Triangle lands record $1.9B in business projects
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Believe it or not, Triangle, the region is still drawing new businesses, corporate expansions and jobs. So many, in fact, that Charles Hayes, chief executive officer of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership didn’t believe the latest data.
“It shocked me,” Hayes said of the 2009 report prepared by his staff in an interview with Local Tech Wire and WRAL.com. “In fact, I asked them to do it again because I didn’t believe them!”
The numbers are fact, not fiction, and are a record:
• $1.9 billion in new projects or expansions in the Triangle proper and surrounding counties
• More than 10,000 jobs.
The total in project dollars broke the investment/expansion record of $1.4 billion announced projects in 2008. The jobs announcements exceeded the 6,000 announced in 2008 and the 8,600 disclosed in 2007.
All the good news came despite a global recession and a soaring unemployment rate in North Carolina that’s well above the national average.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it,” Hayes asked.
Of course, he noted, announcements don’t always mean foundations, plants and jobs since “Companies change their minds."
But Hayes, whose group champions the region's economic development, also pointed out that “the news here is we have a lot of growth in the pipeline” and the same is true for 2010. Prospects are very good with he and his staff working on scores of potential deals.
“Right now we have 45 active projects that represent $1.4 billion of new investments if they all were to locate here, and they won’t,” he said. “But this could be another 10,000 jobs.
“Again, we have a good pipeline.”
Why in such a dire economic climate? Hayes admits asking himself the same thing but then he points out several reasons.
“2009 was one of the worst years, and the recession is certainly the worst since the great Depression,” he said, “but I don’t think we live in the real world.”
He cited such factors of 44 percent of residents have college degrees, the economic climate overall with high-tech and life science firms in abundance, the region’s unverisities, the climate and quality of life.
In other words, the triangle remains a hot place to be.
Hayes will deliver a more in-depth report at the regional partnership’s annual briefing on May 27.
Some of the highlights that the group compiled for a newsletter being delivered Friday include:
• EMC Corporation, Durham County, $280 million new investment, 290 jobs.
• Talecris Biotherapeutics, Johnston County, $269 million expansion, 259 jobs.
• SAS, Wake County, $70 million expansion.
• Shalag Industries, Granville County, $17 million new investment, 72 jobs.
• Deutsche Bank Global Technology, Wake County, $6.7 million new investment, 319 jobs.
• North American Aerodynamics Inc., Person County, $900,000 expansion, 375 jobs.
Hayes pointed out that a big portion of the $1.9 billion figure is a $700 million plan by Duke’s medical system for a massive expansion. “That is coming from an existing business, but they didn’t announce it the year before and the numbers are the numbers,” he explained. “That [Duke news] shows the strength of your existing fabric of business and also shows the strength of the region in the healthcare industry.
“With UNC hospitals, WakeMed and others, we are a health Mecca.”
And overall, the region’s economic health is substantially better than many other parts of the country – well, make that the world.
And more............
Cary Start up to Provide Wireless Service to Super Bowl
CARY, N.C. - Founded less than a year ago, Cary-based Signal Share will provide a wireless Internet connection to the crowds attending Super Bowl XLIV in Miami next month.
Partners Allen Cook and Joe Costanzo met last summer while trying to set up a wireless Internet system at a Toronto music festival. Although the festival was canceled, the pair forged ahead with an idea to bring free, ad-supported Wi-Fi to public events and formed Signal Share.
The company debuted at September's NFL Kickoff in Pittsburgh, and it also provided Wi-Fi access at two North Carolina State University football games and the U2 concert at Carter-Finley Stadium last fall.
Tailgaters took notice, Costanzo said.
"You can stream videos (and) stream music. All those things are now available from the back of your car," he said.
With a few Wi-Fi transmitters, Signal Share will allow the tens of thousands of people at the Super Bowl who have laptops or smart phones to get online more easily. Putting all that Internet traffic on a separate network also means cell phones will work better in the big crowd, the partners said.
The Signal Share system also will let sponsors get a close look at what fans want from the Web, he said.
In a world where everyone's looking for a Wi-Fi hot spot, Cook said the company offers a valuable service.
"We can typically offer speeds much better than a 3G network at its best, which makes for a better user experience," he said.
With several successful events under their belt, the partners say business is taking off. They plan to bring their service to more Atlantic Coast Conference football games next fall.
"(We'll do) big events, big concerts. If there's over 30,000 people, expect to start seeing Signal Share," Costanzo said.
