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Carolina Core: ‘A win for all’ (1,717 new jobs in Central North Carolina)
The Courier-Tribune ^ | September 1, 2018 | Annette Jordan

Posted on 09/04/2018 4:47:27 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

ASHEBORO — Central North Carolina has witnessed a burst of economic excitement in the past two weeks, with the announcement of more than 1,700 new jobs.

* Aug. 29: Publix’s intention to build a $300 million warehouse distribution center in Greensboro, hiring up to 1,000 people.

* Aug. 28: Defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton’s $5.2 million expansion in Fayetteville, hiring 208 workers with high-tech skills at an average salary of $61,000.

* Aug. 28: Automotive supplier Dowa Thermotech Co. Ltd.’s plans for a new $22.5 million plant in Sanford creating 109 new jobs.

* Aug. 16: FedEx’s announcement of a major expansion at Piedmont Triad International Airport with plans to hire 400 new employees.

In their announcements, the companies cited the area’s robust workforce, strategic location, vast transportation and logistics networks, readily available sites and excellent quality of life.

“We welcome these companies to the Carolina Core with open arms,” said Stan Kelly, president and CEO of the Piedmont Triad Partnership (PTP), a Greensboro-based leadership organization that brings together the business community and promotes economic development in 12 counties, including Randolph, as well as the metropolitan centers of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, Burlington and Asheboro.

“This is not just a win for Fayetteville, Greensboro or Sanford, but a win for the entire region and the state of North Carolina. In selecting the Carolina Core for their next big move or expansion, these companies recognize the globally competitive assets and unlimited opportunity of our region, including a workforce of one million strong and first-rate infrastructure to access the world.”

At its core

The Carolina Core that Kelly referenced is a new, unified branding effort that he and other economic development leaders hope will pay big dividends for this area.

It was unveiled Aug. 16 at the Wyndham Champions Breakfast in Greensboro. Kelly and his team have also been making the rounds to promote the idea. He was in Asheboro recently.

According to the PTP, the Carolina Core is “an emerging megasite corridor between Winston-Salem and Fayetteville at the heart of North Carolina bridging the urban corridor with Charlotte and the Research Triangle. The region is home to four prime megasites with unmatched access to the East Coast, plus industrial sites, urban research parks and mixed-use developments.”

The area boasts:

* Four megasites, totaling 7,200 acres — the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite near Liberty; the PTI Aerospace Center at the Piedmont Triad International Airport; the Chatham-Siler City Advance Manufacturing Site; and the Moncure Megasite near the Research Triangle Region.

* A skilled workforce with more than one million highly-trained and educated workers.

* Robust transportation infrastructure (four interstate highways, I-73, I-74, I-40, I-85; three international airports within a 60-mile radius, in Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham and Greensboro; and ground and rail connectivity to four seaports).

* More than $100 million of private funds already invested in this strategy.

* More than 30 colleges and universities.

* Being part of a state ranked No. 1 for business climate by CNBC and Forbes, Site Selection and Chief Executive magazines.

‘A win for all’

“At the highest level,” Kelly explained about the new strategy, “this is all about creating 50,000 jobs over the next 20 years.”

The idea is that working together will accomplish more than individual efforts.

“Competing states are continuing to get more and more ready for the next big opportunities and we must do the same. To win, we must all come together to tell our story and recognize that a win for one is a win for all …

“We believe if Randolph wins something, that’s good for Chatham. If Greensboro wins something that’s good for Winston-Salem. It creates a ripple effect along the corridor,” he added, with suppliers setting up to feed a major industry and workers being recruited from surrounding counties. “That doesn’t mean there isn’t healthy competition (between the separate economic groups). Healthy competition is good, but it’s not an either/or, but an and/but. We’re working to make sure the playing field is attractive to a prospect.”

Walter Sprouse, president of the Randolph County Economic Development Corp., said packaging the Triad as a whole attracts a wider range of industries; it complements marketing efforts. He’s seen that on recent recruiting trips to Chicago and Dallas.

Answering critics

To some critics, the Triad’s four megasites are expensive “fields of dreams” — a waste of money and resources, a gamble that will never pay off. The very fact that there are so many is a negative — they cancel each other out.

