north carolina's eastern region economic development review 2011-12

Major Presence Military installations keep

economy advancing

Blueprint for SuccessManufacturing sector

builds momentum

Towering AboveRegion attracts entrepreneurial talent

nceasterneconomicdevelopment.com

EASTErn rEgion EconoMic DEvEloPMEnT rEviEwnorth Carolina’s

SPonSorED By norTh cArolinA’S EASTErn rEgion | 2011-12

http://crystalcoastnc.org/

n c E A S T E r n E c o n o M i c D E v E l o P M E n T . c o M 5

The road to success doesn’t start just anywhere.

Pitt County, North Carolina has all the qualities

to point your business in the right direction.

With a skilled workforce, excellent access to markets,

low operating costs and much more,

we’ve taken the bumps and detours out

of the drive to grow your business.

Visit us at www.locateincarolina.com to learn how

we can help your business reach

its final destination – SUCCESS.

252.758.1989

www.locateincarolina.com

http://locateincarolina.com/


workstyleBlueprint for Success 20Manufacturing sector builds momentum

Major Presence 26Military installations keep regional economy advancing

new Meaning to life Sciences 32Culture of innovation breeds bio-related growth

Setting the Table 38Eastern Region hosts a bumper crop of value-added agriculture enterprises

Anchoring the Economy 44Full steam ahead for region’s marine trade industry

where America Began 50Eastern Region is rich in heritage experiences

Table of Contents Continued on

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on ThE covEr BB&T office towers in downtown wilson, n.c. Photo by todd bennett



http://www.nceast.org/


EASTErn rEgion EconoMic DEvEloPMEnT rEviEwnorth Carolina’s2011-12 Edition, volumE 1

contEnt dirEctor BILL McMEEkInProofrEading managEr RavEn PEttycontEnt coordinator JEssICa WaLkERStaff WritEr kEvIn LItWIncoPy Editor JILL Wyattcontributing WritErS John FuLLER, katIE kuEhnER-hEBERt, JoE Rada, BEtsy WILLIaMs SEnior graPhic dESignErS LauRa GaLLaGhER, JEssICa MannER, JanInE MaRyLand, kRIs sExton, vIkkI WILLIaMsgraPhic dESignErS RaChaEL GERRInGER, tayLoR nunLEySEnior PhotograPhErS JEFF adkIns, BRIan McCoRdStaff PhotograPhErS todd BEnnEtt, antony BoshIERcolor imaging tEchnician aLIson huntERExEcutivE intEgratEd mEdia managEr suzI McGRudERad Production managEr katIE MIddEndoRFad traffic aSSiStantS kRystIn LEMMon, PatRICIa MoIsan

chairman GREG thuRManPrESidEnt/PubliShEr BoB sChWaRtzManExEcutivE vicE PrESidEnt Ray LanGEnSEnior v.P./SalES todd PottERSEnior v.P./oPErationS CasEy hEstERSEnior v.P./cliEnt dEvEloPmEnt JEFF hEEFnERSEnior v.P./buSinESS dEvEloPmEnt sCott tEMPLEtonSEnior v.P./agribuSinESS PubliShing kIM hoLMBERGv.P./buSinESS dEvEloPmEnt ChaRLEs FItzGIBBonv.P./ExtErnal communicationS tEREE CaRuthERsv.P./viSual contEnt MaRk FoREstERv.P./contEnt oPErationS natasha LoREnsv.P./travEl PubliShing susan ChaPPELLv.P./SalES hERB haRPER, JaREk sWEkoskycontrollEr ChRIs dudLEySEnior accountant LIsa oWEnsaccountS PayablE coordinator MaRIa McFaRLandaccountS rEcEivablE coordinator dIana GuzManofficE managEr/accountS rEcEivablE coordinator shELLy MILLERSalES SuPPort coordinator aLEx MaRksi.t. dirEctor yanCEy BondSyStEm adminiStrator danIEL CantRELLWEb contEnt managEr John hoodWEb ProjEct managEr noy FonGnaLyWEb dESignEr ii RIChaRd stEvEnsWEb dEvEloPEr i yaMEL haLL, nELs nosEWoRthyWEb account managEr LauREn EuBankPhotograPhy dirEctor JEFFREy s. ottomEdia tEchnology dirEctor ChRIstIna CaRdEnmEdia tEchnology analyStS BECa aRy, ChandRa BRadshaW, LanCE ConzEttaudiEncE dEvEloPmEnt dirEctor dEanna nELsonmarkEting crEativE dirEctor kEIth haRRIsdiStribution dirEctor GaRy sMIthExEcutivE SEcrEtary kRIsty dunCanhuman rESourcES managEr PEGGy BLakErEcEPtioniSt LInda BIshoP

North Carolina’s Eastern Region Economic Development Review is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through north Carolina’s Eastern Region. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by email at [email protected].

For MorE inForMATion, conTAcT:north Carolina’s Eastern Region3802 hwy. 58 n. • kinston, nC 28504Phone: (252) 522-2400 • Fax: (252) 523-9017 www.nceast.org

viSit North CaroliNa’s EastErN rEgioN ECoNomiC DEvElopmENt rEviEw onlinE at ncEaStErnEconomicdEvEloPmEnt.com

©Copyright 2011 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool springs Blvd., suite 400, Franklin, tn 37067, (615) 771-0080. all rights reserved. no portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

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insightoverview 11

Business Almanac 12

Business climate 17

Photo gallery 56

Transportation 67

health 73

Education 76

livability 80

Economic Profile 87

Through the lens 88

67

All or part of this magazine is printed with soy ink on recycled paper containing 10% post-consumer waste.

Please recycle this magazine

8 n o r T h c A r o l i n A ’ S E A S T E r n r E g i o n E c o n o M i c D E v E l o P M E n T r E v i E w

Digital Edition

Share with a friendeasily share an interesting article, stunning photo or advertisement of your business on facebook, twitter or via email.

haVe a BLOG Or weBSite?embed the digital magazine into your site to add compelling information about the successful businesses located here, what it’s like to work here and why it’s a great place to live.

dO MOre than JUSt read aBOUt ithear from decision-makers at leading companies, see video of the region’s success stories, and find links to useful demographic information and information sources.

N C E A S T E R N E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T . C O M 33

A team studies mechanisms involved in cell-to-cell communication at East Carolina

University’s Brody School of Medicine.

32 N O R T H C A R O L I N A ’ S E A S T E R N R E G I O N E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T R E V I E W

New Meaning to Life SciencesCulture of innovation breeds bio-related growth

Story by Betsy Williams • Photography by Todd Bennett

nceasterneconomic development.com


http://www.moc.edu/


connEcTionS

lifestyleFind out what it’s like to live here and what makes the region such a special place to be.

ONLINEL IFEst y LE | WoRkst y LE | d IGGInG dEEPER | v IdEo | L Ink to u s | advERt IsE | C ontaC t u s | s ItE MaP

workstylea spotlight on the region’s innovative companies

See the videoour award-winning photographers give you a virtual tour of unique spaces, places and faces.

nEwS AnD noTES >>

our editors give you

the Inside scoop on

the latest development

and trends in the region.

SuccESS BrEEDS SuccESS >>

Meet the people who set the

pace for business innovation. Dig DEEPEr >>

Plug in to the area with

links to local websites

and resources to give you

a big picture of the region.

DATA cEnTrAl >>

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Links to a cross section

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an online resource at ncEASTErnEconoMicDEvEloPMEnT.coM

Major Presence Military installations keep

economy advancing

Blueprint for SuccessManufacturing sector

builds momentum

Towering AboveRegion attracts entrepreneurial talent

nceasterneconomicdevelopment.com


SPonSorED By norTh cArolinA’S EASTErn rEgion | 2011-12

ncEASTErnEconoMicDEvEloPMEnT.coM


http://www.edgecombe.edu/


http://www.rrattorneys.com/


Overview

Delivering the ‘wow’ FactorNorth CaroliNa’s EastErN rEgioN: aN iNvitiNg plaCE to iNvEst, work aNd livE

Welcome to the Eastern Region of north Carolina, a thriving 13-county area of more than 1 million people that is economically and culturally diverse.

the Eastern Region offers an arsenal of advantages, including a highly favorable labor environment, low cost of living, a wealth of developable land and building sites, world-class transportation assets, a central location to market, and a network of colleges and universities.

the region has built key industry clusters that include advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, value-added agriculture, life sciences and tourism, as well as major health care and higher education concentrations.

a highly developed transportation infrastructure includes easy access to major interstates and highways, regional airports and Class I rail carriers. a signature development is the 5,700-acre Global transPark in kinston, which combines space for industrial development with an airport that offers an 11,500-foot runway and one of the region’s two Foreign trade zones. the Port of Morehead City sits just 4 miles from the atlantic ocean and handles both breakbulk and bulk cargo.

the 11 campuses of the north Carolina Community College system, a quartet of four-year higher education institutions and an array of specialized training centers give the region a powerful set of tools for developing and upgrading the skills of the labor force. a roster of manufacturing household names have invested in the region, including Bosch, Electrolux, honeywell, Moen and spirit aerosystems.

With its proximity to the fabled Research triangle, the region has crafted a life sciences sector that

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ONSLOWCARTERET

DUPLIN

JONESPAMLICO

CRAVEN

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LENOIRWAYNE

GREENE

PITT

WILSON

EDGECOMBENASH

Neuse R.

Morehead City

Mount Olive

Washington

Tarboro

Nashville

Snow Hill

Kenansville

Trenton

Bayboro

Oriental

Atlantic Ocean

Pamlico River

Havelock

New Bern

Kinston

Goldsboro

Wilson

Jacksonville

Greenville

Rocky Mount

Raleigh

North Carolina’s Eastern Region

employs more than 5,000 people in such disciplines as pharmaceuticals, medical device manufacturing and services. East Carolina university, a major center of research, includes a medical school, nursing school, a new dental school and a college of allied health sciences. ECu’s Brody school of Medicine ranks among the top medical schools in the nation.

Playing on north Carolina’s high national ranking in agriculture, more than 20,000 people in the region work for some 160 facilities involved in value-added agriculture.

and it’s not all about business. From major battles of the Revolutionary War and Civil War to the african-american experience, the region

embraces its history and culture. the region offers world-class natural assets and some of america’s best beaches. Music and entertainment options combine with a low cost of living, moderate temperatures, safe neighborhoods, unique locally owned shops and shorter commute times to offer an unparalleled quality of life.

