Record visitor spending in 2017 was reflected with visitor spending increases in all 100 North Carolina counties, state Secretary of Commerce Anthony M. Copeland announced today. Visitor spending reached nearly $5.4 billion in Mecklenburg, $2.3 billion in Wake, $1.4 billion in Guilford and $1.1 in Buncombe and Dare counties. Rounding out the top 10 counties…

North Carolina has received Area Development magazine’s 2018 Gold Shovel Award, recognizing the state’s top-tier success in winning high-impact economic development projects in 2017. North Carolina, which in 2017 had one of its best years for  job recruitment in over a decade, is one of only five states to receive a 2018 Gold Shovel Award….

North Carolina once again ranks as the most competitive state in economic development activity, according to a closely watched annual business ranking by Site Selection magazine. “Businesses big and small, domestic and foreign are investing in North Carolina for the same reasons they have been doing so all along — a healthy supply of workers…

North Carolina’s prominence in the global gene therapy race has taken another leap forward. Paris-based biotechnology company Cellectis recently announced plans to invest nearly $70 million and create 200 jobs in Raleigh, at what will become its first North American manufacturing facility. Cellectis, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new generation of cancer therapies, said…

North Carolina manufacturers wanting free expertise to increase their export sales should register now for the 2019 Go Global Road Show, which is being presented April 1-4 in four locations across the state. The state’s foreign-based trade representatives will be traveling to North Carolina from their offices around the world to meet individually with export-ready…

French firm Cellectis, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing cancer treatments based on gene-edited T-cells, has selected Raleigh, North Carolina, for its first U.S. commercial-scale manufacturing facility, with plans to create 200 new jobs. “Cellectis intends to build the world’s first manufacturing facility in North Carolina that will put together gene editing and cell therapies,” said…

Aetna, a CVS Health business, is growing its presence in North Carolina and will add more than 300 new employees in High Point by the end of 2020. The business will invest approximately $2.5 million to upgrade its facilities and equipment in conjunction with this expansion. “North Carolina attracts flagship operations from the nation’s leading…

BestCo, a manufacturer of lozenges, dietary supplements and other over-the counter health care products, plans to invest $47.5 million in an expansion of its facility in Mooresville, North Carolina, creating 141 new jobs in Iredell County. The Mooresville-based company’s 56,000-square-foot addition to its 200,000-square-foot plant will accommodate production machinery and workspace for employees. “We have…

AveXis, a leading gene therapy company developing treatments for rare and life-threatening neurological diseases, has announced it will launch a 200-job expansion of the manufacturing center it located in Durham County less than a year ago. AveXis will invest an additional $60 million in the expansion of its facility. In May 2018, the Illinois-based company announced…

Advanced Detection Technology became one of six North Carolina companies to receive the 2018 Governor’s Export Award earlier this year, an annual award designed to recognize a company’s success in increasing international sales. The Mooresville-based company got its start in 2002 when a U.S. military veteran wanted to develop a video inspection solution that would…

Six North Carolina companies received 2018 Governor’s Export Awards this week in a ceremony highlighting their success in increasing overseas sales, as well as the significant role exporting plays in the state’s economy. North Carolina’s export of goods and services helps support more than 400,000 jobs in the state, according to the Brookings Institution in…

Design Foundry will open a new furniture manufacturing facility in Catawba County, creating 202 new jobs over five years. The company plans to invest more than $3.1 million in the project. “North Carolina is the international home of the furniture industry with leading manufacturers, designers and events,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. “Our state’s experienced furniture…

LGM Enterprises, an aviation company that operates the Fly Exclusive jet charter service, will create 145 jobs and launch a company to paint and refurbish aircraft at the North Carolina Global TransPark. The project brings an investment of $10.5 million to Lenoir County. LGM Enterprises will add a variety of positions with this expansion, including…

A German group of specialized radiopharmaceutical companies has selected Hickory, North Carolina, for the first North American manufacturing plant of its subsidiary Isotopes Technologies Garching, creating 137 new well-paying jobs. The parent company Isotopen Technologien München AG (ITM), based in Garching near Munich, will invest $12 million in Catawba County. ITM develops, produces and supplies…

Shurtape Technologies, an industry-leading manufacturer and marketer of adhesive tape and consumer home and office products, will expand operations in Catawba County in North Carolina, creating 100 new jobs. The company will add these jobs over four years and invest $31.4 million in the project. “When our growth plans called for additional manufacturing and distribution…