In contrast, Sprouse sees their very diversity as a reason why they will someday successfully attract a major industry, even if it takes awhile. The megasite in Alabama that eventually landed the Toyota-Mazda plant was dormant for a decade.

“When we talk megasites, they have their very unique characteristics,” Sprouse said. “What goes into Chatham is not what would go in Randolph. What is going in Randolph is not what would go in Moncure.”

How, critics may ask, does a major industry locating in another city help Randolph County?

One way, Kelly explained, is the sheer need for workers. Another is the trend of more workers commuting across county lines, “the sea change that’s happened in the last 10 years.” In Randolph, for example, 24,000 folks daily commute to work.

“A community can’t actually win a project if they just count on the workforce in their specific community,” Kelly said. “That prospect is going to say, ‘How many can be here in 45 minutes that we can potentially attract as employees?’ That’s what it means to Randolph County.”

Another way the ripple effect works is the “multiplier factor” a major industry creates — with suppliers to that industry popping up in surrounding counties (potentially According to the PTP, the Carolina Core is “an emerging megasite corridor between Winston-Salem and Fayetteville at the heart of North Carolina bridging the urban corridor with Charlotte and the Research Triangle. The region is home to four prime megasites with unmatched access to the East Coast, plus industrial sites, urban research parks and mixed-use developments.”

The area boasts:

* Four megasites, totaling 7,200 acres — the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite near Liberty; the PTI Aerospace Center at the Piedmont Triad International Airport; the Chatham-Siler City Advance Manufacturing Site; and the Moncure Megasite near the Research Triangle Region.

* A skilled workforce with more than one million highly-trained and educated workers.

* Robust transportation infrastructure (four interstate highways, I-73, I-74, I-40, I-85; three international airports within a 60-mile radius, in Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham and Greensboro; and ground and rail connectivity to four seaports).

* More than $100 million of private funds already invested in this strategy.

* More than 30 colleges and universities.

* Being part of a state ranked No. 1 for business climate by CNBC and Forbes, Site Selection and Chief Executive magazines.

‘A win for all’

“At the highest level,” Kelly explained about the new strategy, “this is all about creating 50,000 jobs over the next 20 years.”

The idea is that working together will accomplish more than individual efforts.

“Competing states are continuing to get more and more ready for the next big opportunities and we must do the same. To win, we must all come together to tell our story and recognize that a win for one is a win for all …

“We believe if Randolph wins something, that’s good for Chatham. If Greensboro wins something that’s good for Winston-Salem. It creates a ripple effect along the corridor,” he added, with suppliers setting up to feed a major industry and workers being recruited from surrounding counties. “That doesn’t mean there isn’t healthy competition (between the separate economic groups). Healthy competition is good, but it’s not an either/or, but an and/but. We’re working to make sure the playing field is attractive to a prospect.”

Walter Sprouse, president of the Randolph County Economic Development Corp., said packaging the Triad as a whole attracts a wider range of industries; it complements marketing efforts. He’s seen that on recent recruiting trips to Chicago and Dallas.

Answering critics

To some critics, the Triad’s four megasites are expensive “fields of dreams” — a waste of money and resources, a gamble that will never pay off. The very fact that there are so many is a negative — they cancel each other out.

In contrast, Sprouse sees their very diversity as a reason why they will someday successfully attract a major industry, even if it takes awhile. The megasite in Alabama that eventually landed the Toyota-Mazda plant was dormant for a decade.

“When we talk megasites, they have their very unique characteristics,” Sprouse said. “What goes into Chatham is not what would go in Randolph. What is going in Randolph is not what would go in Moncure.”

How, critics may ask, does a major industry locating in another city help Randolph County?

One way, Kelly explained, is the sheer need for workers. Another is the trend of more workers commuting across county lines, “the sea change that’s happened in the last 10 years.” In Randolph, for example, 24,000 folks daily commute to work.

“A community can’t actually win a project if they just count on the workforce in their specific community,” Kelly said. “That prospect is going to say, ‘How many can be here in 45 minutes that we can potentially attract as employees?’ That’s what it means to Randolph County.”

