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Low Business Costs

• No inventory tax.
• Electric rates for industrial, commercial and residential customers are below national average.
• Grants and low-interest loan programs are available.
• North Carolina has a AAA bond rating.
• Tax credit incentives are available to new and expanding industry.
• North Carolina enforces sound fiscal policy through a constitutionally mandated balanced state budget.

• Research Triangle Park continues to be a model for technology corridors around the country.
• Charlotte, a major financial center, is the banking headquarters for Bank of America and Wachovia.
• North Carolina is home to the Global TransPark business complex and education and training center.
• In November 2001, Site Selection ranked North Carolina the #1 best business climate.
• North Carolina ranked number nine in high-tech exports in the American Electronics Association's Cyberstates 2001 report. Business Facilities ranked the state among the top 10 states for high tech growth in 2000.
• Plants Sites and Parks magazine ranked  North Carolina the #4 state for new business sites and facilities in December 2001.

• North Carolina lies within a 700-mile radius of more than 170 million U.S. and Canadian consumers, and at least 70 percent of the nation's industrial base.
• The state offers two deepwater ports that handle nearly five million tons of cargo each year.
• Four international airports provide passenger service by major carriers to most locations throughout the U.S.
• The state boasts a 4,000-mile rail network.

• North Carolina is a "right-to-work" state, with a unionization rate of 2.9 percent - the third-lowest rate in the nation.
• The state's workers have a strong work ethic; absenteeism rates are low.
• Workers' compensation and unemployment insurance rates are among the lowest in the nation.
• The 782,000-person manufacturing workforce is the largest in the Southeast.
• North Carolina offers free, customized skills training through an extensive system of 58 community and technical colleges.
• A state-supported university system (one of the top-rated systems in the country) offers advanced educational opportunities at 16 campuses.
• The R&D capabilities within the internationally recognized Research Triangle Park (RTP) provide support for diverse business and industry endeavors.

• Excellent recreational opportunities from the coast to the mountains.
• Many North Carolina cities are among the highest-ranked in the nation for their quality of life.
• North Carolina is home to numerous cultural and historic attractions, including state museums of art, history and natural science, the N.C. Symphony, local and Broadway theatre and festivals year-round.
• North Carolina is home to three major-league sports teams: the NFL's Carolina Panthers, the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, and the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.
• Host to the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Open and the 2001 and 2007 U.S. Women's Open, North Carolina has over 500 golf courses.