Whether it’s coastal living, small-town charm or a larger city, the Eastern Region delivers a multifaceted economy that will make you want to work where you want to live.

north carolina’s Eastern region 3802 highway 58 n. Kinston, nc 28504 (800) 474-8499 www.nceast.org

12 n o r T h c A r o l i n A ’ S E A S T E r n r E g i o n E c o n o M i c D E v E l o P M E n T r E v i E w n c E A S T E r n E c o n o M i c D E v E l o P M E n T . c o M 13

PItt County

lying Down on ThE JoByou can bet they take national hammock day on July 22 seriously in Greenville, where a locally based company doesn’t mind business being flat on its back.

the hammocksource began when tobacco salesman and amateur woodworker Walter R. Perkins Jr. began crafting his own hammocks, which soon became popular with family and friends. From those beginnings grew hatteras hammocks, which eventually counted retailer L.L. Bean among its customers. In 1997, hatteras acquired original Pawleys Island Rope hammock Co. and began doing business as the hammocksource.

In addition to its hammocks, the company, which employs about 150 in Greenville, is also home to sawgrass Mills outdoor rugs and hatteras outdoors hand-built outdoor furniture. the company’s Real deal Brazil is a line of hats and bags handcrafted in Brazil from recycled canvas tarps that once stretched across the beds of cross-country cargo trucks. actor Woody harrelson wore one in the 2009 movie, Zombieland. Go to thehammocksource.com for more.

onsLoW County

nATurAl FlAvorthe Whispering dove Boer Goat Ranch & apiary in onslow County is helping to meet the growing demand for meat goat, also known as cabrito or chevon.

the family-owned ranch raises locally grown goats, lamb and rabbits free from antibiotics or drug residues. the ranch, which is a certified meat goat producer and registered meat handler with the north Carolina department of agriculture, promotes goat meat as a heart-healthy alternative because it is low in fat and calories, and high in protein.

Whispering dove also produces cheeses, natural skin-care products and herbal remedies. the ranch includes an on-site apiary and produces raw honey. Go to www.ncagr.gov/ncproducts/ShowSite.asp?iD=2014 for more.

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Almanac

WaynE County

iT TAKES A villAgEa glimpse of eastern north Carolina life as it was in the 1800s is on display in Wayne County at Waynesborough historical village, a recreated village on 150 acres bordering the neuse and Little rivers.

the 11 structures in the village include a Grange hall, restored farmhouse, doctor’s office, Quaker meeting house, print shop, schoolhouse containing odd Fellow artifacts and a working blacksmith shop.

the village also includes 5 miles of walking trails, picnic areas, a boat launch and fishing sites. It’s also a popular spot for weddings, receptions, business meetings and other events. For more information, visit the website at www.waynesboroughhistoricalvillage.com.


CaRtEREt County

now ThAT’S colDBally Refrigerated Boxes in Carteret County got its start more than 70 years ago in Bally making “ice boxes” that were cooled by blocks of ice.

today, the company operates from a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Morehead City, where it produces walk-in coolers and freezers, refrigerated buildings, modular structures, blast chillers and mortuary coolers.

the company’s products are used in a range of businesses, from restaurant and institutional kitchens, to environmental testing rooms, to large refrigerated warehouses and small floral storage units. Go to www.ballyrefboxes.com for more.

GREEnE County

A DEEPly rooTED TrADiTionnorth Carolina is the nation’s leading grower of sweet potatoes, and Greene County is one of the top 10 counties in the state for sweet potato production. north Carolina produced more than 972 million pounds of sweet potatoes in 2010 and Greene County was responsible for about 6 percent of that total.

a consortium of seven north Carolina growers has formed yamco LLC (www.yamco.net), a snow hill-based food processing company that produces and manages a substantial portion of the state’s sweet potato crop.

the sweet potato is celebrated in a major way in Greene County each fall. the north Carolina sweet Potato Festival is a weekend-long event in snow hill that includes a variety of musical and entertainment acts, games, food and events. Go to www.ncsweetpotatofestival.com for more.

nash County

whErE culTurE coMES TogEThErthe Imperial Centre for the arts & sciences is 135,000 square feet of fun, learning, entertainment and culture under one roof. the state-of-the-art center occupies a renovated and restored former tobacco company complex and library in downtown Rocky Mount.

one of the major cultural facilities on the Eastern seaboard, the center includes an art gallery, a children’s museum and science complex, as well as space for performing arts.

the children’s museum includes 35 interactive science-related stations designed to engage youngsters ages 6 months to 6 years, as well as interactive exhibits featuring information about astronomy and space science, and a live animal gallery. the art center’s permanent collection numbers more than 300 works, primarily by artists from north Carolina and the southeast. Go to www.imperialcentre.org for more.


http://www.onslowedc.com/


Almanac

JonEs County

A luMinAry in PhoTo-luMinEScEnT ProDucTSdefense holdings Inc.’s manufacturing operations in trenton in Jones County help people find their way in the dark. the company’s afterGlow brand of photoluminescent safety products and paint are used in a range of applications. afterGlow products and paint can be found in military vehicles, on ships, the rotors of helicopters and on fixed-wing aircraft.

the company has also developed commercial applications for its products, including emergency exit and safety signs, and for marking steps, slide-outs and other items on recreational vehicles. Its rechargeable sleeveLight product slides over chains, wires, ropes, rods and straps to provide glow-in-the-dark marking capability that can help prevent injuries and equipment damage in low-light situations. For more, go to www.dh-inc.com.

CRavEn County

PEPSi FirST gEnErATionIn 1898, medical school dropout and pharmacist Caleb Bradham christened his blend of carbonated water, sugar, pepsin, kola nut extract, vanilla and “rare oils” as Pepsi Cola at his drugstore soda fountain in new Bern in Craven County. Bradham patented his mixture in 1903, and by 1910 his Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. had 250 franchises in 24 states.

the ‘Birthplace of Pepsi’ store opened at the site of Bradham’s original drugstore in new Bern in 1998 to celebrate Pepsi’s 100th anniversary. the store offers dozens of Pepsi-related gifts and souvenirs, as well as a detailed history of the founder and the soft drink’s early days. Go to www.pepsistore.com for more.

LEnoIR County

cEnTEr oF ATTEnTionBuilt in 1925 as a public school, the Grainger-hill Performing arts Center in kinston is now a 1,131-seat theater housed inside one of the last remaining examples of Greek Classical Revival architecture in north Carolina.

a volunteer group of alumni and friends has raised more than $700,000 for renovations and restorations, and now manages the auditorium. Grainger-hill’s onstage series features concerts in a nightclub-type setting.

the Lenoir Community College PlayMakers and the kinston-Lenoir Performing arts Center also present popular live performances. visit www.ghpac.com for more information.


http://www.econdev.org/


Business Climate

The good of the ManyCollaboration and economic diversity create a dynamic Eastern region economy

story by Betsy Williams • Photography by Todd Bennett

The 13 counties of North Carolina’s Eastern Region have pooled their resources to create a true sense of

regional collaboration that is paying off with new investment, innovation and jobs.

This geographically and economically diverse area features key economic clusters that include advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, life science research and manufacturing (health care, biopharmaceuticals and medical devices), value-added agriculture, tourism and higher education.

rEgionAl collABorATion crEATES EconoMic STrEngTh

A common bond for the region is a deep pool of skilled workers, many of whom come from the thousands of military personnel serving at four major military installations based in the area. With a highly favorable

labor environment, low cost of living, a wealth of construction-ready building sites, world-class transportation assets (including a multimodal airpark and deepwater port), a central location to market and a robust network of colleges and universities, regional leaders have leveraged their strengths to successfully compete in a global marketplace.

Playing a key role is North Carolina’s Eastern Region Development Commission, an economic development agency for the 13-county region. The commission provides a number of services on a region-wide basis, including confidential site location assistance and information to companies considering the region for a business location or expansion.

“We really have strong regional leadership and a group of people who have a sincere desire to improve their communities,” says John Chaffee, president and chief executive officer of North Carolina’s Eastern Region

North CaroliNa’s EastErN rEgioN CouNtiEs• Carteret

• Craven

• Duplin

• Edgecombe

• Greene

• Jones

• Lenoir

• Nash

• Onslow

• Pamlico

• Pitt

• Wayne

• Wilson


• Regional population of more than 1 million

• Workforce numbering more than 470,000

• Four-year college enrollment exceeding 35,000

• Integrated regional workforce training supported by Workkeys/CRCs

• More than 300 advanced manufacturing companies

• Educated workforce augmented by more than 10,000 annual exiting military personnel

• 5 million square feet and more than 5,000 employees in life science R&d and production

• 20,000 workers in more than 160 food production facilities

• top 10 small metro business rankings

• top 10 rankings for world-class beaches and dive locations

iN good CompaNy� norTh cArolinA’S EASTErn rEgioN boasts a sEt of imprEssivE advaNtagEs

Development Commission. “The belief that the good of the many outweighs the good of the one has been a real strength in our region.”

highly SKillED lABor ForcEAmong the primary focus areas is enrichment of an

already skilled workforce, an effort that is enhanced with a major university (East Carolina University, with 28,000 students), three four-year colleges and 11 community colleges located within the region, Chaffee says.

“From our public schools up to the university, we have people partnering with each other,” he says. “This is really exhibited through their willingness in working together to create integrated pathways for students to follow educational opportunities to careers.”

Since 2008, NCER has invested almost $1 million to support workforce development efforts, augmenting other programs provided through traditional resources such as workforce development boards and community colleges to supplement other grants programs, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

NCER doesn’t have one truly dominant urban core or central city, Chaffee says, but Greenville, with its university and major medical center, operates as one. The region


“The belief that the good of the many outweighs the

good of the one has been a real strength in our region.”

includes multiple small metropolitan areas with a distributed population of 1 million people, thus helping to maintain distinct individual community characteristics while blending together to form a very strong region.

“This gives a company or someone moving here a wide array of smart choices within this area,” he says.

wEST PhArMAcEuTicAl, Qvc ExPAnDAnd those choices have proven popular, with

several new announcements in recent months. West Pharmaceutical Services announced in March 2011 that

it will invest $29 million in its Kinston plant during the next five years, after going through a multistate search.

In Tarboro, Keihin Carolina System Technology is expanding, while home-shopping giant QVC will invest $71 million adding 1 million square feet and creating 500 new full- and part-time jobs at its Rocky Mount facility.

The region’s extensive collection of historic and beachfront communities and rich health-care offerings are also luring another population sector to this attractive region – retired baby boomers – thus adding to a growing, thriving economy.

http://waynealliance.org/

n c E A S T E r n E c o n o M i c D E v E l o P M E n T . c o M 21 20 n o r T h c A r o l i n A ’ S E A S T E r n r E g i o n E c o n o M i c D E v E l o P M E n T r E v i E w


Blueprint for Successregion builds vibrant advanced manufacturing sector

story by John Fuller

north Carolina’s Eastern Region has a large and highly developed base of sophisticated

manufacturing companies that run the gamut, from aerospace to engine manufacturing, household goods to heating and air conditioning, to precision instruments and equipment.