Another way the ripple effect works is the “multiplier factor” a major industry creates — with suppliers to that industry popping up in surrounding counties (potentially According to the PTP, the Carolina Core is “an emerging megasite corridor between Winston-Salem and Fayetteville at the heart of North Carolina bridging the urban corridor with Charlotte and the Research Triangle. The region is home to four prime megasites with unmatched access to the East Coast, plus industrial sites, urban research parks and mixed-use developments.”

The area boasts:

* Four megasites, totaling 7,200 acres — the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite near Liberty; the PTI Aerospace Center at the Piedmont Triad International Airport; the Chatham-Siler City Advance Manufacturing Site; and the Moncure Megasite near the Research Triangle Region.

* A skilled workforce with more than one million highly-trained and educated workers.

* Robust transportation infrastructure (four interstate highways, I-73, I-74, I-40, I-85; three international airports within a 60-mile radius, in Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham and Greensboro; and ground and rail connectivity to four seaports).

* More than $100 million of private funds already invested in this strategy.

* More than 30 colleges and universities.

* Being part of a state ranked No. 1 for business climate by CNBC and Forbes, Site Selection and Chief Executive magazines.

‘A win for all’

“At the highest level,” Kelly explained about the new strategy, “this is all about creating 50,000 jobs over the next 20 years.”

The idea is that working together will accomplish more than individual efforts.

“Competing states are continuing to get more and more ready for the next big opportunities and we must do the same. To win, we must all come together to tell our story and recognize that a win for one is a win for all …

“We believe if Randolph wins something, that’s good for Chatham. If Greensboro wins something that’s good for Winston-Salem. It creates a ripple effect along the corridor,” he added, with suppliers setting up to feed a major industry and workers being recruited from surrounding counties. “That doesn’t mean there isn’t healthy competition (between the separate economic groups). Healthy competition is good, but it’s not an either/or, but an and/but. We’re working to make sure the playing field is attractive to a prospect.”

Walter Sprouse, president of the Randolph County Economic Development Corp., said packaging the Triad as a whole attracts a wider range of industries; it complements marketing efforts. He’s seen that on recent recruiting trips to Chicago and Dallas.

Answering critics

To some critics, the Triad’s four megasites are expensive “fields of dreams” — a waste of money and resources, a gamble that will never pay off. The very fact that there are so many is a negative — they cancel each other out.

In contrast, Sprouse sees their very diversity as a reason why they will someday successfully attract a major industry, even if it takes awhile. The megasite in Alabama that eventually landed the Toyota-Mazda plant was dormant for a decade.

“When we talk megasites, they have their very unique characteristics,” Sprouse said. “What goes into Chatham is not what would go in Randolph. What is going in Randolph is not what would go in Moncure.”

How, critics may ask, does a major industry locating in another city help Randolph County?

One way, Kelly explained, is the sheer need for workers. Another is the trend of more workers commuting across county lines, “the sea change that’s happened in the last 10 years.” In Randolph, for example, 24,000 folks daily commute to work.

“A community can’t actually win a project if they just count on the workforce in their specific community,” Kelly said. “That prospect is going to say, ‘How many can be here in 45 minutes that we can potentially attract as employees?’ That’s what it means to Randolph County.”

Another way the ripple effect works is the “multiplier factor” a major industry creates — with suppliers to that industry popping up in surrounding counties (potentially filling a nearby megasite with ancillary companies) and creating even more jobs.

All the research that has gone into previous megasite recruiting efforts is sure to pay off as well, Sprouse said.

When Toyota-Mazda was looking for a site to build a joint automotive production plant, 250 locales were in the running. That narrowed to 125, then 80, 40, 20, 10, 5 — and then two, Alabama and the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite. Alabama eventually won the prize, but that doesn’t mean Greensboro-Randolph came out the loser, Sprouse said.

“When you have a company (like Toyota-Mazda) they are going to leave no stone unturned as far as the research they do. And they narrow it down so you are one of the top two sites … Now Alabama is gone. What do you think the best site in the United States is? It’s going to be us. That’s the message we send out all the time,” Sprouse said, adding such a message benefits the whole region because “we can translate that research.”

The megasites

* PTI Aerospace Center

Located at Piedmont Triad International Airport, the site has state-of-the-art facilities, 1,000 acres with runway access available, immediate highway access, available land ready for development and airport leadership focused on economic development.

