Business Facilities - February 2009 - (Page 35)

North Carolina’s commitment to developing its biotechnology hub was apparent at the 2008 BIO International Convention in San Diego. The state displayed a new, re-branded 1,600-square-foot North Carolina Pavilion in the San Diego Convention Center. ture in North Carolina,” Hamilton says. “That’s because of the assets that we have in the mountains, the beach, the Sandhills area, so we have always looked at that in our recruitment efforts.” (Continued from page 33) PHOTO CREDIT: NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE “The pioneering model of a non-profit real estate entity serving the county’s product development and job growth interests offers a valuable case study that other rural communities might replicate,’’ says Leon Martin, chairman of Bladen’s Bloomin’ Agri-Industrial. Founded in 2002, Bladen’s Bloomin’ was created as a way to raise private funds and philanthropic grants to boost the county’s inventory of quality industrial space. A panel of national experts reviewed nominations for the award in May, whittling nominations to a short list of four finalists that included Bladen’s Bloomin’ Agri-Industrial, as well as programs in Hawaii, Virginia and Pennsylvania. As the national recession takes its toll across the country, North Carolina is seeing a slow-down in economic growth, but officials are optimistic about the future, particularly with campaigns such as Edge4— Growing Great, a public-private partnership designed to create 50,000 jobs in Raleigh, Wake County and the Research Triangle region by 2015. The goal is to raise $12 million for attracting new businesses, industry retention and talent recruitment. Some of the money will go to the Research Triangle Regional Partnership to boost competitiveness in the 13-county Triangle region. Neal says the state’s research parks are uniting and working together to succeed in the global economy. She points to the 350-acre North Carolina Research Campus being developed in Kannapolis with the support of seven universities as evidence of how well the state is faring, relative to others. This success, she says, comes after eight years of diversifying the state’s economy, moving away from the traditional manufacturing industries to more knowledge-based areas. Hamilton agrees the state is uniquely positioned to move forward, and he is excited to see Perdue’s focus on economic development. “I think the good news for North Carolina is that we continue to see project activity across the state, maybe not in the manner that we saw in ’06 and most of ’07, but it’s still there,” Hamilton says. “We have a governor that’s engaged in seeing what she can do to [bring] those projects into North Carolina.” When it comes to incentives, Hamilton feels the state needs the right tools to compete for business. “Every program can always be fine-tuned to make adjustments. Any program should create quality jobs for the citizens of the state. If they’re not doing that, then we need to look at them.” Three Great Places To Park On I-40. WestPark, AirPark and SouthPark. Companies that are going places choose WestPark, AirPark and SouthPark just off I-40 in Duplin County, North Carolina. These industrial parks offer over 1200 acres halfway between the deep water port of Wilmington and the Research Triangle Park metro area. The cost of doing business is lower than average here. Our people want to work, and they’re good at what they do. So give us a call today. Fast track companies like yours are ﬁnding Duplin County, North Carolina the perfect place to park. DUPLIN COUNTY Economic Development Commission Contact: Cynthia Potter P.O. Box 929 • Kenansville, North Carolina 28349 910-296-2180 • 800-755-1755 Fax: 910-296 -2184 • Email: info@duplinedc.com #1415 at www.BusinessFacilities.com BUSINESS FACILITIES 35 http://www.BusinessFacilities.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Business Facilities - February 2009

Business Facilities - February 2009 Contents First Word Snapshots Corporate Moves: Ohio Governor's Report Growth Magnets Industry Focus: Automotive International Report: Luxembourg Corporate Moves: Tennessee Cream of the Crop in North Carolina Advertiser Index Ask the Expert

Business Facilities - February 2009

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