The success story of North Carolina’s economy is in front of a world-wide audience, featured in a multi-page profile headlined North Carolina: Transformation Through Innovation in a recent issue of Newsweek magazine. Articles include interviews with Governor Pat McCrory, Commerce Secretary John Skvarla, Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson and Economic Development Partnership of N.C. CEO Christopher Chung. The articles highlight the number of net new jobs added since 2013, the dramatic turnaround in North Carolina’s unemployment rate, the lowering of individual and business income taxes, its innovative industries and the state’s competitive advantages over its neighboring states when it comes to job recruitment.
“North Carolina is affirming itself as a competitive, innovative state,” Governor McCrory said in a feature interview headlined North Carolina Set to Become America’s New Innovative Hub. “People don’t know that they use a lot of products made here, from aerospace to bio, to medicine to food. North Carolina already has a big impact on the rest of the world.”
Since 2013, North Carolina has added more than 300,000 new jobs and been recognized as one of the fastest growing economies in the country. Investments through the Connect NC bond and responsible budgeting practices have supported North Carolina’s infrastructure and ports. To make North Carolina the third vertex of a national innovation triangle, Governor McCrory recently signed legislation to support entrepreneurs in our state through crowdfunding.
“We set up a vision of for what we call The National Innovation Triangle,” Governor McCrory said in the lead article. “When we talk about innovation, we talk about the Silicon Valley and the Boston-New York region. We think we can be the third pillar. We have the quality of life, universities, and four economic centers.”
In addition to the overall healthy economy of North Carolina, several cities are profiled in the section, including Raleigh (The City Where Quality of Life Leads to Innovation), Greensboro (A Heartland of History and Industry), and Wilmington (The Right Place at the Right Time).
Other topics featured include the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina’s three largest airports, the North Carolina State Ports Authority and several of the state’s largest employers and mayors.
An interactive, online version of the special section featuring North Carolina can be found by clicking here.