North Carolina 2014 Economic Development Guide

2014

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Dan Lynch, president of the Greensboro Economic Development Alliance, has seen reshoring increase the past few years. Manufacturers — domestic and foreign — pay attention to where their competitors build factories. "Anytime you have a company like Lenovo invest in your community, it sends a strong message to others that central North Carolina is still a strong manufacturing center. Some people say we don't make things in the U.S. anymore, but we really do." The alliance uses targeted marketing efforts to share the region's benefits such as location with manufacturers. It is pursuing companies from five industries — aviation, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, specialized business services and supply chain and logistics — and generates leads by contracting with specialty-service providers. "They have proprietary software that can help us identify companies in these industries that are growing." Lenovo's operations in Whitsett comprise innovative manufacturing as well as supply chain and logistics. Those are all factors that foreign-based manufacturers consider when entering the U.S. market. "If you want to break into the world's largest consumer market, it helps to have a presence here." Lynch says 68% of the U.S. population is between Boston and Miami and east of the Mississippi River. "We are right in the middle of that corridor." Katie Brown managed a computerrepair store before she was laid off. She found a new job on Lenovo's production line, where she learns new skills and helps management improve the process. "They make us feel like we have a say-so. And it really is teamwork, because we depend on each other to synchronize our work together." The same could be said for Lenovo and its efforts to aid economic development in North Carolina. Company CEO Yang Yuanqing, who owns a home in the Triangle, is featured in a promotional video for the state. "We're not just here to do business," Looney says. "We're here to grow business and participate in the community." NC ECO NOMI C DE V ELOP MEN T GU IDE For over 50 years Southern Industrial Constructors has helped build the industrial base that fueled the growth across the Southeast. > Industrial Constructors > Plant Installations & Relocations > Plant Maintenance > Riggers & Machinery Movers > Industrial Piping Constructors > Electrical Constructors > Concrete Constructors > Steel Fabricators & Erectors > Crane Services 919.782.4600 www.southernindustrial.com Raleigh • Wilmington • Columbia The Statesville Region Building Success... Consistent Performer… Site Selection magazine's #1 Micropolitan for new and expanding industry seven of the past nine years. Home to more than 180 industrial operations, including plastics, transportation equipment, metal working, food & beverage and distribution. Where It All Comes Together… Direct access to two interstates; I-40 and I-77. 45 minutes from Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Outstanding regional airport featuring a 7,006 foot runway, New shell building at Statesville Business Park—62,825 square feet expandable to 187,825 square feet—available Spring 2014. E S VILL STATE U TRO N TMA Lake Norman Workforce Made to Order... Area labor force of over 80,000. More than 12,000 jobs in manufacturing. Customized training programs through Mitchell Community College. www.StatesvilleRegion.com LOTTE CHAR

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