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Why Big Business and Industry Are Heading South
Gray Construction, the firm that is building the Caterpillar plant in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County recently published an article in its newsletter entitled Why Big Business and Industry are Heading South that we think is worth reading. Winston-Salem, the new Caterpillar facility and our particular strength in Workforce Development are discussed (on pages 5 and 7).
To access the article (which we recommend) please visit this link and click on the first link for a PDF of the newsletter.
Top 10 pro-biz community – without a beach?!
Don’t be fooled. The beach is closer to Winston-Salem than you think.
Having once again made the top 10 in Southern Business & Development’s list of best pro-business communities without a beach, one thing strikes us as somewhat peculiar. It’s the “without a beach” thing.
Yes, Winston-Salem is not a coastal community. There’s no arguing with SB&D’s logic. However, it cannot be denied that one of the things that gives Winston-Salem such a wonderful quality of life (aside from being a great city) is its relative closeness to beautiful North Carolina beaches.
Hop in the car after lunch on a Friday and head east, and you can dip your toes into the Atlantic by late afternoon on your choice of either quiet, relatively deserted beach towns or lively, activity filled resorts.
In fact, quick, summer beach trips are part of Winston-Salem culture — a summer rite of passage — with favorite destinations varying from Nag’s Head to Ocracoke to Atlantic Beach to Emerald Isle to Topsail and Surf City to Wrightsville and Carolina Beach. There’s a familiarity and connectedness that Winston-Salem folks have with certain beach towns. Everyone has a favorite, and it varies depending on who you ask and what they like to do.
One thing you’ll find that most of the destinations have in common, though, is that they are remarkably affordable. If you try hard, there are plenty of ways to spend money. But for most people, the beach and water are the biggest amenities.
Plus, when the weekend is done, they have Winston-Salem to come home to, which could be the best part of all.
Update: Cat effect building momentum
Supplier summit a key milestone
Much has been made about the effect that the Caterpillar advanced manufacturing facility could have on the local economy. One of the most important benefits resides in Caterpillar’s selection of area suppliers and vendors.
As construction moves along on the new facility, the Cat Supplier Summit (scheduled for June 3) is a critical milestone in realizing the deal’s full economic potential. The event is proof, not just of the company’s commitment, but of the broad-reaching benefits that are the result of close collaboration between business and community.
Education and training programs are coming together quickly via Forsyth Technical Community College, and we are close to seeing the first round of jobs coming into the area from Illinois. However, the expansion of related businesses around Caterpillar could turn the Cat win into an even bigger success story.
The Summit is a chance for local suppliers and vendors in a range of categories to learn what Caterpillar expects, what they look for in partners, and how local companies can rise to the top of the list.
The Summit also seems to be the beginning of an important phase for job seekers. According to an article in the the Winston-Salem Journal, no jobs have been posted for the new facility in Winston-Salem. However, the article quotes Forsyth Technical Community College president, Gary Green, as saying that the college will begin assessing job seekers in June, with most initial openings at the facility being contract jobs.
More information about the Summit is available via the Winston-Salem Journal website.
Winston-Salem makes another Top 10
Why this list just might matter more than most
Southern Business & Development magazine has recently named Winston-Salem, NC one of the Top Ten Incredibly Pro-Business Communities — Large and Small — Without a Beach. ( article).
While our community is no stranger to making “10 Best” lists, this particular one may have even more substance to it than you might think.
One reason why this recognition is interesting relates to who nominates communities for consideration and who W-S had to beat in order to make the list.
Who nominates cities for SB&D? Site consultants and business leaders — the very people who make the key decisions in business expansion and relocation. And several of these economic development professionals pointed to Winston-Salem as their pick. In addition, think about the competition here. We’re talking about a region that could arguably be considered, in relative terms, the hottest in the U.S. To make the top ten in this region should be considered quite a feat.
Another reason for paying closer attention to this list is “why.” Why did W-S make this list? Winston-Salem makes this short list of pro-business communities for the same reason it wins the attention of so many companies looking to expand or relocate — collaboration. Many other factors are important, but you can argue that most of them are “cost-of-entry”, that is, they get you in the discussion.
However, the difference maker seems to be, over and over again, the way community and business leaders, educational institutions, city and county government organizations all work together.
And, apparently, the right people (and businesses) are noticing.
US Airways to add up to 200 new jobs
Good news for our community from US Airways as they announce the expansion of their Winston-Salem reservation center. The move will add as many as 200 new jobs to the Hanes Mall Boulevard facility. Click the link below for more details.
US Airways to Bring More Jobs to Winston-Salem Reservation Center
The return of optimism?
Will the real economic recovery please stand up?
Several months have passed since the word “recovery” was first uttered in reference to the current economic state. At first no one seemed to be buying it, or buying anything else, for that matter. Then phrases like “double-dip” began to surface more often than Seinfeld reruns. Fast forward through the holidays and the predictable January hangover.
Now that Q1 has passed the midway point, has there been a shift in the glass-half-empty versus half-full conundrum? Have people (business leaders and consumers) simply decided that enough is enough? There seems to be growing optimism related to employment and long-term economic health.
Lets look beyond the recent break in the weather for reasons for this apparent new-found positive outlook.
Several indicators are moving in the right direction
We borrowed a Mar. 8 chart from Money-Rates.com to show how the numbers tend to be inching toward growth. And the new home starts numbers just released are even better. Is it enough to constitute economic elation? Certainly not, but it is good news.
Who cares about the indicators?
At least in part because employment lags behind overall economic growth, consumers are not letting the statistics drive their purchase decisions. What matters to people is the tangible — “do I have a paycheck or not?” The result is a consumer base that is still highly cautious about their spending.
Companies are succeeding right here.
Specifically in Winston-Salem and the surrounding Piedmont Triad region, there are many examples that could be used to cite an economy on the rise. We’ve gone on about Cat (with good reason) but other successes may be even more convincing (with a congrats to Jeff Garstka, former-WSBI VP, and his recent success expanding Lowe’s Companies data center operations in Wilkes County).
Fundamentals are in. Aren’t they?
Is the long road to recovery paved with solid fundamentals? Are companies returning to long-term profitability rather than short-term gains that undermine core value? Are consumers actually choosing to save instead of spending what they don’t have? Do they have a choice?
Okay. That last one was more of a question. What do you think? Is there reason to be cautiously optimistic?
Announced: $16 million Investment in Piedmont Triad Research Park
The Winston-Salem Journal reports that Blue Cross Blue Shield of N.C. is making a $16-million investment in Wake Forest BioTech Place, a former manufacturing facility near the corner of Fifth Street and Patterson Avenue in downtown Winston-Salem. For the full article from the Winston-Salem Journal click here:
Gov. Perdue Vetoes Senate Bill 13
Gov. Bev Perdue today vetoed Senate Bill 13, her first veto of the legislative session and only the second of her administration. The bill, widely criticized as harmful to the state’s efforts to attract businesses and grow jobs, was vetoed this afternoon at the Capitol.
Here’s Gov. Perdue’s statement:
“This bill started out as a way to help North Carolina secure $400 million in additional savings from state government agencies during this difficult budget time,” said Gov. Perdue. “I suggested that bill to the General Assembly and was ready to sign that legislation. But the bill in its current form forces a one-time cash-grab from funds that are intended to create jobs and spur economic development. That’s not the right move for North Carolina, where jobs simply must be our No. 1 priority.”
Bob Leak, CEcD
WSBI Admin
