Greater Raleigh Chamber Blog

Three companies announced relocations or expansions during the month of December, according to the most recent report from Wake County Economic Development. That brings the total number of announcements between January and December 2015 to 106. Those companies will bring 4,628 jobs and $445 million dollars.

Here's a recap of the action in December:

Homewood Suites by Hilton | Cary | Hospitality | New
A Cary hotel development and management company is purchasing a 2.6-acre site overlooking Interstate 40 at Crossroads Boulevard in Cary with plans to build a new six-story Homewood Suites by Hilton in 2016. Construction is expected to start in spring 2016 with the hotel opening projected for summer 2017.

Mohu | Raleigh | Software/IT | Expanding
Mohu, makers of the Leaf antenna, has unveiled BeBox, a portable audio system that, according to execs, rivals what’s being offered at Sonos and Bose. As the product suite grows, so does Mohu’s workforce. The company, which recently added a second shift to its Raleigh team, has about 100 employees. One year ago, it had 55. The company is headquartered in north Raleigh.

Trophy Brewing Company | Raleigh | Brewery | Expanding
Trophy Brewing Co. opened its production brewery and taproom on Maywood Avenue near the State Farmers Market on the south side of downtown Raleigh. The taproom will have 12 beers on draft, counter pressure filled growlers, a cask engine, and occasional bottle releases. The production brewery features a 20-barrel, three-vessel brewing system. Additionally, the location will start with enough fermentation and conditioning tanks to handle up to 240 barrels (7,440 gallons) of beer at any one time before packaging or kegging. The location will start with distribution to a limited number of restaurants and bars initially, and then expand as it grows.

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.

By Emily Atkinson
Vice President, Government Affairs
Greater Raleigh Chamber

Wednesday's event on "Disruptive Technology and the Future of Business" featured great discussions from two impressive panels. We heard from:

• Mary-Ann Baldwin, Raleigh City Council
• Ryan Beckland, Validic
• Matthew Davis, NCRIoT
• Dr. Marc Hoit, NC State University
• Adam Klein, American Underground
• Larry Steffan, NCRIoT, and
• Thomas Vass, Private Capital Markets.

The panelists discussed how to foster innovation and creativity and how to prepare the workforce for the dynamic world of technology. They gave examples of how disruptive technologies are impacting our lives and changing the face of business. A takeaway was that in order to further promote the Triangle as a top city for technology, it's critical that we create and nurture partnerships between academic, public, and private institutions.

Another example of how technology is significantly impacting employees and businesses is in the world of healthcare. We'll explore the newest issues in the industry and discuss how businesses can navigate this ever-evolving environment at a special forum on Feb. 25. Learn more and register here.

We hope yesterday's program serves as the beginning of this important conversation, and we encourage everyone to continue to work with community and business leaders to support and promote disruptive technologies in our region.

The arts have a direct impact on our economic growth and success. That's why the Chamber is proud to partner with the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County to present the annual Business Support of the Arts Awards. These awards recognize outstanding contributions to the arts in our area by businesses, organizations and individuals.
 
Congratulations to the following winners!

Large Business: Golden Corral
Golden Corral has supported Raleigh Little Theatre, its nominator, for years both monetarily and with corporate representatives seated on its board. Golden Corral currently sponsors Raleigh Little Theatre’s Youth Education Program, which touches the lives of thousands of young people each year. Golden Corral’s emphasis on children and families runs throughout all its philanthropic endeavors, and Wake County is the better for it.
 
Small Business: Jerry’s Artarama
Tom Dowd at Jerry’s Artarama is there, unseen, with all the small, but vital pieces of support it takes to make art exhibits across Wake County happen. For example, Jerry’s Artarama loans the easels and awards the prizes for the 4th Congressional District’s High School Art Competition/Exhibit. They also frame the winning entry, which goes on display in Washington, D.C.
 
Arts Education: Marshall Butler   
Marshall Butler has led the choral wing of the arts at Sanderson High School in Raleigh for years. He has been named Sanderson’s teacher of the year, received the North Carolina Music Educators Association’s high school choral director of the year award and been recognized by the North Carolina Symphony. There are numerous young people who have gone on to college to major in music because of this one man’s inspiration and strength in teaching. Our community is the richer for him.
 
Individual/ Foundation: John William Pope Foundation
Investments by the Pope Foundation in the arts in this community over the past 25 years total over $1.9 million and include North Carolina Theatre, Carolina Ballet, North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Opera, Performance Edge, The Raleigh Fine Arts Society and North Carolina Museum of Art’s “School Bus Scholarship Fund.” The Foundation’s support allows the North Carolina Theatre, for example, to provide tickets to clients of the Salvation Army, Raleigh Rescue Mission and Step-Up Ministries.

Learn more about the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County here.

The Triangle’s economy is expected to outpace the growth of the nation’s economy in 2016.
 
That was the consensus of two noted economists at today’s Economic Forecast. Jeffrey Lacker, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and Jay Bryson, global economist for Wells Fargo Securities, took the stage in front of 700 business, elected, and community leaders for one of the Chamber’s most popular events.

We’ll dive deeper into the economists’ presentations in further blog posts, but here are some of the morning’s highlights.

Jay Bryson, global economist, Wells Fargo Securities
Employment in North Carolina is growing in line with the national rate, while the Triangle has been outpacing it. This is nothing new for our region—the Triangle has generally grown faster than the national economy over the past decade.

