Blog

By Michael Haley
Executive DIrector, Wake County Economic Development
Senior Vice President, Economic Development, Greater Raleigh Chamber




​Over the past two months North Carolina and Raleigh have been recognized as the best places for business by Forbes. The Raleigh metro was named the No. 2 Best Place for Business and Careers for 2017. A month later, Forbes ranked the State of North Carolina as the No. 1 Best State for Business in 2017. 
 
These prestigious rankings alone are enough to be proud of—and we certainly are! But I found something more important in these articles. Something that better relays what our community really is. Both of these articles noted—and “marveled at” might be a better description—the consistency of our economic performance. 
 
“The Tar Heel State is the only one to rank among the top five on Forbes’ Best States for Business for 12 straight years,” noted the article naming North Carolina No. 1. When Forbes ranked Raleigh as the No. 2 Best Place for Business and Careers, the article said the “Raleigh metro area has by far been the most consistent performer in our annual survey, finishing in the top three each of the past 15 years.”
 
Any of us living here over the past 15 years—or even if you are new to the region— would agree. This is one the strongest regional economies in the United States. But why? How can we better understand this prolonged, “consistent” excellence?
 
For me, these articles hone in on the same attributes that we focus on every day when describing our community to entrepreneurs, new companies that want to call Wake County home, or existing companies that want to expand: Talent; Innovation & Collaboration; Business Environment; and Quality of Place.    
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​Talent
With over 189,000 people enrolled in higher education in our region and over 53,000 graduates each year, this is one of the most educated communities in the U.S. That’s exactly what Forbes noted in both of its articles about North Carolina and Raleigh. The magazine describes the population as “a young, educated workforce” and says that we “boast one of the country’s most educated labor forces.” 
 
When describing why Raleigh was named the No. 2 Best Place for Business and Careers, Forbes points to our continued ability to attract high levels of in-migration. We’ve all heard that Wake County is growing by 67 people every day and 47 (70 percent) of those are people moving into our community.  That’s nearly 25,000 people a year. Here’s another interesting note about our growth. Did you know that the number of people who move to Wake County every day from another part of North Carolina is about the same as the number of people who move here from another country?
 
Innovation & Collaboration
It’s impossible to talk about our community without talking about higher education. North Carolina State University, UNC Chapel Hill, and Duke University are three of the most prestigious schools in the world—and they are less than 30 miles apart in the Research Triangle. Not only do we have three tier one universities within close proximity, we also have a surrounding higher education ecosystem that drives our region. Schools like Wake Tech Community College, William Peace University, Shaw University, Meredith College, St. Augustine’s University, North Carolina Central University, and Campbell University all contribute to this thriving market. 
 
Business Environment
Wake County is known as a leader in information technology, life sciences, cleantech, and advanced manufacturing. This past year we’ve  seen expansions at Credit Suisse, INC Research, Citrix, MetLife, and many other companies, as well as new companies coming into our market like Trilliant and Infosys. In fact, Forbes highlights Infosys’ decision to create 2,000 new jobs in Raleigh as one of the key points in the decision to name us the No. 2 Best Place for Business and Careers. 
 
Quality of Place
Of course a great place to work is nothing if it’s not a great place to live and explore. With over 160 miles of greenways, museums, state parks, 35 breweries and counting, and 85 music venues we’ve got something for everyone. 

Being named the No. 2 Best Place for Business and Careers and the No. 1 State for Business is amazing. And it’s not without much consideration that both articles recognize the longstanding strength, the sustained excellence, and consistency of performance of our community—that’s the real story. 

Find more information on recent area rankings here.

By Joe Milazzo II, PE
Executive Director
Regional Transportation Alliance




The Research Triangle region is actively engaged in the national competition to win Amazon's new "HQ2," as this new microsite demonstrates.

While no region in North America has a "lock" on winning an economic development opportunity of $5 billion and 50,000 jobs, in reality, Raleigh, Durham, and the entire Research Triangle region have been winning the competition for top jobs for decades.