Supported by a pro-business environment, a large pool of skilled labor, an array of higher education institutions and attractive state incentives, the sector numbers some 48,000 workers and 780 manufacturing companies – including 14 from outside the United States.

AEroSPAcE TAKES FlighTThe region has been particularly

successful at nurturing the aerospace industry, which includes such major players as Honeywell, Kidde Aerospace and AAR Corp.

The sector received a big lift in 2010 when Spirit AeroSystems, the world’s largest independent supplier of carbon

right: Rick davis, site manager for spirit aerosystems in kinston P

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fiber airplane components, opened a 500,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at the Global TransPark near Kinston.

The high-tech facility designs and makes the composite center fuselage section and front wing spar for the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft. Employment at the facility is more than 200 and is expected to grow to 700 over the next few years. The company has an ultimate employment goal of 1,000, depending on potential future work projects in addition to the A350.

“The community here in the Eastern Region has lived up to every promise they have made to our company,” says Rick Davis, site manager for Spirit AeroSystems. “We have tried to honor that commitment and continue to grow. We are committed to the aerospace cluster in North Carolina and, specifically, the Eastern Region.”

Aerospace companies in the region

have singled out local colleges and universities for their expertise in providing the technical training their workers require. Lenoir Community College, for example, assisted with specialized training for many workers at Spirit. At Craven Community College, the Institute of Aeronautical Technology trains students for technical careers in civilian and military aviation.

In Rocky Mount, Honeywell Inc. operates a center for assembly and testing of fuel control products and provides both original equipment and repair and overhaul for commercial and military applications. The product portfolio there includes fuel controls, fueldraulic actuators and electro-mechanical interface devices.

EASTErn rEgion hoSTS MAny houSEholD BrAnDS

More than 300 durable goods

manufacturers have a presence in the Eastern Region of North Carolina, including such household names as Moen, Electrolux and BSH Home Appliances Corp.

Moen Inc., which has had a major facility in New Bern since 1981, makes a diverse selection of kitchen and bathroom faucets, showerheads and stainless-steel sinks for residential and commercial applications. It is the No. 1 faucet brand in North America and more than 352,000 of its faucets are made at the New Bern plant daily.

Moen received a great deal of attention in North Carolina recently when it hosted a “Manufacturing Makes it Real” tour through the state, along with a number of other North Carolina manufacturers.

The Eastern Region has room for more manufacturing neighbors, with many large-building and land sites available.

air sy�stEm CompoNENtsCounty: EdgecombeEmployment range: 250-499

bsh (bosCh-siEmENs) homE appliaNCEs Corp.County: CravenEmployment range: 500-599

CaroliNa sy�stEm tEChNology�County: EdgecombeEmployment range: 250-499

CoNsolidatEd diEsEl Co.County: nashEmployment range: 1,000+

ElECtrolux homE produCts iNC.County: LenoirEmployment range: 500-599

fiEld CoNtrols llCCounty: LenoirEmployment range: 100-125

flEEt rEadiNEss CENtEr-EastCounty: CravenEmployment range: 1000+

hoNEy�wEll iNC.County: nashEmployment range: 250-499

kEihiN CaroliNa sy�stEms tEChNology�County: EdgecombeEmployment range: 250-499

kiddE tEChNologiEs iNC.County: WilsonEmployment range: 500-999

moEN iNC.County: CravenEmployment range: 500-999

spirit aErosy�stEms iNC.County: LenoirEmployment range: 250-499

sElECt advaNCEd maNufaCturErs iN North CaroliNa’s EastErN rEgioN

north Carolina’s Eastern Region has attracted a number of sophisticated manufacturers including honeywell and aaR Corp.


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http://www.lenoirmemorial.org/


Our Crystal Coast community can improve your bottom line with a highly skilled workforce, world-class training from a nationally recognized community college system, favorable tax structure, top-rated public school system and an affordable lifestyle – all the key resources your company needs to boost profits.

The decision to locate your business in Carteret County is crystal clear.

Imagine this as just one key business asset.

www.carteretedc.com

CRYSTAL CLEAR

3615 Arendell Street • Morehead City, NC 28557 (252) 222-6122 • [email protected]

1971-2011

40 years of creating jobs, investment and opportunity!

Building Bridges with the communityECU ENgiNEEriNg program bolstErs EastErN rEgioN bUsiNEssEs

the engineering department at East Carolina university is tailor-made for north Carolina’s Eastern Region. the department is only 7 years old, but is already proving to be an asset to the region and its manufacturers.

at one time it was more difficult for local manufacturers to attract and retain engineering talent, but ECu is developing programs to change that. after establishing the department, one of the first moves by ECu was the creation of an engineering department advisory board, composed of 42 leaders from the region’s business, education and civic community.

a recent example of the board’s work was helping the department broaden its curriculum. after some feedback, the university decided to add electrical engineering to the department, beginning in spring 2012, with the degree to be conferred in 2014. Currently, the department offers bachelor’s degrees in engineering with four areas of concentration: biomedical, bioprocess, industrial systems, and mechanical. the department has also assisted area community colleges in coordinating a ‘2+2’ college transfer program that allows holders of an associate degree in applied science to transfer up to 60 hours of credit.

the department also has an aggressive campaign in place to attract graduating high school students to ECu.

More than 300 students are enrolled in ECu’s engineering programs, which are projected to grow to 700-750 students over the next five years. the majority of the 61 graduates of the engineering program have remained in the state’s Eastern Region, says dr. o. hayden Griffin, chair of the ECu engineering department.

“If the engineering students come from here, they are happy to stay here,” Griffin says.

advisory board members are

often asked to speak to students on such subjects as business management, leadership and technical areas. Conversely, the engineering department is often called upon to share its expertise with the members of the manufacturing community.

all engineering students are required to take on a capstone project before graduation. often this

program is a partnership between the student, the university and a sponsoring local company in the region. Companies in the region can also draw upon the knowledge and expertise of the university faculty in the engineering department.

“It’s working here, and we are happy that our students are able to find jobs in the region,” Griffin says.

– John Fuller

http://www.carteretedc.com/

Major Presence


military installations keep Eastern region economy marching

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story by John Fuller

w hen there is a 911 call to the U.S. military, chances are those first responders are

from the Eastern Region of North Carolina, and it takes an enormous effort to mobilize and support the forces in the field – logistics, maintenance and IT services.

The region has more than 69,000 active-duty personnel and 12,000 civilian workers at four major facilities: Marine Corps Base Camp

Lejeune, New River and Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Stations (MCAS), and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Less than two hours away are Fort Bragg Army Base and Norfolk Naval Base.

The economic impact of the military presence in the region is well in excess of $3.2 billion annually, and many defense-related businesses have grown and prospered in the region.

“We are extremely fortunate to have

the military here. They are the economic engine of our county and our region,” says Jim Reichardt, executive director of Jacksonville-Onslow Economic Development.

Onslow County is home to both Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River. “We greatly appreciate the efforts the community has made to ensure the Marine Corps can continue to train and deploy in support of national interests,” says Col. Jeffrey Hewlett,

From left: a harrier Jump Jet on display near Cherry Point Marine Corps air station; seymour Johnson air Force Base is one of four major military facilities in the Eastern Region.

clockwise from top: seymour Johnson air Force Base is one of four major military installations in the Eastern Region that combined employ 12,000 civilian workers; an airman collects a fuel sample at seymour Johnson aFB in preparation for a first ever fly-over with biofuel; an evaluation of an F-15E strike Eagle internal boarding ladder; an airman connects a fuel hose to a jet for a demonstration fly-over using biofuel.


commander at MCAS New River.Marine Corps Installations East,

the regional authority that provides support and oversight of seven Marine Corps installations on the East Coast, is at Camp Lejeune, as is the Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC), which conducts counter-terrorism, intelligence operations and unconventional warfare efforts.

Between 6,000 and 8,000 military personnel in the region enter the workforce annually, and their discipline, skills and work ethic is a major selling tool to employers relocating to the region.

The State of North Carolina and the Eastern Region’s community colleges have established Military Business Centers to assist area businesses

seeking to do business with the U.S. Department of Defense. Additionally, the www.MatchForce.com website was set up to assist military personnel in gaining additional skills and finding jobs in the region after discharge.

A major build-up at Camp Lejeune added more than 11,000 Marines and 13,000 dependents to the region between 2008 and 2011. More than $3.5 billion in construction is occurring at Camp Lejeune alone to accommodate growth.

The North Carolina Eastern Region Military Growth Task Force was formed to consider all of the consequences of this expanded military presence in the region and assist communities with planning for the accompanying growth.

• mariNE Corps basE Camp Lejeune, onslow County, 46,679 active-duty military personnel; home of the II Marine Expeditionary Force and the u.s. Marine Corps Forces special operations Command

• mariNE Corps air statioN Cherry Point, Craven County, 9,989 active-duty military personnel; home to the 2nd Marine aircraft Wing, the navy’s Fleet Readiness Center East and the defense department’s vertical Lift Center of Excellence

• mariNE Corps air statioN new River, onslow County, 7,132 active-duty military personnel; supports and enhances the Marine Corps aviation Combat Element, including serving as the Marine Corps’ training center for the Mv-22 “osprey” aircraft

• sEy�mour JohNsoN air forCE basE Wayne County, 4,557 active- duty military personnel; home to the 4th Fighter Wing and the multirole, all-weather F-15E strike Eagle; Provides worldwide deployable aircraft and personnel capable of executing combat missions in support of the aerospace Expeditionary Force

EastErN rEgioN maJor military� iNstallatioNs

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http://www.wilson-nc.com/


Mark Sutherland, executive director of the task force, said the region will absorb what amounts to a city of 65,000 in just a matter of about five years as a result of the expanded military presence.

growTh in DEFEnSE inDuSTryDefense-related industries have

also expanded greatly in the region.AAR Corp. has a major presence

in Goldsboro through its AAR Cargo Systems and AAR Mobility Systems business units. Cargo Systems makes cargo handling equipment for military and commercial aviation, and Mobility

Systems makes large rapid-deployment shelters for the Army and foreign militaries. AAR, which employs 360 people, recently relocated additional manufacturing and an engineering center to Goldsboro.

Vince Misciagna, vice president of business development for AAR’s Structures and Systems Group, says establishing operations in Goldsboro has allowed the company to remain competitive, contribute to the region’s growth and support the military.

“That’s totally within our culture,” he says. “We are actively engaged in hiring veterans, and an important

part of our business and our mission is to support our troops.”

Oshkosh Defense, a manufacturer of tactical military trucks and armored wheeled vehicles, operates a major service facility in Jacksonville, N.C. And Defense Holdings Inc.’s Jones County operations manufacture its AfterGlow brand of photoluminescent safety products and paints used in military and commercial applications.

