Greater Raleigh Chamber Blog

The $2 billion Connect NC bond will provide much-needed funds for education, agriculture, recreation, public safety, and water and sewer—without raising taxes.
 
On Tuesday, Gov. Pat McCrory, Speaker of the House Tim Moore, and Senate Leader Dan Blue Jr. gathered with local education and business leaders to kick off the Connect NC Bond Campaign.
 
North Carolina is the ninth most populated state in the U.S. Since 2000—the last time the state held a bond referendum—North Carolina has grown by more than 2 million people. McCrory emphasized the need to prepare for the future.
 
“Do we prepare for the future or do we want the leaders of the future to have to react for what we didn’t do?” he asked the room of more than 500 people.
 
On the March 15 ballot, voters will have the opportunity to support the $2 billion bond that received bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. The bond language allows the state to pay for 50-year assets with 20-year financing, and it does not require any tax increases for residents.
 
The Chamber fully supports the Connect NC bond and urges residents to learn more and vote “yes” in March.
 
The Connect NC website breaks down how the $2 billion bond would be divided:
 
Education: $1 Billion
Despite the state’s extraordinary higher education system, a skills gap truly exists. In 2020, there will be 4.2 million new jobs in computing and IT in the United States. To mitigate future workforce shortages, it’s critical that we ensure our universities and community colleges have the capacity to attain the degrees and skills these jobs require.
 
With major investments in local community colleges and universities across North Carolina, the Connect NC bond will help produce a highly-skilled workforce for today’s—and tomorrow’s—competitive and technological world. It provides state-of-the-art science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) facilities on campuses across North Carolina.
 
Ann Goodnight with SAS said the bond demonstrates a commitment to improving our education system, thereby attracting talent and business to the state and allowing us to compete successfully in a global economy.
 
Find out more about the investment in our universities and community colleges here.
 
Agriculture and Family Farms: $179 Million
Agriculture is North Carolina’s largest economic driver at $76 billion dollars annually, employing more than 16 percent of our state. The Connect NC investment keeps agribusiness and family farms growing. These investments include $85 million for the NC State Plant Sciences Initiative at NC State University and $94 million for a new collocated laboratory facility for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
 
Learn more about specific projects here.
 
State Parks and Zoo: $75 Million
The bond provides $75 million to build new state park facilities, hiking trails, and campgrounds, as well support environmental education. It includes funds for major expansions and renovations at the North Carolina Zoo, needed maintenance of North Carolina State Parks, and completion of the 1000-mile Mountains-to-Sea State Trail.
 
See which parks will benefit from the bond here.

National Guard and Public Safety: $70 million
The North Carolina National Guard is the state’s first defense and saving grace in times of natural disasters and state emergencies. The bond provides $70 million designated for building regional training centers across North Carolina that will help to keep us safe and bolster our state’s National Guard.
 
Water and Sewer: $300 Million
More than $300 million will go to North Carolina municipalities to modernize water and sewer systems. This will help them ensure water quality, economic competitiveness, quality of life, and preparation for the future.
 
Explore the details here.

View a livestream of the kickoff event here thanks to WRAL. Get a detailed breakdown of where the funds will go and how you can show your support on the official Connect NC website.
 
Make sure North Carolina is prepared for the future. Vote “yes” for Connect NC on March 15.

The Chamber Board of Directors and staff wish you a prosperous 2016. We are excited to collaborate with you to grow our economy and build our community.  

Find out what's coming up at the Chamber here. We hope to see you soon.

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Seven companies announced relocations or expansions during the month of November, according to the most recent report from Wake County Economic Development. That brings the total number of announcements between January and November 2015 to 88. Those companies will bring 2,829 jobs and $445 million dollars.

Here's a rundown of the November news:

Carvana | Raleigh | Software/IT | New  
Technology firm Carvana wants to change the way you buy cars in Raleigh—aiming to eliminate the middleman, aka the dealership, completely. Carvana, which calls itself “the first complete online auto retailer,” bringing free, next-day delivery of automobiles to Raleigh residents, is already available in five other markets, including Charlotte, Atlanta, and Austin. Today, four people work out of the Raleigh location. Within the next two years, the company hopes to increase the local team to 25 and to move into a new local headquarters campus. The Raleigh launch means that residents within a 100-mile radius of the city can log onto the Carvana website and purchase a vehicle entirely online. That includes financing vehicles, purchasing, and trading in cars.

Cisco Systems, Inc. | Research Triangle Park | Software/IT | Expanding
Cisco continues to grow. With 4,800 employees, the site in RTP is one of three “mega-sites” around the world. The company has had steady growth and will continue to hire.

FilterEasy | Raleigh | Start-Up | Expanding
FilterEasy, the company that ships air filters to homes as a subscription service, is growing and hiring for a variety of positions, including project manager, senior accountant, and graphic designer.  

IMLeagues | Raleigh | Start-Up | Expanding
With 95 percent of all intramural programs and hundreds of fitness centers and clubs using its platform, this Raleigh startup led by a pair of brothers is in need of a product designer and software engineer to continue its development and growth.

K4Connect | Raleigh | Start-Up | Expanding
With nearly $2 million in new funding and a large contract with a Pennsylvania chain of senior living communities, K4Connect is building up a team to bring to market its technology that connects devices, systems, and applications in one mobile app to give seniors and people with disabilities more control over their homes and lives.

Merz North America | Raleigh | Biotech/Pharma | Expanding
Merz North America, which recently moved the company's North American operation from Greensboro to Raleigh, has 278 employees. Despite the fact that Merz's current campus can house 330, the company wants to acquire more space in the Triangle. Last year, growth was at 32 percent. This year, the company expects to grow by 19 percent.

Workplace Options | Raleigh | Insurance | Expanding
Dean Debnam, CEO of Raleigh-based Workplace Options, has acquired two more office buildings at the Highwoods Office Park in north Raleigh adding nearly 80,000 square feet of office space. It's anticipated that the company will need to hire up to 70 people. Workplace Options currently employs about 400 people in Raleigh, plus another 300 people at its offices across the U.S. and around the globe.

The Wake County Economic Development Recap is produced monthly. The next edition will hit in mid-January. Make sure you stay up to date on all the latest news and more by subscribing here.