This week's business news clips provide a great demonstration of our market’s success, and a clue or two as to why.

A Bloomberg article this week noted that Raleigh and Durham were both in the top 7 nationally in the Bloomberg "Brain Concentration Index." This index compares metro areas with at least 100,000 people, and assesses them on several factors, including: concentration of full-time STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) workforce, advanced degrees or science and engineering undergraduate degrees, and net business formation.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Census Bureau, focusing solely on the attainment of bachelor's degrees, noted that both Raleigh-Cary and Durham-Chapel Hill were in the top 5 nationally in college attainment. 

Why does our market consistently succeed? The reality is that our strengths continuously reinforce themselves: our educational prowess attracts both people with high degree attainment and jobs that require advanced education.

In addition, you get the best of all worlds here: East Coast location without eastern seaboard hassles, metropolitan amenities and 18-hour city convenience without large urban headaches.

From a mobility standpoint, our market has clearly, and uniquely, hit what I might call the “sweet spot of dispersal and agglomeration.” We are spread out enough to keep severe traffic at bay, but still close enough—​ and increasingly connected enough—for us to take advantage of our collective strengths.

Those strengths begin with our three tier one research universities, and they grow - and we go - from there.

Do I think we will win Amazon? I think we have a great opportunity. Our region does not need to land HQ2 to be successful—we already are successful, and will continue to be—but an HQ2 investment from Amazon here would make our market even better, faster.

We wish Amazon well, wherever they choose to invest.

Joe Milazzo II, PE, is executive director of the Regional Transportation Alliance, the voice of the regional business community on transportation. Learn more about how RTA leverages the strength of more than 100 leading member companies and 23 member chambers of commerce working in concert with regional partners to advance transportation solutions that grow our economy. 

A Wireless, which operates more than 1,000 exclusive wireless retail locations, announced Tuesday that it has chosen Raleigh as the location for its new headquarters, creating 250 jobs and investing $4.95 million over five years.

"A Wireless will join a growing number of technology leaders who call North Carolina home," said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland in a news release. "Our state's university and community college system, talent, quality of life, and community of IT powerhouses allow companies like A Wireless to thrive." 

A Wireless is Verizon's largest exclusive independent agent by store count. A Wireless was founded in 1996 in Wilson, NC, and now employs more than 5,500 people and serves customers in more than 1,150 retail locations across 46 states.

The announcement will bring a variety of jobs to the Triangle, including executive, marketing, finance, human resources, operations, and legal positions. The average salary is $93,000.

Company officials cited the Triangle's diverse workforce and universities as the main drivers in their decision to locate in Raleigh.

"We are thrilled to locate our corporate headquarters in Wake County," said George Sherman, CEO of A Wireless. "The community's robust job market, skilled people, vibrant growth, and strong technology base provide the right resources for us to continue our rapid growth."

Wake County Economic Development partnered with the City of Raleigh, the North Carolina General Assembly, and the North Carolina Community College System on this project. The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina led the state's support for the company's expansion.

"This announcement is a testament to the Triangle region's strong talent pool and education ecosystem," said Michael Haley, executive director of Wake County Economic Development. "We look forward to their growth and success in Wake County." 

View the news release via the NC Department of Commerce here, and find out why the Triangle is a top place for business here.

When global firm Infosys was looking for a location for one of its four new U.S. technology and innovation hubs, Wake County was a clear choice.
 
“We were super impressed with the academic ecosystem around us in North Carolina and Raleigh specifically,” said Infosys President Ravi Kumar.
 
Infosys will bring 2,000 jobs—including software developers, analysts, digital architects, and other tech professionals—to the area by 2021, with the first 500 employees hired by the end of the year. Salaries will average $71,000, delivering a total payroll impact of more than $130 million each year to the community, once all positions are filled. The company plans to invest $8.73 million in Wake County as part of a project estimated to contribute $2.9 billion to North Carolina’s economy.
 