New Jersey-based Jade Apparel selected a site in Tarboro for a new facility expected to create 100 jobs in the next two years to produce apparel for the military.

an hh-64d rescue helicopter near Cherry Point Marine Corps air station

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new Meaning to life SciencesCulture of innovation breeds bio-related growth

Story by Betsy Williams • Photography by Todd Bennett


A team studies mechanisms involved in cell-to-cell communication at East Carolina

University’s Brody School of Medicine.


And the Oscar goes to ... North Carolina’s Eastern Region.

The 2011 best picture winner, The King’s Speech, shed a bright light on the condition of stuttering, which is good news for a company founded and nurtured in the region. In June 2001, in a clinic of East Carolina University’s College of Allied Health Sciences, the first patient was fitted with a device that improves f luency for those who stutter. Since then, thousands of people worldwide have benefited from the assistance of altered auditory feedback contained in the SpeechEasy device, which along with therapy, improves f luency

for people who stutter.In addition to conducting the

research leading to the patent, ECU provided the clinical services necessary to help launch SpeechEasy. Janus Development Group was established as a spin-off company and licensed to develop and market the product, which today is available throughout the United States and in more than 30 other countries.

liFE SciEncES crEATE JoBSThe success of Janus is just one

example of research investments paying off for the region, and for the state. ECU scientists are actively

engaged in many research areas including medical devices and biotechnology. In North Carolina, biotechnology activities have an estimated $64 billion impact on the economy and account for more than 220,000 jobs. The state ranks third nationally for bioscience companies.

Located less than 90 miles from the world-famous Research Triangle Park – and with significantly lower operating costs – the Eastern Region earned its own reputation as a home to life sciences investment and innovation attracting large pharmaceutical manufacturers in the late 1960s. Now more than 5,000

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people in the region are employed in life science-related enterprises.

Heavyweights such as Merck, Hospira and Sandoz (Novartis) are among the biopharmaceutical manufacturers and medical device manufacturer Becton Dickinson & Co. just opened a $100 million operation. The region is rich with clinical research and testing, medical device development, information technology, marine science and business support resources.

Operating from a 51,000-square-foot facility in Carteret County, the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST) brings together

researchers from agriculture, life sciences, veterinary medicine and physical sciences for multidisciplinary studies on sea life, aquatic animals and the ocean. Nearby are the UNC Institute for Marine Sciences, the Duke University Marine Lab, and a NOAA research facility.

Metrics, a Greenville contract analytical laboratory and contract pharmaceutical development and manufacturing company with more than 250 employees, is a successful local start-up.

In Farmville, Carolina Medical Products makes products used in hospitals and nursing homes including

its nonprescription skin cream, Absorbase, and a product that removes excess potassium from the body. Drug developer PharmStar Pharmaceuticals announced in April 2011 that it was acquiring a 24,000-square-foot facility in Wilson, where it would locate its R&D and production to help speed commercialization of its f lagship liquid aspirin formula, Aquaprin.

Purdue Pharmaceuticals LP in Wilson has expanded its original 140,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing, packaging and distribution facility for oral solid


http://www.ncgtp.com/


dosage tablets to 240,000 square feet.The region includes a roster of

resources that support life sciences activities, including the Technology Enterprise Center of Eastern Carolina, NC Community College System BioNetwork Bioprocessing Center and the Gateway Technology Center.

Technologies developed in the Eastern Region are helping farmers around the world meet increasing demand for food, alleviate modern life’s impact on the environment and develop bio-based alternative fuels, says Mark Phillips, executive director of the Eastern Region for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. “The goal is to develop industries that heal, feed and fuel the world,” he says.

rEgion invESTS in innovATionNCBC has funded more than

$8 million in grants to promote biotechnology activities in the Eastern Region, including $5 million designated to ECU.

“East Carolina University is engaged in a regional renaissance of innovation and entrepreneurism,” says Marti Van Scott, director of the university’s Office of

Technology Transfer. “We’re transforming knowledge into products for global prosperity.”

Other ventures founded directly from ECU’s innovation include EpiGenesis Pharmaceuticals, focused on asthma therapeutics, and Entegrion, focused on products to control hemorrhage, wound management and tissue repair. ECU faculty have created other firms such as Encelle (now Pioneer Surgical Orthobiologics), clinical trials management firm CTMG Inc. and Chirzyme Labs.

ECU’s Brody School of Medicine is a pioneer in health sciences. The cardiovascular center is a world leader in the development of minimally invasive robotic heart surgery and the metabolic center is a pioneer in bariatric and minimally invasive surgery research. The university will open a school of dentistry in fall 2011.

“The Eastern Region knows how to get things done, Van Scott says. “There’s a true ‘can-do’ attitude here that makes things happen, whether it’s in the medical arena, education or innovation.”

biosCiENCE: by� thE NumbErs

$264 millionEstimated annual payroll of bioscience companies located in Eastern region

5,280number of workers in the Eastern region’s life sciences industry

26number of bioscience-related companies in north carolina’s Eastern region

4.5 millionAmount of production space in square feet used by bioscience-related firms in the Eastern region

East Carolina university’s Brody school of Medicine is a pioneer in health sciences.


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Setting the TableEastern region hosts a bumper crop of value-added agriculture enterprises

story by Kevin Litwin

T he Eastern Region helps feed the nation.Playing on North Carolina’s high

national ranking in such areas as sweet potato, cucumber, pork, poultry and seafood production, more than 20,000 people in the region work for some 160 facilities involved in value-added agriculture.

Major names including Mt. Olive, Butterball, Sara Lee, Smithfield Foods, The Cheesecake Factory and home-grown Flowers Baking Co. take advantage of access to product, water for processing, attractive transportation options and major markets to turn out a variety of products.

The nation’s eighth-largest chicken producer and the ninth-largest turkey producer are headquartered under one roof in Duplin County. More than 2,000 employees work at House of Raeford Farms,

a family-owned business started by Nash Johnson and his two sons in the 1950s. Family member Marvin Johnson is still chairman of the company, and Robert Johnson is CEO.

Most of the company’s business is transacted with food service companies that sell to restaurants, hospitals and supermarkets, says Dave Witter, House of Raeford Farms manager of corporate sustainability and communications. “Our ‘House of Raeford Farms’ name doesn’t go onto chicken and turkey packages you see in stores. For example, we produce the chickens and turkeys for Winn Dixie, then they put their private labels on all of the packages that consumers see in their supermarkets,” he says.

The region’s resources to assist the industry include research centers at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer

thE ChEEsECakE faCtory�TheCheesecakeFactoryoperatesfourhugebakeriesintheUnitedStates,includinga104,000-square-footfacilitythatopenedinRockyMountin2006,onlythesecondsuch“volume”productionfacilityforthecompany.TheRockyMountplantoperatesround-the-clock,sevendaysaweek,turningoutproductsforCheesecakeFactory’s150restaurants,aswellasitsfoodserviceandretailbusinesses.

Mt. olive Pickle Co. in Wayne County produces the second-largest-selling brand of pickles in the u.s.


Services and Cooperative Extension Service programs at North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University.

Mt. Olive Pickle Co. produces 120 million jars of its products each year, making it the second-largest-selling brand of pickles in the country. Its sole manufacturing facility – located at the corner of Cucumber and Vine – is in Mount Olive in Wayne County, where it employs 500 year-round workers along with 300 part-timers during the company’s summer green season. Mt. Olive Pickle also produces relishes and peppers, and its products are shipped to all 50 states.

“Generations of families with strong work ethics have been employees at this company,” says Lynn Williams, company public relations manager. “The turnover rate is very low for a manufacturing facility of our size.”

One of the most significant and historical value-added agriculture products in the region is lumber, and more recently paper products, with the presence of major producers such as Weyerhaeuser and Georgia-Pacific.

But forests and marginal farmlands are expected to yield other new products as well – advanced biofuels and bio-based materials that will reduce demand for petroleum and chemical-based products.

Research conducted in the region at East Carolina University, nearby NC State and by private companies will result in new, as well as variations of, existing crops that will be more disease and drought resistant. In spring 2011, DuPont announced plans to build a new research facility near Kinston for its Pioneer Hi-Bred subsidiary. Research at the 26,000-square-foot facility will focus on soybean breeding, product development, corn product testing and characterization for farmers in the South.

The region is also developing a taste for seafood-related agribusiness. Carolina Classics Catfish in Pitt County processes farm-raised catfish at operations that include a hatchery, ponds, feed mill and plant. Carolina Classics Catfish products are sold at high-end grocery stores, seafood outlets and restaurants primarily in the Southeast.

“By raising products that are easy on the land and water, and by efficiently converting a grain-based diet into healthy fish, we believe that we fill an important seafood need,” says Rob Mayo, president.

that’s a lot of drumstiCksTheButterballoperationinMountOliveistheworld’slargestturkeyplant,at675,000squarefeet.Thecompanysellsmorethan1billionpoundsofturkeyayear,andnetsmorethan$1billioninannualrevenue.Butterballspecializesinturkey,cureddelimeats,rawroastsandspecialtyproductssuchassoupsandsalads,sandwichesandentrees.

approximately 160 facilities in value-added agriculture, including Mt. olive, sara Lee and smithfield Foods, operate in the Eastern Region.


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The 2010 brand-new two-million-dollar renovation is complete,

and we are waiting for you! The Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Kinston

is the best value for you or your visiting guests. We provide terrific

customer service, offer a hot complimentary Fresh Start breakfast,

and are conveniently located off of US 70.

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites of Kinston

Stay Real, Stay You.Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites1156 Hill Farm Rd. • Kinston, NC 28504 • (252) 559-8888 • (252) 559-6588 faxwww.hiexpress.com/kinstonnc

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Feedstock to Fuel our Future.Duplin County’s rich natural resources are leading the way for a greener tomorrow.

Contact: Heather Beard • P.O. Box 929 • Kenansville, NC 28349 (910) 296-2180 • Toll-free: (800) 755-1755 • Fax: (910) 296-2184

E-mail: [email protected] • www.duplinedc.com

Animal fats and waste, woody

biomass, and a variety of agricultural

crops make Duplin County an ideal

location for biofuel development.

Centrally located along North

Carolina’s I-40 corridor between

Wilmington, Raleigh and five of the

largest military bases in the country,

Duplin County is home to nearly

25,000 workers and a regional labor

pool of 400,000 plus.

Bottle groundwiNEriEs takE root iN thE EastErN rEgioN

here’s a toast to the wine and grape industries in north Carolina.

the wine and grape sector accounts for more than 5,700 jobs throughout the tar heel state, providing an annual economic impact surpassing $800 million. Its 100 wineries rank north Carolina among the top five states in destinations for wine travelers and wineries.

