North Carolina is one plane change away from virtually any major city in the world. The state is home to the sixth-largest major airline hub in the nation. At the recent IEDC conference, U.S. Airways Chairman and CEO Doug Parker stated Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, “is as good as it gets.”
Corporate leaders agree. “Charlotte is the optimal location for our business,” Chiquita chairman and CEO Fernando Aguirre said during remarks on November 29, when it was announced that the company would be moving its international headquarters to North Carolina. “Charlotte provided the most compelling economic offer and the region is an attractive community for our employees,” he explained. “Importantly, the Charlotte airport provides improved access to international markets, customers and Chiquita operations around the world.”
In 2010, the International Air Transport Association awarded Charlotte’s airport its Eagle Award as the best airport in the United States. Charlotte-Douglas International Airport’s mission is to be the preferred airport and airline hub “by providing the highest quality product for the lowest possible cost,” stated Doug Parker.
“Charlotte’s business infrastructure, labor supply and quality of life made the difference for us,” said Bernd Klenk, Managing Director of Karl Marbach GmbH & Co. KG, during the company’s December 1 announcement to move its global headquarters to Charlotte. “The city’s international airport, interstate highways and availability of industrial buildings were key factors in our location decision. North Carolina’s labor costs are competitive, and we know that Charlotte will be a great fit for our company.”
North Carolina has the second largest highway system in the nation, with more than 98,000 miles of highways. The state is a crossroads for the nation’s primary transportation arteries, including I-95, which is the major East Coast interstate linking New England to Florida, and I-40, which spans the country coast-to-coast from North Carolina to California. Adding to the state’s transportation infrastructure are I-85 and I-77, which connect the state to the largest manufacturing region in the Southeast spanning from Richmond, VA to Montgomery, AL as well as Cleveland, OH to Columbia, SC.
“We are looking forward to establishing our U.S. production facility in Hickory, North Carolina. The location is very pleasant and close to our customers,” said Dr. Henning Baehren, Chairman and CEO of Punker during the company’s November 30 announcement to locate its North American hub in North Carolina. “They impressed us with their professionalism and attention to our needs. We are grateful we were able to work with them through the process of site selection and we are looking forward to continuing to do so in the future.”
“My top priority is creating jobs,” stated Governor Bev Perdue. “We have worked hard to ensure that our state has a business climate where companies can grow and thrive.” Working diligently with economic development partners across the state, the hard work has been paying off. At the end of the day, North Carolina is clearly the state where global companies find the workforce, international market access, low cost of doing business and top-ranked business climate they seek. And then it’s time to high-five the corporate CEO announcing the latest company to select North Carolina as the place to locate and expand.