Shopping Bag
Bringing Jobs To NC And SC
Through the years, I've seen the reasons for people moving to North Carolina and South Carolina change.
What was once a retirement destination has now broadened.
Just as many people are considering relocating to North Carolina or South Carolina for jobs, climate and the low cost of living.
With this in mind, I want to stay a bit focused on jobs in NC and SC and what has been occurring and what some of the plans are for the future.
Last week we talked about the economy and jobs in South Carolina and before that the jobs and economy in North Carolina.
Although clearly the recent economic downturn and slow recovery may have had an impact on your plans to relocate or retire to North Carolina or South Carolina and any sort of job search you’ll undertake, but I hope you noticed not all is bad news.
There are clearly parts of North Carolina and South Carolina respectively that are doing better than others and certain professions are definitely thriving even in these less than ideal economic times.
Today, I want to share with you from my own professional experience as a site locator and location analyst in the corporate world what I believe is a very positive trend that mean jobs are definitely coming back to both North Carolina and South Carolina.
What do I mean by that?
Well, in a recent issue of Site Selection magazine there is an article about how Ohio is leading the nation at luring new business facilities and capital investments to the state.
I know you’re saying to yourselves…
“Okay, Bob, what does that have to do with North Carolina or South Carolina?”
Glad you asked because in the same article the state that came in 4th in the country among the top states for the number of capital investment projects and business relocation was NORTH CAROLINA!
That’s right, in 2011 North Carolina had 310 capital investment projects that either involved more than $1 million invested, more than 50 jobs created with new facilities built or floor space of at least 20,000 sq. ft.
Let’s not forget South Carolina either because in the same year, South Carolina saw a respectable 110 new capital investment projects and new facilities.
Interestingly enough, many of theses new jobs in South Carolina were in the manufacturing sector but at least a third involved:
- new offices
- distribution centers
- corporate headquarters
- mixed use facilities
- research and development
In general this trend represents tangible business expansion and in many cases we’re talking about jobs.
The jobs we're talking about are ones that used to go overseas that are coming back to the United States and in the larger scheme of things, the South Atlantic Region.
Coastal states from Maryland down to Florida, including North Carolina and South Carolina, ranked second in the nation overall for new business facilities and business expansion. That's pretty good news!
What information we have indicates that larger metropolitan areas in NC and SC are attracting a fair amount of these investments.
According to a March 2012 Site Selection article…
North Carolina area of Charlotte, Gastonia, Concord/Rock Hill (SC) metropolitan area which has over 1.5 million people. This area covers a wide area of the North Carolina/ South Carolina border and accounted for 54 new projects.
54 new projects ranked the Charlotte area 4th in the entire South Atlantic Region.
Also, among metro areas with 200,000 to a million people is both the Greensboro/High Point area and the Hickory/Lenoir/Morganton area in North Carolina. Each area had 24 and 23 such projects respectively.
I suspect if you do a little bit more research, you'll find that in addition to major metropolitan areas (Charlotte, Charleston, Raleigh, Greenville, etc.) you’ll find places in North Carolina and South Carolina like the Hickory/Lenoir/Morganton area whose largest city is roughly 40,000 people are also attracting new business investment and facilities… but I’ll leave that for another article (next week).
Okay, I’ve thrown a lot of numbers and names of best places to live at you but if there is one thing I want you to remember, it is that both North Carolina and South Carolina are attractive places to do business.
Both North Carolina and South Carolina are actively and successfully bringing new businesses and investment to their respective states and with that success comes jobs, career and business opportunities.
This means your dream of finding Your best place to live in North Carolina or South Carolina and making your relocation or retirement a reality is closer than you might think.
I'll see you next week when we look at how the smaller or “micropolitan” areas of the Carolinas are bringing home the jobs, too!
Have a great one,
Bob
About Bob Bencivenga
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Bob Bencivenga is a professional site locator and location analyst for major corporations and has been researching the growth of NC and SC to find the Best Places to Retire or Relocate that are still affordable. |
| Visit his blog The Carolina Report and sign up for FREE updates by email,his FREE Affordable Best Places To Live Report and, get FREE Expert Advice on how to find Your Best Place to Retire or Relocate to in North Carolina and South Carolina, additional resources, and a lot more.
Bob does not sell real estate. |
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