Good soil and favorable weather conditions help make north Carolina a strong locale for grape growing, and specifically in the Eastern Region, which has cultivated a growing crop of wineries.

the duplin Winery in Rose hill is the world’s largest muscadine wine producer, accounting for more than 1.4 million gallons annually. a total of 100,000 visitors experience its production facility each year, and its north Carolina wines include Magnolia, which was recently featured in Martha Stewart Living as a favorite summertime wine.

the staff at a secret Garden Winery in Pikeville in Wayne County prides itself on making all of its wines without chemicals or preservatives. the winery is in the process of having its operation certified as organic. the winery produces a variety of reds, whites, blushes and fruits, and strawberry squeeze sweet and Mary Rose Red are among its best sellers.

For more than 40 years, the Country squire Restaurant and vintage Inn in duplin County has been a landmark dining spot and country inn on n.C. highway 50 between kenansville and Warsaw. now, the destination is also home to the Country squire Winery, which produces vintages such as merlot, cabernet, riesling, chardonnay and white zinfandel. the winery also ships online orders.

– Kevin Litwin

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S tAff Photo


Anchoring the EconomyFull steam ahead for region’s marine trade industry

story by Katie Kuehner-Hebert

T he waterways of the Eastern Region have spawned a vibrant boat-building and marine

services industry.More than 40 firms employing

roughly 3,300 people are spread throughout four counties, all with navigable waters within their boundaries, as well as direct access to the Port at Morehead City and the Intracoastal Waterway.

Grady-White Boats in Greenville was founded in 1959 by Glenn Grady and Don White to build premium-quality wooden fishing boats. Nine

years later, Eddie Smith bought the company and managed the transition into the manufacturing of fiberglass boats. Now the company has grown to roughly 200 employees. Grady-White sells its boats (from 18 to 36 feet) through a dealer network spanning the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

“There’s a heritage of coastal fishing here, which makes it an excellent resource for us to test our products,” says Joey Weller, vice president of sales and marketing. “Additionally, the labor force in

eastern North Carolina understands the value of building a great offshore product.”

The company is an eight-time winner of the J.D. Power and Associates Highest in Customer Satisfaction ranking.

Hatteras Yachts, founded in 1959, builds sports fishing boats and motor yachts.

The company was originally based in High Point, but relocated to New Bern so that it could transport its large boats via water, says Bob Nenni, chief financial officer.



The firm now employs more than 400 workers.

“Our boats are very well-suited to the rough Outer Banks of North Carolina, but a lot of waters get rough and people like to have protection below, so that cause has gone much farther than the Carolinas. We sell our boats worldwide,” Nenni says.

There is marine-related enterprise in the region that’s off the water.

Big Rock Sports in Newport services more than 15,000 fishing, ice fishing, hunting, shooting, camping and marine retailers in 50 states, the Caribbean and nine foreign countries.

The company has nearly 500,000 square feet of warehouse space at its headquarters and five distribution centers around the country.

Kencraft is an independent boat manufacturer in Wilson

the north Carolina small Business and technology development Center supports the state’s marine industry through its unique Boating Industry services (BIs) program. Marine trade specialists provide one-on-one counseling to assist companies in management and operations, marketing and sales, business expansion, personnel and regulatory affairs. BIs specialists also work with statewide economic development agencies to attract out-of-state marine-related companies through trade shows, media ads and articles, monthly newsletters and its website. Moreover, BIs maintains a database of more than 3,500 marine-related companies throughout the state at www.ncwaterways.com. the website also lists information on education and training, business and regulatory services, and the boating industry job market. the state gives north Carolina marine-related companies additional incentives, including no inventory or intangibles taxes, and no sales tax on raw materials.

shipmatEs iN thE statE uniQuE ProgrAM SuPPorTS MArinE inDuSTry

Grady-White Boats in Greenville is among 40 companies in the Eastern Region that are involved in the boat-building and marine services industry.

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http://www.guc.com/

http://www.suddenlink.com/


that sells SeaKing and Bay Rider lines of skiffs. “We’ve been building boats since 1975 and we’re still family-owned,” says Ken Vick, president. “There are 100 miles of coastline here, which is ideal for the small skiff market.”

In the 1980s, Randy Ramsey led the construction of a single 52-foot charter boat, the Sensation, in an old tin shed in Williston.

Word-of-mouth spread so fast that Ramsey and his team were asked to make custom sport-fishing boats for others, and in

1986, Jarrett Bay Boatworks was formed. Today, the company also repairs just about any kind of boat on its Beaufort site, where it has also developed an industrial park with direct access to the water that houses about 20 marine-related firms that service boaters.

“We’re located on the Intracoastal Waterway, and it’s a handy location for boaters from New York or Florida to stop here and get some work done,” says Dew Forbes, senior vice president.

what’s online For more about the Eastern region’s maritime industry, visit nceasterneconomic development.com.

two early model Grady-White boats are on display at the company’s facility in Greenville

todd BEnnE t t

http://ncnortheasterneconomicdevelopment.com/


where America BeganEastern region is rich in heritage experiences

story by Kevin LitwinPhotography by Todd Bennett

T ourism tops a whopping $17 billion a year in North Carolina, and the Eastern

Region is a big reason why.The region is rich in heritage

and history, home to the earliest settlements from the Old World, and a center of major conflicts in both the American Revolution and Civil War.

The Eastern Region is part of a consortium that is seeking National Heritage Area designation status, at which point federal funds could be secured to develop, package and promote historical, natural and

cultural sites in a 40-county area.“The Eastern Region is lucky

to have so many attractions worth seeing,” says Len Kulik, senior vice president of North Carolina’s Eastern Region. “Our Eastern Region organization is actually launching a revised www.visitnceast.org tourism website that is very itinerary-focused to showcase the experiences, culture and heritage associated with this interesting part of North Carolina.”

Heritage tourism has long been one of the focal points of the region’s tourism-related economy. A study by

the garden at tryon Palace in new Bern, one of the state’s most popular attractions.


Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and heritage Center on harkers Island


the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University found that heritage tourism accounts for up to 40 percent of North Carolina’s robust tourism industry.

Attractions such as the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center on Harkers Island preserves the traditions of the fishermen, boat builders and other craftsmen who have

called the region home since the 17th century. Rocky Mount in Nash County was the site of the region’s first rail line, while eight Eastern Region counties are part of an African American Music Trail that chronicles the story of noted musicians and singers.

From the Civil War Museum in Kinston, to the North Carolina Baseball Museum in Wilson, to

historic homes, churches, cemeteries and villages, the Eastern Region is in touch with its roots.

Tryon PAlAcE: STATE-oF-ThE-ArT hiSTory

In New Bern, Tryon Palace served as the first permanent capital of North Carolina and site of the first general assembly sessions. Completed in 1770,

Top: north Carolina Baseball Museum in Wilson; Bottom photos: Core sound Waterfowl Museum and heritage Center on harkers Island


it housed the state’s governors until fire destroyed the original Palace building in 1798. An extensive 30-year campaign to rebuild the Palace took place from 1929 to 1959, with the triumphant reopening occurring in 1959.

“Today, Tryon Palace is one of the most visited historic heritage attractions in the entire state,” Kulik says. “And it recently added a North Carolina History Center that is interactive and state-of-the-art.”

ForT MAcon AnD ThE civil wArFort Macon is part of Fort Macon

State Park, an attraction on the ocean in Atlantic Beach. In addition to the historic fort, the 398-acre park offers public access to the surf, sun and sand.

The five-sided Fort Macon, which was built between 1826 and 1834, is constructed of brick and stone, and 26 rooms are enclosed by outer walls that average 4.5 feet thick. The fort, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was the scene of a significant Civil War battle while occupied by Confederate troops and endured more than a month of Union artillery attacks before the Union gained control if it.

QuEEn AnnE’S rEvEngEFamed English pirate Blackbeard

sailed to America in the early 1700s and purposely ran one of his ships – Queen Anne’s Revenge – aground in the Beaufort Inlet.

Guns and more than 10,000 artifacts have been recovered from the wreckage, and its excavation site in Morehead City was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

The North Carolina Division of Archives and History’s Office of State Archaeology is managing the project, which involves several individuals, organizations and institutions. Recovered Queen Anne’s Revenge ship parts, treasures and artifacts are being brought to East Carolina University’s Greenville research campus to be studied and restored.

“Many of the artifacts eventually will be on display at the NC Maritime Museum in downtown Beaufort,” Kulik says.

From top: Fort Macon state Park in atlantic Beach; tryon Palace in new Bern


give Them a whirlrENowNEd sCUlptor’s whirligigs go pUbliC

north Carolina native vollis simpson is a renowned sculptor, but for most of his life he has kept many finished works in his backyard. that is, until now.

simpson, 92, lives in Wilson with his wife, Jean. the couple agreed in 2010 to contribute 32 of his large-scale Whirligig sculptures – colorful, wind-powered kinetic structures – to a 2-acre downtown public park established in his honor. the Whirligigs are now on display at vollis simpson Windmill Park.

“vollis simpson has gained national, even international, acclaim for his work and has a great collection of Whirligigs out at his farm, but few people get to see them,” says C. Bruce Rose, mayor of Wilson. “Preserving these pieces and moving them downtown is a nice attraction for us.”

simpson also has some of his windmill-like creations as part of permanent collections at the north Carolina Museum of art and the american visionary art Museum in Baltimore.

“nearly anyone can look at his great windmills and not only immediately grasp how they work, but appreciate intuitively their constantly changing delights,” says Roger Manley, director of the Gregg Museum of art & design at north Carolina state university.

Linda Carlisle, secretary of the north Carolina department of Cultural Resources, says Windmill Park will ultimately become a major destination for cultural travelers worldwide.

“Creativity means business in north Carolina,” Carlisle says. “through attractions like this, Wilson is poised to reap the benefits.”

– Kevin Litwin


Gallery


A pier at Topsail Beach near Jacksonville in onslow county Staff Photo

inside the george w. Dixon house in new Bern Photo by Todd Bennett



rose hill in nashville, n.c. Staff Photo


cSS neuse State historic Site in Kinston Photo by Todd Bennett


what’s online For more about the Eastern region’s entrepreneurship and innovation, visit nceasterneconomicdevelopment.com.


Energy/Technology

Eastern region resources develop entrepreneurial talent

w hile it’s home to many well-established companies, the Eastern Region has

placed a major focus on nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation.

The state’s Small Business and Technology Development Centers provide a host of services and expertise, from business management, to identifying capital sources, to research and marketing help for emerging companies.

In Lenoir County, the Kinston Enterprise Center is a 30,000-square-foot business incubator housed in a renovated former department store in downtown Kinston. The center helps entrepreneurs transform their ideas

into viable enterprises. The center, owned by Pride of Kinston, provides a suite of services to assist emerging companies, from writing business plans and marketing strategies to preparing successful funding proposals.

