US Airways - July 2012 - (Page 73)

By Gina Carroll howard marco Casol, president and Ceo of PreGel ameriCa, makers of gelato From CraCkers to Gelato region’s assets. Take the North Carolina Research Campus in Cabarrus County, where scientists at Dole Food Company’s Nutrition Research Laboratory are working with universities to identify substances in fruits and vegetables that will allow the company to make healthier products. In a nearby lab, General Mills is also partnering with academic researchers to improve the nutrition of its foods. For Marco Casol, president and CEO of PreGel AMERICA, relocating from Italy to Concord, North Carolina (only 22 miles outside Charlotte), just made sense. Carrying out his family’s centuries-old tradition of making gelato, Casol moved here to help open PreGel AMERICA, a subsidiary of another Italian family’s global specialty dessert ingredient company. “The Charlotte region presents a great test market for food and beverage companies,” Casol says. “Since it’s an emerging middle-market city, you can understand how food trends evolve outside of the major metropolitan areas. I believe Charlotte’s growth and aspirations mirror many food and beverage companies because, like Charlotte, we are always trying to evolve.” usairwaysmag.com You’ll find it all in Charlotte U.S.A.’s booming food and beverage industry. ★ Almost 100 years ago, a client left Philip Lance holding the bag — filled with 500 pounds of peanuts. Lance was smart enough to listen to his wife and daughter, who suggested making peanut-butter crackers. Today, at the company’s Charlotte, North Carolina, headquarters, more than 1,000 Snyder’s-Lance employees produce 40 million packages of sandwich crackers each week, as well as other products. Food and beverage companies choose the 16-county Charlotte region for the same reasons that the Queen City has become the nation’s second largest banking center, the new energy capital, and the motor sports mecca: talent, accessibility, business climate, and quality of life. More than 225 food-processing companies employ over 15,000 workers throughout the 16-county region. Headquarters range from S&D Coffee, which customizes its brew for McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts, to Chiquita, which relocated there this year. Other major employers include U.K.-based Compass Group USA, tortilla-maker R.W. Garcia, Kellogg’s, Perdue, and Tyson. Charlotte-based Snyder’s-lance snacks They all reach their customers through an interconnected network of interstates, ports, rail, and the nation’s sixth busiest airport, Charlotte Douglas International. This easy accessibility combined with a collaborative business climate and a skilled workforce are key reasons the companies flock to Charlotte. “Taken together, Charlotte is a great place for a headquarters,” says Dave Singer, Snyder’s-Lance CEO. “It’s easy to attract and retain people.” Innovation is yet another of the photos courtesy of charlotte regional partnership for more about charlotte, go to CharlotteuSa.Com. july 2012 73 http://www.CHARLOTTEUSA.COM http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - July 2012

US Airways - July 2012
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Best Beaches
Wine & Dine: Table to Farm
Adventure: Home-Court Advantage
Great Escapes: Mayan Adventure
Destination Fabulous
Gear Up: Activate!
London Calling
Room with a View
Chefs Tell: Water's Edge
Charlotte in 2012
Best of Health
Flying High in North Carolina
Charlotte U.S.A.: From Crackers to Gelato
University Spotlight: Grand Canyon University
Must Read: Better, Stronger, Faster
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace™
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - July 2012