FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RALEIGH ― The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) today released its 2020 annual report, which highlights its work to recruit new business to the state as well as its activities in other critical areas contributing to the state’s economy.
In 2020, the EDPNC, working closely with its local and state partners, helped close 147 new corporate location and expansion deals expected to create 20,026 jobs and $6.3 billion in capital investment, according to the report titled “Emerging Stronger.”
The announced new investment total was the state’s largest in any year over the past decade, and well above the prior decade-topper of $4.4 billion in 2019. The number of new jobs connected to state-supported project wins in 2020 was only slightly less than the 21,675 jobs announced in 2019, which remains the highest jobs tally in over 10 years.
“The EDPNC, along with the entire state, faced unprecedented headwinds in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Christopher Chung, chief executive officer of the EDPNC. “Nonetheless, we saw strong results in our work with local and state partners to recruit new corporate facilities to the state. We did this even as the EDPNC also deployed new approaches to support our hard-hit tourism industry, as well as our exporters, existing manufacturers, and other small businesses.”
“Our annual report discusses those activities and showcases some of the businesses and people impacted by them,” he added.
On behalf of the state, the EDPNC performs economic development responsibilities in five areas: business recruitment, existing industry support, international trade and export assistance, small business start-up counseling, and tourism and film promotion. The EDPNC operates under contract to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
The EDPNC’s fully digital annual report includes activities, results and case studies across all those divisions. To read the report, click here.
About the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) is a private nonprofit corporation that serves as North Carolina’s statewide economic development organization. Governed by an 18-member board of business and industry leaders from across the state, the EDPNC focuses on business and job recruitment, existing industry support, international trade, tourism and film marketing. The EDPNC, which operates under contract with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, works closely with public- and private-sector partners at the state, regional and local levels. For more information, visit edpnc.com.