Similar facilities are located in other communities throughout the region. To assist many of the start-up companies in these communities, the state established and funded Small Business Centers at each community college to provide access to business counselors and seminars.

North Carolina’s Eastern Region (NCER) has sought to assist entrepreneurs in other ways, partnering with the East Carolina

center of innovation

Employees on the job at M&W sales, a company aided by the small Business and technology development Center at East Carolina university

story by John FullerPhotography by Todd Bennett


University-based SBTDC office to launch Inception Micro Angel Fund East, or IMAF East.

NCER invested more than $250,000 in IMAF East at the ratio of $1 for every $2 invested by private individuals. The fund has invested in several nascent companies to date that are provided assistance by the SBTDC.

EAST cArolinA univErSiTy nurTurES EnTrEPrEnEurS

The Office of Engagement, Innovation and Economic Development at ECU leverages its resources to assist entrepreneurs and faculty members in bringing their ideas to commercial reality.

The office recently opened an Innovation Lab to assist faculty, students and area businesses design and produce prototypes. The lab can also be used for training.

The Office of Technology Transfer at ECU assists with intellectual property and licensing matters and manages the university’s portfolio of patents and licenses.

ECU’s Entrepreneurial Initiative creates innovative partnerships with public and private organizations to help the university develop companies and take products and services to market, says Marty Hackney, the program’s director. Likewise, it helps entrepreneurs in the region by creating partnerships with experts at ECU, who sometimes act as investors.

The Entrepreneurial Initiative assisted Ken Fosaaen in the launch of his startup firm in Greenville,

From top: a scientist at Pioneer surgical orthoBiologics works in a lab at the technology Enterprise Center of Eastern Carolina; a business counselor from the sBtdC at East Carolina university meets with a business owner at his store.


Fosaaen Technologies LLC, which is developing green technology products that help control engine emissions.

“I’m an engineer and I know the technology, but I had no idea about how to operate a business,” Fosaaen says.

Angel investors arranged by the Entrepreneurial Initiative provided operational expertise to Fosaaen, and the program helped him identify some public and private grant sources to help him fund his work through the development phases.

Fosaaen was also the beneficiary of help from one of the several community-based enterprise centers in the Eastern Region. The Technology Enterprise Center of Eastern Carolina in Greenville provided him laboratory

space as he developed his product.The 35,000-square-foot center

includes more than 22,000 square feet of office and lab space and is designed for use on a short-term lease basis by developing technology-based companies. One of its tenants, Pioneer Surgical OrthoBiologics, has made breakthroughs in wound-healing products.

The center provides office space, administrative services, lab facilities and light manufacturing space, including a clean room.

“We have been very deliberate in our focus on helping tech-based companies,” says Wanda Yuhas, executive director of the Pitt County Development Commission, the owner and manager of center.

http://www.lenoircc.edu/


Less hassle.

More convenience.

Less is more.

Offering US Airways Jet Service

Smaller crowds

Shorter lines and security checks

Uncongested gates and timely departures

Convenient baggage carousel

Centralized rental car counters

Fewer parking hassles

Restaurant

Wireless Internet

400 Airport Rd. Greenville, NC 27832

(252) 758-4707 (252) 758-9436

Visit www.usairways.com

or call your local travel agent.

http://www.usairways.com/default.aspx


o ne look at a map illustrates that when it comes to transportation assets, the Eastern Region has it all: deep-water

port, Class I and short line rail carriers, access to major interstates and highways, commercial airports and premier logistics facilities.

“Our transportation assets are key to our economic development success,” says John Gessaman, president and CEO of Carolinas Gateway Partnership. “Interstate access and access to ports, air and rail transportation play a major role in companies choosing to stay and grow and to relocate in our region.”

The robust transportation infrastructure is important to major distributors such as QVC Inc., which is expanding its facility in Edgecombe County by 1 million square feet.

The company plans to add 200 full-time and 300 part-time jobs and invest $71 million during the next five years. Logistics companies including Kanban Logistics, DB Schenker and Longistics all are located within the region.

“North Carolina has the advantage of being located halfway between Boston and Miami, and located in the Eastern Region is the intersection of the East Coast north/south ‘Main Street’ of I-95 and east/west I-40, which provides terrific access for distribution, importing and exporting of products,” says John Chaffee, president and CEO of North Carolina’s Eastern Region.

U.S. 64 and U.S. 264 complement I-40 for east/west accessibility. U.S. 70, a four-lane divided highway, links area cities with the

Eastern region, Easy Accessstory by Betsy Williams • Photography by Todd Bennett

Transportation

port, roads, rail and runways keep commerce moving

North CaroliNa global traNspark• 2,500-acreindustrial

parkandairport

• 5,775acresenvironmentallypermittedfordevelopment

• Airport(ISO)withan11,500-footrunway

• ForeignTradeZone241

• HometotheCompositeCenterofExcellence,a33,000-square-footon-sitetrainingandeducationcenter

• ProximitytoI-95andI-40andthreeAtlanticCoastdeepwaterports;willhavearailspuroperationalby2012

• Telecommunicationsinfrastructure,fiberopticnetworkandfullutilitieson-site


port of morEhEad City�

4 milesDistance from the Atlantic ocean

225,000Tons of capacity warehouse and open dry-bulk storage

1.77 millionTons moved through port in fiscal year 2010

587number of ships and barges moved through port in fiscal year 2010

567,865Tons exported to india, the port’s top foreign destination

port at Morehead City to the east and the Raleigh-Durham/Research Triangle area to the west, and serves as a connector to I-40 and I-95.

The North Carolina Global TransPark (GTP) in Kinston is a signature development in the Eastern Region. Located within the GTP is the Kinston Regional Jetport, which features the longest runway between Washington D.C. and Atlanta. The GTP is home to Foreign Trade Zone 214 (one of two FTZs in the Eastern Region) and is focused on attracting aerospace, logistics, manufacturing, emergency services, defense contracting and support industries. The FTZs remove some of the customs red tape and provide duty and tax advantages for companies doing international business.

In January 2011, Spirit AeroSystems opened a facility

the Port of Morehead City is the second-largest importer in the country for natural rubber and a leading exporter of phosphate.


A crane used to offload ships at the Port of Morehead City

within the GTP. Spirt will use the Port of Morehead City to ship aircraft components to western France.

The Port of Morehead City, one of the deepest ports on the East Coast and located just four miles from the Atlantic Ocean, is also an FTZ. The port handles both break-bulk and bulk cargo. It is the second-largest importer in the country for natural rubber and a leading exporter of phosphate. The region’s location midway between Norfolk,

Va., and Wilmington, N.C., and easy highway and rail access to Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C., give it easy access to international ports.

Class I rail carriers Norfolk Southern, serving the port and surrounding areas, and CSX operate in the region and offer daily freight service. Passenger rail by Amtrak is available from stations in Rocky Mount and Wilson.

Interstate 40 runs through duplin County and connects the Eastern Region with Wilmington, Raleigh-durham, Greensboro and the western u.s.

Interstate 95, running through Wilson and nash counties, is one of the most important north-south travel routes on the East Coast.

u.s. highway 70 is the Eastern Region’s “Main street,” linking area cities with the Port at Morehead City to the east, the Raleigh-durham/Research triangle area to the west, and serving as a connector to I-40 and I-95.

other key routes in the region include Interstate 795, u.s. highways 64, 264, u.s. 17, 117 and 258, and state routes 11, 24, 55 and 58.

Regional airports in Greenville, new Bern and Jacksonville offer daily commercial flights to Charlotte, atlanta and Philadelphia via delta and us airways.

the kinston Regional Jetport’s 11,500-foot ILs runway is the longest commercial runway between Washington d.C. and atlanta. the airport is the centerpiece of the Global transPark (GtP) business park.

two major airports, Raleigh-durham and Wilmington-new hanover County, provide international connections and are within easy driving distance.

the region is also served by numerous general aviation airports.

highway�s airports

http://www.onslowcountync.gov/airport/


http://www.carolinaeasthealth.com/default.aspx


Health

Eastern region hospitals provide leading-edge treatment

T he Eastern Region is a center for health-care excellence and innovation, with East Carolina University in Greenville among the leaders. ECU

is a major center of health-care research and home to a medical school, nursing school and college of allied health sciences.

Its physicians pioneered minimally invasive surgery using the da Vinci robotic surgical system during clinical trials and ECU still serves as an international training site for cardiac surgeons performing mitral valve surgery.

The university’s Brody School of Medicine ranks among the top medical schools in the country that emphasize primary care, according to the annual listing of the top graduate schools by U.S. News & World Report. And ECU is making more medical news by adding a school of dental medicine that will see its first class begin in fall 2011.

East Carolina University is but one aspect of the region’s health-care assets. From its major population centers and more rural locales, the region is blanketed by a strong network of 15 hospitals that provide a full range of treatment and cutting-edge medical technology.

To enhance health care services offered in the region, the Veteran’s Administration announced in late 2010 that it would build a 100,000-square-foot clinic and a nursing home to accommodate the growing number of veterans that have chosen to retire in the area.

University Health Systems (UHS) of Eastern Carolina is an eight-hospital health services provider, with its f lagship being the 861-bed Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville that employs over 5,000. Pitt Memorial’s kidney disorder and rehabilitation services were ranked as high performing by US News on its annual Best Hospitals list in

Strong Medicine

story by Kevin Litwin

on the campus of East Carolina university, facilities include 489,000 square feet of classroom, lecture hall, teaching lab and conference room space, as well as a 525-seat auditorium, administrative offices for the school of Medicine and the health sciences Library. the complex also includes an MRI facility, outpatient center, pediatric outpatient center and a biotechnology center housing research labs.

• Fourth-oldest medical school in north Carolina, having opened in 1974

• student body of about 450 students, and around 450 faculty members and researchers

• Ranked as a “top medical school” in 2011 by U.S. News & World Report for primary care, rural medicine and family medicine

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2010. The hospital serves as the Level One trauma center for 42 counties in eastern North Carolina.

UHS also operates Heritage Hospital in Tarboro, Bertie Memorial Hospital in Windsor, Chowan Hospital in Edenton, Duplin General Hospital in Kenansville, Roanoke-Chowan Hospital in Ahoskie and The Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head, and has a management agreement with Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City.

UHS has 1,500 licensed beds spanning 29 counties, says Barbara Dunn, UHS director of public and customer relations. Through an affiliation agreement with the ECU Brody School of Medicine, Pitt County Memorial serves as an academic center for Brody School students and can train up to 350 primary-care residents at one time.

