Greater Raleigh Chamber Blog

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.

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.

If you liked this recap, make sure you subscribe to the Chamber's e-newsletter to receive this information directly in your inbox each week.

More than 3,000 American small businesses rely on the Export-Import Bank of the United States to sell their products overseas and compete in the global marketplace. In fact, over the last six years, EXIM has supported 1.3 million jobs—many of which could be lost if EXIM Bank's authority isn't renewed.
 
EXIM is a key priority for the Greater Raleigh Chamber. Since 2007, it has supported over $2.9 billion in export sales at 200 companies in North Carolina. The Exporters for Ex-Im Coalition released a new video highlighting the negative consequences of the lapse for North Carolina manufacturers.

Check out this informative article from the New York Times.
 
Please take a minute to send a letter to your representative and ask them to vote "yes" on reauthorization.
 
For more information, please contact Emily Atkinson, vice president of Government Affairs.