Jeffrey Lacker, president, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
The broad takeaway is that even though interest rates are likely to be lower than usual for the next few years, monetary policy is still highly accommodative right now. Interest rate increases within the range envisioned by FOMC participants would be relatively slow by historic standards, and would still leave policy in an accommodative stance. Such increases should be viewed as a sign of the strength of the U.S. economy—which is good news.

Learn More
Both economists’ full presentations, along with video of the event, are available here. You can go here to view a social media recap.

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.

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.

This blog was originally published by the Regional Transportation Alliance on Dec. 12. Read the original here.




By Joe Milazzo II, PE
Executive Director
Regional Transportation Alliance




The Regional Transportation Alliance business coalition has been at the forefront of a decade-long push to authorize a new Interstate freeway corridor from Raleigh to coastal Virginia.

Two years ago this month, we achieved our first taste of victory when Gov. McCrory announced the approval of the future I-495 corridor from Raleigh to Rocky Mount at our 2013 annual meeting. I-495 signs were posted between Raleigh/I-440 and Knightdale/I-540 in spring 2014, along with future I-495 signs between Knightdale and Rocky Mount/I-95.

Earlier this month, President Obama signed the federal “FAST” transportation funding act. That bill clarified the high priority corridor routing for the Raleigh-Norfolk corridor via Rocky Mount, Williamston, and Elizabeth City, and then formally authorized the future Interstate designation for the entire corridor from Raleigh to coastal Virginia.

The future Interstate designation from Raleigh to the Hampton Roads region of Virginia will be I-44, I-50, I-89, I-56, or another suitable two-digit number. Whatever the number, the designation will begin in east Raleigh at or along I-440, and end in coastal Virginia at Chesapeake (at I-64), Norfolk (at I-264), or Virginia Beach (at the end of I-264 at Birdneck Road).

This new authorization by Congress of a future Interstate for the US 64 and 17 corridors between Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Williamston, Elizabeth City, and coastal Virginia sends a clear signal to developers and economic prospects that this corridor’s future is an Interstate freeway.

For Raleigh and the capital area, this authorization will allow our market to get our second two-digit (i.e., primary) Interstate, and that will help with both economic development and tourism.

Given the fact that every county along the corridor east of I-95 has been designated a tier one (most distressed) county by NC Commerce, this authorization could not be more timely in terms of helping to attract future job creators to northeastern North Carolina in addition to our growing Triangle area.

Indeed, for many of these counties, this future Interstate corridor is the only plausible way that they could have Interstate access in the foreseeable future. It will quite literally put them on the map from an economic development standpoint, from eastern Nash County to Camden County at the Virginia border.

Of course, the future Interstate effort alone will not solve all of the economic challenges facing northeastern North Carolina, but it can certainly help, by providing an economic lifeline to counties that need it and link urban, suburban, and rural job centers together.

We have previously called this initiative a bipartisan gift to our children’s future prosperity. With the entire NC Congressional delegation in support of the source bills, along with several members of the VA delegation, it is clearly bipartisan. While it will take many years to fully upgrade the corridor, the future Interstate authorization should make it easier for communities and NCDOT to focus their transportation investments and priorities along the corridor.

As I noted last year, kudos to the bipartisan support at the federal, state, and local level for this initiative. A new Interstate designation will be the next step in a century of investment along the corridor, serving a region whose greatest days are still to come.

Before I forget — the federal FAST bill also includes a future Interstate authorization for the US 70 corridor from Garner to Morehead City.  That corridor, which will be called I-46 or another suitable designation, will travel from I-40 at the Wake/Johnston county line to Morehead City near the state port.

Check out the Regional Transportation Alliance's blog for updates and more.

Chamber Supports Multimodal Approach in Proposed Wake Transit Plan
Yesterday Wake County officials released the proposed Wake County Transit Plan, built upon recommendations from a broad-based, bi-partisan advisory committee that studied the topic for nearly a year.

Job Growth in U.S. Exceeds Forecast
The 211,000 increase in payrolls followed a 298,000 gain in October that was bigger than previously estimated, a Labor Department report showed Friday. The median forecast called for a 200,000 advance.

Triangle’s Hotel Growth Spurt Highlighted
The Triangle's hospitality industry gets a shout-out in trade publication Travel Weekly's "Raleigh-Durham, sharing a hyphen and a hotel growth spurt."

North Hills Breaks Ground on New Tower
North Hills broke ground Monday morning on a fourth high-rise tower on the east side of Six Forks Road. At completion, it will stand 12 stories tall.

Startups Announce Big Funding Numbers
In Q1 and Q2 alone, 85 entrepreneurial companies raised nearly $427 million in North Carolina. Within 24 hours, on Dec. 1 and 2, four companies made funding announcements.

State of Mobility Recap
Nearly 300 regional leaders gathered for the Regional Transportation Alliance’s 14th annual meeting on Dec. 3. Here’s a recap of the event (including the 2015 State of Mobility report and insights from our national keynote speaker Gabe Klein) and an article that appeared in The News & Observer. 

Chamber Welcomes New Staff
Meet the Chamber’s newest staff members: John Reid Sidebotham, project manager for Wake County Economic Development; Brianne Gill, Small Business and Member Services manager; and Lisa Haun, front office coordinator.

 3 Tips to Take the Stress Out of Business Planning
https://www.sba.gov/blogs/3-tips-taking-stress-out-business-planning
Business planning doesn’t have to be a stressful experience if you remember these three tips.

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