Lenoir Memorial Hospital is licensed for 261 beds, and the Kinston hospital serves patients in Lenoir, Greene, Jones and surrounding counties. LMH is not-for-profit with a staff of 100 physicians. The hospital offers specialized care that includes cardiology, pulmonology and oncology, and recently added thoracic and vascular surgery services.

Onslow Memorial Hospital, founded in 1944, is a 162-bed hospital in Jacksonville, along the Eastern Region coastline. OMH

is nationally accredited by The Joint Commission, and the hospital has been undertaking several expansion projects in recent years,including a revamped emergency department and surgical pavilion, and the 2011 debut of the Radiation Oncology Center.

Nash Health Care Systems began in 1971 and has grown to five different licensed medical entities, all in Rocky Mount, including the 280-bed Nash General Hospital, a psychiatric-care facility, rehabilitation center, long-term care facility and outpatient services center.

NHCS employs 2,000 people and generates $500 million in annual revenues, says Larry Chewning, the system’s president and CEO. The system’s facilities serve more than 200,000 people, primarily in Nash, Edgecombe, Halifax and Wilson counties, many of whom live in rural areas.

NHCS offers a full array of surgical and diagnostic services that include a heart center for catheterization, da Vinci robotic surgery and a joint replacement center. For seven consecutive years, Nash Health Care was ranked as one of the top 10 hospitals in North Carolina by Business Carolina magazine for clinical excellence, critical care, orthopedic care and stroke care.

“We also deliver 1,300 babies annually,” Chewning says.

hospitals iN North CaroliNa’s EastErN rEgioN• BrynnMarrBehavioral

HealthcareSystem,Jacksonville

• CarolinaEastMedicalCenter,NewBern

• CarteretCountyGeneralHospital,MoreheadCity

• CherryHospital(StatePsychiatric),Goldsboro

• DuplinGeneralHospital,Kenansville

• HeritageHospital,Tarboro

• LenoirMemorialHospital,Kinston

• LifeCareHospital,RockyMount

• NashHealthCareSystems,RockyMount

• NavalHospital,CampLejeune

• OnslowMemorialHospital,Jacksonville

• PittCountyMemorialHospital,Greenville

• WalterB,JonesAlcoholandDrugAbuseTreatmentCenter,Greenville

• WayneMemorialHospital,Goldsboro

• WilsonMedicalCenter,Wilson

From far left: nash General hospital in Rocky Mount; Lenoir Memorial hospital in kinston; onslow Memorial hospital in Jacksonville, n.C.

todd BEnnE t t staFF Photo


Education

Eastern region offers innovative education opportunities

learning, working, Succeeding

Colleges in the Eastern Region offer a number of innovative programs to help workers improve their skills.

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story by Jessica Walker

o ffering a variety of higher education institutions with thriving workforce development

programs, North Carolina’s Eastern Region (NCER) is an excellent place to learn – and build a career.

Education institutions have crafted innovative programs to serve area employers. Ten of 13 public school systems have Early College high schools that allow students to earn college credits at no cost.

Several districts offer established Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) schools, such as Wayne School of Engineering at Goldsboro High School, which can lead to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree from the local community college. Later, this same AAS graduate can transfer up to 60 hours of credits toward a bachelor’s degree in engineering at East Carolina University (ECU).

At Pitt Community College, a wide range of health science degrees are offered that provide continuing education for graduates of the Pitt County Schools’ Health Sciences Academy. Students can gain an AAS in biotechnology, transfer credits to ECU toward a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, then earn a master’s degree in biotechnology and finish with a Ph.D. in microbiology – all without ever leaving ECU.

cuSToMizED TrAining oPTionSLocated in Kenansville, James

Sprunt Community College (JSCC) hosts the Duplin County Public Schools Early College High School – another example of the way in which Eastern Region community colleges partner with public schools. JSCC, like all community colleges in the state, provides a Customized Training Program in which participants are provided education and training to work in specific companies or industries such as manufacturing or information technology.

Wilson Community College students can take a wide range of courses that give them a competitive edge in the job market.

The Basics of Tire Manufacturing program was developed at the request of the local Bridgestone Firestone plant, says Denise Horne, director of human resources and marketing at WCC. The four-week, 32-hour program has been offered since May 2006, with more than 2,000 students completing it to date.

“What it’s actually teaching is safety, quality, measurement systems and teamwork, as well as the processes involved in manufacturing a tire,” Horne says. “Students going through this program are learning the things they need to know the very first day they walk into the plant.”

David Byerly, the divisional human resources manager of Wilson’s

Photo C ouRtEsy oF BEn C a sE y

four-y�Ear CollEgEs aNd uNivErsitiEs• EastCarolinaUniversity

www.ecu.edu

• BartonCollegewww.barton.edu

• MountOliveCollegewww.moc.edu

• NorthCarolinaWesleyanCollegewww.ncwc.edu

CommuNity� CollEgEs• CarteretCommunityCollege

www.carteret.edu

• CoastalCarolinaCommunityCollegewww.coastalcarolina.edu

•CravenCommunityCollegewww.cravencc.edu

• EdgecombeCommunityCollegewww.edgecombe.edu

• JamesSpruntCommunityCollegewww.jamessprunt.edu

• LenoirCommunityCollegewww.lenoircc.edu

• NashCommunityCollegewww.nash.cc.nc.us.edu

• PamlicoCommunityCollegewww.pamlicocc.edu

• PittCommunityCollegewww.pittcc.edu

• WayneCommunityCollegewww.waynecc.edu

• WilsonCommunityCollegewww.wilsoncc.edu


Bridgestone Firestone plant, says that since the start of the program, which is also offered at Nash Community College, Wayne Community College and Edgecombe Community College, the company has hired more than 600 people. “It’s going very well,” he says.

Wilson Community College has also worked with other industries on the program, including Carolina Forge, Sandoz, Kidde Aerospace and Defense, Stephenson Millwork and Voith.

SPEciAlizED EDucATion cEnTErSPamlico Community College is

serving the region’s students, offering various options to help them find success in their chosen careers.

The WorkKeys program lets students earn Career Readiness Certificates (CRCs). Employers can measure a candidate’s CRC level (Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum) with a validated Job Profile that speeds the qualification and screening process.

“One of the really neat things about it is more and more employers in North Carolina are recognizing the certificates,” says Misty Rasmussen, director of planning, research and effectiveness at the college.

Pamlico is a partner in the ASPIRE program (launched in 2008) that coordinates the dispersal of more than $250,000 per year to area community colleges provided by North Carolina’s Eastern Region, the regional economic development agency. The program provides supplemental funding for WorkKeys job profiling and CRC testing. The Eastern Region now leads all regions in the state in the number of people possessing a CRC.

The region offers multiple options for learning, including the Gateway Technology Center in Rocky Mount on the campus of North Carolina Wesleyan College. Driven by East Carolina University and North Carolina State University, the center allows students to obtain degrees and certificates in multiple areas, including agriculture, business, engineering and communications.

With so many educational options available, students in North Carolina’s Eastern Region will be more than prepared to welcome new businesses to the area.

“We can show that we have the capacity here to support a new industry coming in,” Rasmussen says.

https://www.progress-energy.com/app/RegionSelection/default.aspx?carolinas=/carolinas/business/economic-development/index.page&florida=/florida/business/economic-development/index.page


class ActEastErN rEgioN boasts stroNg sChool optioNs

high school students learn something new every day in the Eastern Region.

that’s because the region promotes a continuum of education that creates a connection between secondary schools, colleges and universities. there are several initiatives that help students connect with colleges during their high school years.

STEM SchoolSnorth Carolina’s Eastern Region is home to 11 stEM

(science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning centers that include Learn and Earn Early College and stEM Redesigned high schools and specialized academies. these programs are preparing advanced learners for the many opportunities that exist in the region for graduates.

SEconDAry EDucATionPublic school enrollment in the region is approximately

153,000 students, which includes both public systems and public charter schools. the region’s public school systems also offer a wide variety of vocational training programs, with most falling into the categories of business/information technology, family and consumer

sciences, agriculture, health occupations, computer/network engineering and maintenance programs.

chArTEr SchoolSthese are public schools operated

by local leadership groups such as parents, nonprofits and so forth. Charter schools provide more local autonomy, and often focus on particular student target groups, or on a specific core curriculum such as performing arts or technology skills. there are eight charter schools in the Eastern Region, with a combined enrollment of about 4,500 students.

PrivATE SchoolSthere are many private

schools located throughout the region. some educate elementary students only, while others educate students in grades k through 12.

– Kevin Litwin

http://www.pittcc.edu/

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Livability

i t’s such a great place to live!” You hear variations of this

phrase fairly often in North Carolina’s Eastern Region. With good jobs, affordable homes, excellent schools, charming towns and a moderate climate, what’s not to like?

And that’s before taking into account the awesome weather – four distinct but moderate seasons.

In the Eastern Region, you’re never far from Atlantic beaches or boating and fishing on the broad Pamlico Sound. Cape Lookout National Seashore’s dramatic dunes, free-roaming horses (descended from Spanish mustangs) and Cape Lookout Lighthouse (207 steps to the top) lie three miles offshore. Croatan National Forest holds 16,000 acres of coastal woodlands and saltwater estuaries beloved by hikers, campers, anglers, bird watchers and hunters. Scuba divers launch deep-water adventures from Morehead City (to one of the Top 10 Dive sites in the world). Golfers tee off year-round at scores of courses.

Clusters of owner-operated shops grace Rocky Mount, Wilson, Kinston,

Goldsboro and other towns revitalized by active Main Street programs – some are an antiquer’s paradise.

Locally, baseball fans root for the Carolina League’s Kinston Indians – but within reasonable drive time are major league franchises such as the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh and the National Football League’s Carolina Panthers in Charlotte.

culTurAl ScEnEGalleries and theaters pepper the

region, especially around East Carolina University in Greenville, where the Wellington B. Gray Art Gallery presents exhibitions and lectures by faculty and visiting artists. Take in the ECU Performing Arts Series, plays at Kinston’s Grainger-Hill Performing Arts Center, children’s programs at Rocky Mount’s Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences or Wilson’s Imagination Station, or concerts at New Bern’s Riverfront Convention Center, which hosts the North Carolina Symphony each summer.

The soon-to-be-constructed Museum of the Marines in Jacksonville

“

life is splendid in the Eastern region

So hospitable

story by Joe Rada

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clockwise from top: Cape Lookout national seashore; Restaurants and other businesses line Evans street in downtown Greenville; north Carolina seafood Festival in Morehead City; north Carolina Pickle Festival in Mount olive


http://visitnewbern.com/

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will add an experience of a different kind – the living histories of the men and women who trained at Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River.