"It is our endeavor, and our passion, to be a leader in boosting American innovation in the transformation of core industries, and to help create the next generation of American innovators and entrepreneurs through world-class education and training," said Dr. Vishal Sikka, Infosys CEO. "This is absolutely critical as we help our U.S. clients, and every client, renew their core businesses and simultaneously innovate into new breakthrough areas, while empowering employees through learning and education. To this end, North Carolina was a clear partner for us, and we are really excited to announce one of the largest jobs commitments ever in North Carolina state history.”

Company officials emphasized four factors that helped them make their decision: a talented workforce, diverse economy, vibrant startup community, and top-tier universities and community colleges.

1. Talented Workforce
Wake County is experiencing massive growth—and so is its workforce. Growing at a rate of 67 people per day, with 50 percent of those having a bachelor’s degree or higher, it’s no wonder that companies are finding the talent here that they need to thrive. Our talent pool helps set us apart as one of the top three labor markets in the U.S.
 
2. Diverse Economy 
North Carolina’s central role in technology innovation makes it a perfect fit for Infosys, Gov. Roy Cooper said. Sikka, Infosys CEO, also pointed to the area’s strength in financial services and life sciences. 
 
Wake County and the Research Triangle region have one of the largest concentrations of tech talent in the nation across analytics, mobile applications, open source, healthcare IT, cloud computing, and cyber security. Just last year, Raleigh ranked fourth in the country for having the highest concentration of technology job openings right behind San Francisco, Austin and Seattle.
 
With more than 600 life science companies, North Carolina collectively employs 63,000 people at an average wage of $80,000 per year. Of the 600 North Carolina companies, more than 450 of them are in Wake County and the Research Triangle.
 
3. Vibrant Startup Community
In 2016, Inc. Magazine named Raleigh the fifth best city outside of Silicon Valley to start a company or invest in startups. Raleigh’s thriving startup ecosystem includes more than 500 companies representing over 2,500 jobs in diverse industry sectors.
 
“That was a huge, attractive value-added proposition for us to locate ourselves in Wake County," Kumar said. "We do think we could invest, incubate and drive those startups to be a part of our ecosystem."
 
To view startup companies in Raleigh, visit the City of Raleigh Office of Economic Development's interactive startup map. For a look into Raleigh's robust innovation community, visit Innovate Raleigh.
 
4. Top-tier Universities and Community Colleges
Infosys’ new hires will include recent graduates from the state’s prestigious network of colleges, universities, and community colleges, as well as local professionals who will benefit from upskilling through the company’s world-class training curriculum. Infosys will partner with the North Carolina community college system to create a customized program designed to train the workforce of the future. The state is also contributing a $3 million grant towards upskilling these workers.
 
Wake Technical Community College President Dr. Stephen Scott reinforced the school’s commitment to training the employees the company needs: 

“This announcement represents one of the largest jobs commitments ever in the state of North Carolina, and we are excited to welcome Infosys to the region,” said Michael Haley, executive director of Wake County Economic Development.
 
“In talking to leaders at Infosys, we heard how important innovation, education, talent, and partnerships are to the company, and how much those factors played into the decision to locate in Wake County. I’m confident that our community will be an advocate for all of those things going forward.”
 
WCED and the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce led the project in partnership with the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and NC Commerce. Additional collaboration came from the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, North Carolina State University, Wake Technical Community College, Capital Area Workforce Development Board, Wake County, the City of Raleigh, the Town of Cary, and the Town of Morrisville.

To find out more about what makes the greater Raleigh and Wake County area attractive to both companies and top talent, visit www.raleigh-wake.org. 

The Chamber is excited to announce that Michael Haley has been named as the new executive director for Wake County Economic Development and senior vice president of Chamber Economic Development. He previously served as the director of Business Recruitment and Expansion where his work led to the creation of 7,800 jobs and more than $409 million in investments.
 

​“Michael’s extensive experience managing large, complex economic development initiatives, deep knowledge of the region, and contagious enthusiasm make him the ideal fit for the position,” said Adrienne Cole, Greater Raleigh Chamber president and CEO.
 