* Greensboro-Randolph Megasite

Located just minutes from Interstates 40 and 85, in the heart of the region ranked third for manufacturing communities in the Southeast, this 1,900+ acre site is certified ready by KPMG and offers a combination of world-class workforce with a legacy of manufacturing excellence, a strategic location on the U.S. East Coast, in close proximity to three international airports, and outstanding transportation infrastructure. It was named one of the “Best Sites in North Carolina for Large Aerospace Assembly.”

* Chatham-Siler City Advance Manufacturing Site

The 1,800+ acre site, located in the heart of the Piedmont, is certified and shovel-ready. Less than 50 miles from two international airports and within a five-hour drive of four major East Coast ports, the site’s proximity to Greensboro and Raleigh – including the globally-renowned Research Triangle – puts metro amenities and services close at hand.

* Moncure Megasite

Located in the fast-growing Research Triangle Region, this 2,500+ acre property is within a 45-minute drive of the state capital, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, three Tier 1 research universities, numerous community college campuses and the nation’s largest military installation.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Local News; Society
KEYWORDS: hiring; jobs; northcarolina; winning

1 posted on 09/04/2018 4:47:27 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Bump for later reference.


2 posted on 09/04/2018 4:49:16 PM PDT by Freedom of Speech Wins
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I live here in Central NC. The area is growing like crazy.


3 posted on 09/04/2018 5:07:09 PM PDT by tired&retired (Blessings)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Crumbs</pelosi>


4 posted on 09/04/2018 5:09:05 PM PDT by MuttTheHoople (GOP- 65 House and 12 Senate seat pickups in November)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Publix in NC? Wow. They will clean up.

Choices now: Food Lion, Harri$-Teeter, and Walmart.
 

5 posted on 09/04/2018 5:24:21 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ("Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above.")
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To: tired&retired

My son just moved to Wallace, NC from Oregon. Found a job right away and interviewing for a better one now.


6 posted on 09/04/2018 6:15:24 PM PDT by chief lee runamok (mongrel at large)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

Kroger was here...just sold out.

COSTCO is the best


7 posted on 09/04/2018 7:09:55 PM PDT by tired&retired (Blessings)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

I’ve driven through Dinwiddie many times on Rt 85


8 posted on 09/04/2018 7:11:18 PM PDT by tired&retired (Blessings)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

Publix Super Markets Inc. plans to construct a refrigerated distribution center
in Greensboro, N.C., by the end of 2022.

Announced this week by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, the facility will supply
grocery products to Publix stores in the Carolinas and Virginia and be the
Lakeland, Fla.-based chain’s 10th DC and first in North Carolina.

Publix operates 58 stores in South Carolina, 38 stores in North Carolina and
10 stores in Virginia.

https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/publix-build-new-distribution-center-nc


9 posted on 09/04/2018 9:02:50 PM PDT by deport
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To: tired&retired
We live in "Hog Town". Moved here from the coast. Finding a house was "challenging" as anything that was even slightly squared away sold within hours of posting. We hadta jump on this house soon as it showed up with a full price offer.

Luckily, I'm still thinkin we came out on it. Or at least we didn't take a beating. Hehehe. d;^)

10 posted on 09/05/2018 4:16:44 AM PDT by CopperTop (Outside the wire it's just us chickens. Dig?)
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To: CopperTop

I stole my house at below 50% of tax appraised value in the 2010/2011 crunch.

My daughter just purchased a home and it was a bidding war. Most homes now appear to be selling in a few days on the market at greater than listing price.

New housing developments are going up in mass production with all homes being built simultaneously.


11 posted on 09/05/2018 6:00:03 AM PDT by tired&retired (Blessings)
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To: tired&retired
Congrats on the house deal! We've done pretty well on our last few.

My inlaws are looking at a place near Salisbury in one of those recently built "Over 55" planned communities or whatever ya call'em. They're moving here from Cape Cod. Luckily, they vote conservative and are decent folk. d:^)

12 posted on 09/06/2018 5:29:11 AM PDT by CopperTop (Outside the wire it's just us chickens. Dig?)
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