Issue link: http://businessnc.epubxp.com/i/611454
16 North Carolina Economic Development Guide corporate or personal income tax and has four of the 25 fastest-growing cities in the U.S. Yet they still have one of the largest war chests for inducing companies such as Apple and Toyota. As attractive as the underlying story, Texas feels they need to use incentives. What is the partnership's purpose? The partnership is mainly a sales and marketing group that works to get companies interested in North Carolina. When it comes to incentives, we will work with the N.C. Commerce Department and suggest what we think is necessary. But Commerce makes that fi nal decision. Will the new partnership diminish local economic-development groups? In 17 years in this business, I've learned that it's a team sport. No single group can take all of the credit. There's a constellation of partners coming together when we all cut a ribbon for a plant opening. But there are roles for the state, cities, counties and the private sector. Are companies that invest in the partnership favored over others? I would hope that is not the expectation. Our model in Missouri was very similar, though on a smaller scale, because we focused exclusively on new industry and marketing the state. We had a wide variety of chambers and companies investing in our operation, and none had an expectation of favorable treatment. Christopher Chung. Photo courtesy of Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina Inc.