Before joining the Chamber, Haley worked for the North Carolina Department of Commerce as a public policy analyst and director of Public Policy. His experience ranges from job creation and existing industry programs to workforce development and strategies to support our growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.
 
“My passion for this community, economic development, and this organization runs deep,” said Haley. “I’m excited to collaborate with our great partners in this new role to continue moving our area forward.”
 
Haley received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his master of public administration from East Carolina University.

The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce announced today that Adrienne Cole has been named as its new president and CEO. She has recently served as the Chamber’s senior vice president of Economic Development and executive director of Wake County Economic Development.
 
“Adrienne possesses the expertise to lead the Chamber to accomplish all of our goals,” said Greg Winkler, chair of the Chamber Board of Directors. Last year the Chamber developed a new strategic plan and established five top priorities which include creating jobs and economic investments, advancing transportation solutions, fostering diversity and inclusion in the business community, expanding the Chamber’s foundation, and growing value for its members.
 
“As the first female president of the Chamber, Adrienne will bring a fresh perspective to its 129-year history,” Winkler said. “Her unique talents and creativity will be a great asset to advance our region.”
 
Cole brings more than 20 years of business leadership experience to her new role. Under Cole’s guidance, Wake County Economic Development and the Greater Raleigh Chamber announced more than 30 corporate relocations and expansions totaling over $250 million in capital investments and creating more than 5,000 new jobs.
 
Cole’s additional career accomplishments include:

• Worked to secure and improve state and local economic development incentives
• As an RDU Board member, assisted in the recruitment of the Delta Paris flight
• Recruited Campbell Law School to Raleigh
• Facilitated Red Hat’s headquarters expansion to downtown Raleigh
• Served as economic development leader in Pamlico and Carteret counties and for the city of Raleigh

 
Jill Wells Heath, president and CEO of CALYX Engineers + Consultants and past chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, chaired the search committee that worked with Waverly Partners, LLC. “Our national search of chamber executives provided very competitive candidates,” Heath said. “Adrienne’s wide breadth of knowledge and experience was unmatched.”
 
“I’m so excited to serve the community my family and I have called home for many years,” Cole said. “I am very proud to lead the Greater Raleigh Chamber and to continue the tradition of collaboration that makes Raleigh, Wake County, and the Triangle region special.”
 
Cole is a graduate of Meredith College and received a master’s degree in public administration from Appalachian State University.

The following statement has been released by the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce: 

The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce is encouraged by the bipartisan effort to repeal the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, known as HB2. We advocate swift action that builds our economy and enhances the quality of life for all citizens. 
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​It’s amazing how quickly the world is transforming around us as a result of new technology.
Open Source, The Cloud, the Internet of Things—all are making an impact on the things we do every day.
 
Transportation is no exception. Transportation could, in fact, be the industry where we see the most evolution over the next 5 – 10 years through the convergence with technology.
 
I am pleased to serve as the RTA’s 2016/17 Emerging Technology and Paradigms chair—the first chair of this new focus area for the regional business community’s voice on mobility solutions.
 
I hope you’ll join me to learn about the innovations that are changing the possibilities for our transportation future at the RTA’s 15th annual meeting on Dec. 15.
 
Executives from Cisco, IBM, and Meridian Autonomous will discuss advancements and emerging concepts in connected transportation, intelligent systems, automation and more.
 
In the Research Triangle, we are perfectly positioned to become a leader in applying transportation innovation due to the strength of our technology employment cluster, the research and ideas from leading universities, and the living laboratory of our dispersed, rapidly-growing region.
 
We have the opportunity to use new technology to make better decisions and smarter investments in our transportation system, both now and as we grow.


Sign-up here to join me at this special 15th anniversary event. You can still become a sponsor for $999.
 
I look forward to seeing you there!
 