With its robust economy, relaxed lifestyle and fortunate location, the Eastern Region draws people from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Faith communities include Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim, among others.

hEAvEnly ’cuEDown-home barbecue joints

abound, boasting sauces based on vinegar, sugar and hot peppers. Before declaring a favorite, like everyone eventually does, sample such temples of ’cue as Wilber’s (Goldsboro), Grady’s (Dudley), B’s (Greenville), Skylight Inn (Ayden) and Jack Cobb & Son (Farmville).

Fine dining abounds, too, with a string of notable restaurants, including the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, University Chop House in Greenville and Chefs 105 in Morehead City (started by the same restaurateurs who established Greenville’s Chefs 505.)

Retirees Tom and Kathy Clarke, formerly a building inspector and an office administrator in New York, moved to Ayden six years ago.

“We found our Shangri-La,” Kathy says. “We could never have afforded a ranch house on a quarter acre on Long Island, where we’re from. It’s quiet and uncrowded. There are nice little theaters and plenty of restaurants. We couldn’t be more pleased.”

three county school districts in the Eastern Region – duplin, Greene and onslow – participate in the north Carolina Global schools network, collaborating with business, civic and government entities to promote international education. studying foreign languages and partnering with groups abroad, prepares students for careers in a competitive global economy and attract multinational investors to the area. see more at www.globalschoolsnetwork.org.

smart movEs

one of many sculptures that dot the campus of East Carolina University

http://cravencc.edu/


• Aerialgateway tothecrystalcoast

• Delta

• USAirways

• 350one-stop destinationsworldwide throughconnectionsin AtlantaandCharlotte

(252)638-8591www.NewBernAirport.com

Our Flights Home Mean More Time to Spend with Friends

and Family.

CLOSE.CONVENIENT.CONNECTED.

http://newbernairport.com/

http://www.spiritaero.com/


There’s a Party going onEastErN rEgioN FEstivals arE abUNdaNt

People in the Eastern Region sure know how to throw a party, as evidenced by the many festivals held each year.

these events show the range and diversity of the arts, culture and experiences the region has to offer.

AyDEn collArD FESTivAlthe community in Pitt County

has celebrated the contributions of its agricultural enterprises since 1975. the four-day festival includes a 5k road race, a parade, amusement rides, arts and crafts, live entertainment, food and, of course, a collard eating contest,

norTh cArolinA PicKlE FESTivAl

the pickle is celebrated each year in Mount olive during the north Carolina Pickle Festival, which turned 25 years old in 2011. the event occurs in late april, with attractions that include a carnival midway, live concerts, rock wall and bungee jump, camel rides and free pickles provided by Mt. olive Pickle Co.

norTh cArolinA SEAFooD FESTivAl

the first weekend in october welcomes the annual north Carolina seafood Festival to Morehead City. the celebration recognizes the importance of seafood to the Eastern Region, and educates the public on its overall effects. there is live entertainment, a kids’ zone and other attractions, along with the freshest of seafood to sample, including clam chowder, shrimp burgers, charcoal mullet and sea urchin on a stick.

BBQ FESTivAl on ThE nEuSEthe largest barbecue

competition in north Carolina takes place for four days each year in early May in kinston at the

BBQ Festival on the neuse. the 2011 get-together was the 30th annual. Festivities include live concerts, fireworks show, golf tournament and plenty of good eating. heaping plates of barbecue are served with hush puppies and slaw, and one of the weekend highlights is the crowning of the top barbecue team.

PirATEFESTBlackbeard the Pirate was a part

of Eastern Region history, so Greenville has organized an annual PirateFest since 2007. Greenville is home to East Carolina university, whose mascot is the pirate. the event features live music, a street festival, Grog beer garden and more.

– Kevin Litwin

6039-TR12260M_TGB_Livability.indd 1 3/22/10 11:40:09 AM

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visit ouradvertisersAlbert J. Ellis Airportwww.flyoaj.com

Carolina East Health Systemwww.carolinaeasthealth.com

Carolinas Gateway Partnershipwww.econdev.org

Carteret Economic Development Councilwww.carteretedc.com

Coastal Carolina Community Collegewww.coastalcarolina.edu

Coastal Carolina Regional Airportwww.newbernairport.com

Craven Community Collegewww.cravencc.edu

Craven County Convention & Visitor Centerwww.newbernconventions.com

Crystal Coast Tourism Authoritywww.crystalcoastnc.org

Duplin County Economic Development Commissionwww.duplinedc.com

East Carolina University www.ecu.edu

Edgecombe Community Collegewww.edgecombe.edu

Electricities of North Carolina Inc.www.electricities.com

Greenville Utilitieswww.guc.com

Holiday Inn Expresswww.holidayinnexpress.com/kinstonnc

Jacksonville Onslow Economic Developmentwww.onslowedc.com

Kinston-Lenoir County Tourism Development Authoritywww.visitkinston.com

Lenoir Community Collegewww.lenoircc.edu

Lenoir Memorial Hospitalwww.lenoirmemorial.org

Mount Olive Collegewww.moc.edu

North Carolina Global TransParkwww.ncgtp.com

North Carolina’s Eastern Regionwww.nceast.org

Pitt Community Collegewww.pittcc.edu

Pitt County – City of Greenville Airport Authoritywww.pitt-greenvilleairport.com

Pitt County Development Commissionwww.locateincarolina.com

Progress Energywww.progress-energy.com

Rose, Rand, Wallacewww.rrwattorneys.com

Spirit Aerosystems Inc.www.spiritaero.com

Suddenlink Communicationswww.suddenlink.com

University Health Systemswww.uhseast.com

Wayne County Development Alliance Inc.www.waynealliance.org

Wayne Memorial Hospitalwww.waynehealth.org

Wilson Community Collegewww.wilsoncc.edu

Wilson Visitors Bureauwww.wilson-nc.com

http://www.visitkinston.com/


BuSinESS SnAPShoTthe 13-county Eastern Region of north Carolina is an economically diverse area, with key clusters that include advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, value-added agriculture, life sciences and tourism, health care and higher education. the region offers a highly skilled workforce, a favorable labor environment, low cost of living, ample developable land and building sites, world-class transportation assets, a central location, and a robust network of colleges and universities.

EconoMic ProFilE

what’s online For more in-depth demographic, statistical and community information on North Carolina’s Eastern region, go to nceasterneconomicdevelopment.com and click on demographics.

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Goldsboro, NC 27534 | (919) 736-1110 | www.waynehealth.org

PoPulATion (2010)

norTh cArolinA EASTErn rEgion: 1,035,502Carteret County, 66,469Craven County, 103,505duplin County, 58,505Edgecombe County, 56,552Greene County, 21,362Jones County, 10,153Lenoir County, 59,495nash County, 95,840onslow County, 177,772Pamlico County, 13,144Pitt County, 168,848Wayne County, 122,623Wilson County, 81,234

Change in regional population from 2000: 13%

Median age: 35

MAJor PoPulATion cEnTErS (2010)Greenville, 84,554Jacksonville, 70,145Rocky Mount 57,477Wilson, 49,167

MAJor EMPloyErS

(Nongovernment, 1,000 or more employees)BB&t, Wilson CountyBridgestone americas tire operations, Wilson CountyCarolina turkeys, duplin CountyCarteret County General hospital, Carteret CountyConsolidated diesel, nash CountydsM, Pitt CountyCraven Regional Medical Center, Craven CountyEast Carolina university, Pitt Countyhospira Inc., nash Countyhouse of Raeford Inc., duplin CountyLenoir Memorial hospital Inc., Lenoir Countynash hospitals Inc., nash Countyonslow Memorial hospital, onslow County

Pitt County Memorial hospital, Pitt CountyRBC Centura Bank, nash Countysmithfield Foods Inc., duplin CountyWal-Mart associates Inc., Wayne CountyWayne Memorial hospital Inc., Wayne CountyWilson Medical Center, Wilson County

MAJor inDuSTry SEcTorS

(By % of total workforce)services, 39.2% Education and health, 12.5%Goods Producing, 10.9% trade, transportation & utilities, 9.7%Manufacturing, 6.5% Leisure and hospitality, 4.9%Professional and Business, 4.6%Public administration, 3.8%Construction, 3.0% Financial activities, 1.6%natural Resources & Mining, 1.3% other services, 2.0%

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http://www.waynehealth.org/


through the lens

what started out as a question has led to the opening of a new shrine dedicated to North Carolina baseball.

Folks watching a baseball game at legendary Fleming stadium in wilson, N.C., posed the question: “is there a museum dedicated to baseball in the state?”

No one knew the answer.it took several years, but the North

Carolina baseball museum is a reality.the museum is located within the

confines of Fleming stadium, not even a foul ball’s distance from the seats where that discussion took place. it’s home to baseball memorabilia from generations of North Carolinians who have opened their collections for others to share their passion for america’s pastime …

FroM our PhoTo Blog: norTh cArolinA’S EASTErn rEgion

PoSTED By ToDD BEnnETT

More online see more favorite photos and read the stories behind the shots at nceasterneconomicdevelopment.com.

now that you’ve experienced north carolina’s Eastern region through our photos, see it through the eyes of our photographers. visit nceasterneconomicdevelopment.com to view our exclusive photographers’ blog documenting what all went in to capturing those perfect moments.

get the Story Behind the Photo

Ad Index 71 AlbertJ.ellisAirport

72 CArolinAeAst HeAltHsystem

16 CArolinAs GAtewAypArtnersHip

25 CArtereteConomiC DevelopmentCounCil

84 CoAstAlCArolinA CommunityColleGe

84 CoAstAlCArolinA reGionAlAirport

83 CrAvenCommunityColleGe

82 CrAvenCountyConvention &visitorCenter

C2 CrystAlCoAst tourismAutHority

43 DuplinCountyeConomiC DevelopmentCommission

C4 eAstCArolinAuniversity

9 eDGeCombe CommunityColleGe

2 eleCtriCitiesof nortHCArolinAinC.

48 Greenvilleutilities

Ad Index (cont.) 42 HoliDAyinnexpress

14 JACksonvilleonslow eConomiCDevelopment

86 kinston-lenoir Countytourism DevelopmentAutHority

65 lenoirCommunityColleGe

24 lenoirmemoriAlHospitAl

8 mountoliveColleGe

36 nortHCArolinA GlobAltrAnspArk

6 nortHCArolinA’s eAsternreGion

79 pittCommunityColleGe

66 pittCounty– CityofGreenville AirportAutHority

4 pittCounty DevelopmentCommission

78 proGressenerGy

10 rose,rAnD,wAllACe

84 spiritAerosystemsinC.

48 suDDenlink CommuniCAtions

C3 university HeAltHsystems

19 wAyneCounty Development AlliAnCeinC.

87 wAynememoriAlHospitAl

55 wilsonCommunityColleGe

30 wilsonvisitorsbureAu

http://www.uhseast.com/

http://www.ecu.edu/

north carolina's eastern region economic development review 2011-12

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