On the heels of news that several biotech companies are considering sizeable investments in Eastern North Carolina, comes word that 2 aerospace companies will also consider the area for new facilities.
Eastern NC – July 29, 2014 – On the heels of news that several biotech companies are considering sizeable investments in Eastern North Carolina, comes word that 2 aerospace companies will also consider the area for new facilities.
A team from the NCEast Alliance recently returned from the Farnborough International Air Show. The weeklong event hosts key decision makers from defense and aerospace companies all across the globe. Farnborough is the 2nd largest air show in the world with over 200,000 attendees and more than 1,500 exhibitors, representing nearly 50 countries.
In a joint venture with the NC Global TransPark (GTP), the Alliance sponsored a kiosk within the North Carolina booth in cooperation with the NC Department of Commerce. A delegation from NC of 18 people, led by Lt. Governor Dan Forest included state, regional and local economic developers as well as company representatives.
NCEast had more than 20 preset meetings with companies as well as regional and national development or aerospace associations and International Aerospace Media organizations. Those meetings included high-level decision makers like CEOs, Sr. VPs and VPs. As a result of the Alliance’s discussions with these executives, several companies are now considering investing in eastern NC, two of which have indicated a decision timeframe of 6-12 months.
”Attending the International Air Shows provides an incredible opportunity to meet with corporate leadership – where else can you go and have 11 meetings with company CEOs,” posed John D. Chaffee, President & CEO of NC East Alliance. “We were very pleased with the results,” continued Chaffee, “including those meetings with companies seeking supplier relationships and partnerships with our local companies – it’s really all about creating job opportunities for people in our region.”
The Alliance will be working closely with local partners on responding to specific requests of companies considering the area and will be organizing site visits in the near future.
The region’s existing critical mass of aerospace employers (with 11,000+ workers) and the large military presence makes eastern NC an attractive location for new and expanding aerospace companies. More than 6,000 highly-skilled exiting military personnel enter the regional labor force each year.
Major aerospace and defense organizations with a presence in the region include: Fleet Readiness Center East on board MCAS Cherry Point, Spirit AeroSystems at the NC GTP, UTC Aerospace in Wilson, AAR Cargo Systems in Goldsboro, Honeywell in Rocky Mount and several others.
In addition to meeting with new prospects, the Alliance also identified several opportunities for area firms to bid on new contracts with US/EU firms and to potentially engage in partnerships with EU/UK firms.
The NCEast Alliance is a regional economic development corporation serving approximately 1 million residents within several small metropolitan and micropolitan areas from the fringe of the Research Triangle to the Atlantic Coast. The Alliance provides community capacity building and assists companies with site location and expansion assistance including identification of available industrial sites and buildings. For more information on the NCEast Alliance, visit us at www.nceast.org or call 1-800-474-8499.