to energy. We commend the governor and her economic development team for their focus on making and keeping their state business-friendly."
"There's nothing I love more than convincing a corporate executive of what a great place this is to do business," said Gov. Bev Perdue. "This shows that the hard work of the past two years continues to pay off – our investments in education to build the workforce of tomorrow, policies that create a more business-friendly climate and our aggressive recruiting. I intend for us to remain as competitive and innovative as any state — both nationally and internationally."
Site Selection magazine’s annual "Top Business Climate" rankings are based on quantitative and qualitative factors that corporate site-seekers – those who help companies expand or relocate – say they consider most important. Fifty percent of the ranking comes from a survey of corporate site selection executives who were asked to rank their top 10 states, and 50 percent is based on four measures of new plant activity as tracked by Site Selection in its "New Plant Database." The magazine describes the ranking process as "a blend of objective, actual new or expansion project announcements, and subjective input from corporate site seekers."
The article about North Carolina’s No. 1 ranking can be found at: www.siteselection.com. (11/1/2010)
Nash County Railroad is expanding serivces to provide area businesses with the opportunity to benefit from rail without being directly located on the railroad.
Recently purchased land in Nashville, NC will be available for transloading goods from truck to rail cars to be shipped around the country.
Transloading is a term used to describe transferring a load from one mode of transportation to another. Transloading may include trucks, cargo planes, railroads, or barges to reduce costs and increase productivity. Many different types of goods can be transloaded including liqids, wood products, consumer goods, food products, metals, etc. Transloading is cost effective because it does not require the customer to purchase a warehouse or land. In some cases, specialized equipment is needed to handle the loading and unloading but this portion can be outsourced to a third party which lowers the customers up front costs to transload.
Edgecombe and Nash County Schools Receive Bronze Medals for Achievement in Education.
Less than 1,600 high schools topped the U.S. News & World Report's list as the best in the nation. The Twin County area had two schools on that list. Northern Nash High School and North Edgecombe High School each received bronze awards, placing them in a select class of schools that the U.S. News & World Report stated was providing good education across the student body.
More than 18,000 public schools were analyzed for the first-ever America's Best High Schools list. The schools receiving bronze awards were judged on state reading and math test scores and the school's percentage of economically disadvantaged students to determine which schools performed better than their statistical expectations. Only 34 schools in North Carolina were tapped by the magazine famously known for its college rankings.
The Gateway Technology Center Officially Opens
Local and state officials, educators and business people gathered on May 25, 2006 for the grand opening ceremonies of the Gateway Technology Center, a state-of-the-art facility located on the campus of North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, NC. The opening was the culmination of a long process that partnered individuals involved in business, education, industry, and government to provide a facility that would offer advanced engineering, life sciences and business courses, and that would also serve as a distance education model for other North Carolina communities far from major research universities offering advanced degree and engineering programs. The overall goal was to develop a strong university and industry relationship to further economic prosperity in Eastern North Carolina by retraining and significantly improving the technical skill sets of existing and future workforces to meet the needs of the global economy.
Former North Carolina Wesleyan College President, Dr. Ian Newbould, said "This is a great day for Rocky Mount, Nash and Edgecombe Counties, and the entire region. It is a remarkable example of a partnership between the City of Rocky Mount, area leaders, and support from the state legislature, the federal government, North Carolina State University and East Carolina University. This Center will provide educational opportunities and economic aspirations in Eastern North Carolina. It will serve students from Wesleyan, NC State, East Carolina University, and employers of the region. We look forward to a continued fruitful relationship among the institutions."
East Carolina Chancellor Dr. Steve Ballard said projects like the Gateway Technology Center make a difference in North Carolina. "Great projects happen with great partnerships. In the east, we must be good partners as we transition the economy. East Carolina University is committed to workforce and economic development. Today's students face a daunting workplace and a daunting economy. We have an absolute obligation to prepare them so they will stay here and access good jobs." Chancellor Ballard said, "There will be challenges, but the university is ready to be the best partner it can be."
North Carolina State Chancellor Dr. James Oblinger said, "The Center is tied to partnership. That's what this is all about. Relationships have brought us to this day. It hasn't been easy. Today is a new dawning for Eastern North Carolina and its residents." Chancellor Oblinger said the Center will provide innovative, powerful learning opportunities for people. "We are more globally aware as a nation," he said. "The new educational opportunities here will be available to our citizens anytime, anywhere. The Center will make a real difference as it relates to people's lives and economic opportunities."
Carolinas Gateway Partnership President, John Gessaman, recognized and thanked the many people and organizations that contributed to the Center's development and success. He said, "We are here because of an historic partnership in the region. We will bring our region into the 21st century, and I would call this center the gateway to 21st century education."
The funding partners include The DeLeon Carter Foundation, the City of Rocky Mount, the e-NC Authority, the Golden LEAF, Inc., Honeywell, the Allan C. and Margaret L. Mims Charitable Foundation, Nash County, Nash Health Care Systems, the State of North Carolina, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and Mr. Thomas A. Betts, Jr. for whom the Center was officially named. In making the naming presentation - The Gateway Technology Center Thomas A. Betts, Jr. Education Building, Dr. Newbould recognized Mr. Betts for his significant contribution to making the Center a reality by saying, "He is the person who tirelessly encouraged through his vision what this Center could be. Without his efforts, this project would not have come to fruition."