Let’s get moving,
Matt
 
Matt Parson
RTA Emerging Technology and Paradigms chair
Red Hat

This text originally appeared as an OpEd in the News & Observer on Sept. 28, 2016. ​

​


By Jill Wells Heath
2015/16 Chair, Chamber Board of Directors
President and CEO, CALYX Engineers + Consultants





Over the last few years, we’ve seen Wake County become a national hotspot for growth. New businesses and families continue to move here to the tune of a net increase of 64 people per day. I couldn’t be happier with the growth of talent and opportunity in Wake County and the Triangle.

As we look ahead, we have to ask: How do we keep this growth continuing for another 10 years, without compromising the quality of life that drew people here in the first place?

The answer is public transportation.

This election, voters have an opportunity to fund a world-class, modern and effective public transportation system for Wake County.

Our approved transit plan will make a real and lasting difference by increasing access to jobs, health care, education and more. Once transit is fully implemented, 70 percent of all jobs will be located within a half mile of a transit stop and bus service will expand to 19 hours a day.

The multimodal, network-based transit plan emphasizes frequent bus service, bus rapid transit and commuter rail. Bus rapid transit in high-traffic areas will incorporate dedicated bus lanes, level boarding platforms and other enhanced features that improve the speed and quality of service. Commuter rail service will provide welcome relief for commuters on I-40 by providing a peak hour alternative to freeway congestion.

A more connected transit system will help Wake County residents spend less time commuting and more time with their families. Even if you don’t ride a bus or train, many of your neighbors will. The quality of life we enjoy in Wake County is one of our strongest assets. Passing this transit plan will help maintain and improve it.

The bottom line is that this is the right time to act and the right plan to act on. Over 50 community organizations and businesses have already endorsed the plan, and the transit referendum to fund it: chambers of commerce, environmental and community groups, disability and affordable housing advocates, homebuilders and realtors, colleges and many more.
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I hope you’ll join me in voting for the transit referendum – located at the end of the ballot – this fall.

Learn more about the transit referendum and how you can help move Wake County forward here.

Seven companies announced plans to move to or expand in Wake County during the month of April, according to the most recent report from Wake County Economic Development. That brings the total number of new and expanding companies in 2016 to 15—bringing 431 jobs and $19.5 million in investment.

Here's a recap of the action in April:

Distil Networks | Raleigh | Software/IT | Expanding
Security software firm Distil Networks will be moving into 7,727 square feet of space at Charter Square. Distil Networks in June closed a $21 million round of funding with plans to bulk up its Raleigh operation.
 
Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman | Raleigh | Law Firm | New
Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, the nation's largest law firm focused exclusively on matters specific to the health care industry, has increased its national presence by expanding into the Southeast with the addition of an office in Raleigh.
 
Industrious | Raleigh | Co-Working Space | Expanding
Industrious, the New York-based company that's been opening co-working space in major metro areas with strong technology sectors like Austin,Atlanta, and Nashville, will expand into another 12,000 square feet at Charter Square, confirms building co-owner Andy Andrews of Raleigh.
 
Infusion | Raleigh | Software/IT | Expanding
Infusion, a New York-based company, will be moving into Charter Square. The company currently operates at 711 Hillsborough St. The move will provide the company with room to grow.
 
McGuireWoods | Raleigh | Law Firm | Expanding
McGuireWoods is expanding its Raleigh office with the arrival of accomplished partners Mary Nash Rusher, Jean Gordon Carter, and Charles Case, who join the firm's leading public finance, private wealth, and environmental practices, respectively.
 
PlayMaker CRM | Raleigh | Software/IT | New
Nashville-based technology firm PlayMaker CRM has officially opened its Raleigh office in downtown's Capital Bank Plaza. The firm is actively hiring, expecting to have up to 15 employees at the Raleigh office by the end of the year. The company competes in the same arena as SalesForce, though it targets a pretty niche market-----a segment that incorporates everything from home health to hospice care-----services and products needed after you leave the hospital. The new office will primarily house a development team.
 
TEKSystems | Raleigh | Staffing Agency | Expanding
TEKSystems, a Maryland-based IT staffing company with offices around the world, has signed a new contract to expand its Raleigh office operations and relocate into a full floor of the new Wade III office building in west Raleigh. The company will be taking 26,827 square feet. 

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