Economic Development News

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The City of Burlington Economic Development department is happy to announce that three businesses have been awarded over $70,000 in the first cycle of the City’s new Priority Corridors Grant program. The Priority Corridors Grant Program is aimed at encouraging and assisting existing businesses and property owners within the Maple Avenue, East Webb Avenue, and North Church Street corridors to restore and improve the interior and exterior of their businesses. 

Read more about the Program and the winners here!  

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The City of Burlington and the Burlington Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) have been recognized by the Milken Institute as one of the country’s top performing small cities, according to The Best Performing Cities report issued in May of this year. Burlington ranked 14th out of 203 small communities, an increase of 22 spots from the 2022 report. The Best Performing Cities report measures job growth, wage growth, gross domestic product growth in high-tech industries, broadband access and housing affordability over both 5- year (2016-2021) and 1-year periods (2020-21), providing a ranking based on these factors.

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Within a week of each other, two major aviation companies announced expansion and location projects in Greensboro, North Carolina. TAT Piedmont Aviation, an aviation Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul company, will expand its operations near the Piedmont Triad International Airport, whereas Marshall USA LLC, a British aerospace and defense contractor, has announced a new planned maintenance inspection facility at PTI Airport. The projects will bring a combined $62.8 million in investment and 325 newly created jobs to Guilford County.

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The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) released its 2022 Annual Report entitled “Built to Thrive,” highlighting North Carolina’s record-breaking year in economic development.  In 2022, the EDPNC, along with state and local partners, closed 151 corporate relocations and expansions, bringing 27,144 jobs and $15.58 billion in capital investment. 

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The Burlington Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) earned recognition as one of the ten best metro areas in the nation for new project announcements, according to Site Selection Magazine’s 2023 Governor’s Cup report. Burlington announced eight new projects in 2022, ranking the community 7th out of 159 U.S. metro areas with a population under 200,000. 

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Siemens Mobility Inc., the United States’ largest passenger rail car manufacturer, announced on March 7, 2023 that it will be expanding operations to the East Coast in Davidson County, North Carolina. The expansion will create 506 new jobs by 2028, with a company investment of $220 million to construct an advanced manufacturing and rail services center. The facility in Lexington will be carbon neutral and serve the company’s East Coast markets.

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On February 16, 2023, the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority approved 14 grant requests to local governments for projects that have committed to creating new jobs and attracting private investment. Armen Stone, a North Carolina start-up stone working company, was awarded a $200,000 Building Reuse Grant to locate in a historic 65,000 square foot facility in Burlington, creating 33 new jobs over two years.

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On December 6, 2022, Governor Roy Cooper announced that Alamance Foods, Inc., a manufacturer of a variety of consumer food products, will invest $42 million to expand its North Carolina operations in Alamance County. The company will construct a new 225,000 square-foot facility and create 135 jobs in Burlington within four years.

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On November 16, 2022, Governor Roy Cooper announced that Ziehl-Abegg, Inc., a German commercial ventilation systems manufacturer, will relocate its North American headquarters to Winston-Salem in Forsyth County from Greensboro. The expansion will create 189 new jobs and involve over $100 million in company investment. Altogether, the new jobs have the potential to create an annual payroll impact of more than $11.2 million for the region.

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Honda Aircraft Company revealed the HondaJet Elite II at the 2022 National Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) as their latest upgraded aircraft on October 17, 2022. Like all HondaJet aircrafts, the Elite II will feature the HF120 turbofan engine, manufactured by GE Honda Aero Engines in Burlington, North Carolina. 

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On September 23, 2022, SteriTek, an electron beam and x-ray sterilization company based in California, announced it will be constructing its first East Coast sterilization facility in Burlington, North Carolina. The 150,000 square-foot Burlington facility will create 50 new jobs over five years, bringing $71 million in company investment. 

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On September 9, 2022, Wolfspeed announced plans for a new semiconductor factory in Chatham County. The project will create 1,805 jobs with a total of $5 billion in private investment – ranking as the largest economic development project in North Carolina history!

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Sunlight Batteries USA announced on September 7, 2022 that it will be constructing a 135,436 square-foot manufacturing facility in Mebane, North Carolina, with a $40 million investment by the company. The new facility will employ 130 people in the North Carolina Commerce Park, with average annual wages at $67,589.

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Automotive giant Toyota, the second largest car manufacturer by revenue in 2022, announced that an electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant will locate at the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite. The company will invest $1.29 billion into the project and create at least 1,750 jobs with salaries averaging $62,000. As of August 31, 2022, an additional $2.5 billion in investment was announced to the megasite. 

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On August 10, 2022, BNNano announced that their patent application for the Boron Nitride NanoBarb™ was granted. This unique design allows the NanoBarb™ to “optimize the interlock with matrix materials,” minimizing contact area between particles and maximizing its already impressive reinforcing properties. At the beginning of August, the company had shipped over 10 quadrillion Boron Nitride NanoBarbs™ in 2022.

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On August 2, 2022, Chafe-Pro announced patent approval for a convertible rescue backpack design, named the Edge-Pack. The Edge-Pack is a multi-use pack with interchangeable panels for gear organizers and pockets. Whether backpack, briefcase, or anchor sling, this bag has it all.

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On August 10, 2022, Biscuitville had a ribbon cutting for the new 78,000 square-foot distribution center in Burlington. Prior to the central facility, the company had been operating out of a leased 20,000 square-foot facility in Graham, as well as rented facilities in Kernersville, Burlington, and Danville, Virginia. Now, with the consolidated facility, all its self-distribution operations will be able to service the 69 restaurants throughout North Carolina and Virginia.

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Labcorp announced on July 28, 2022, that its Board of Directors authorized a spin-off Clinical Development business. The spin-off will be a global Contact Research Organization (CRO), resulting in two independent, publicly traded companies, each leading the way for growth in the life sciences and biotechnology industries. 

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VinFast, a private automotive company headquartered in Singapore, announced in March of 2022 that they would be opening a manufacturing facility in Chatham County, North Carolina. The project has received $1.25 billion in state and local incentives and will be the first automotive manufacturing facility in North Carolina. With the goal of completing construction by 2024, the facility is creating 7,500 jobs over five years, averaging salaries at $51,000.

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On April 21, 2022, Governor Roy Cooper announced that the City of Burlington will receive a $120,000 NC Commerce Building Reuse Grant to support National On-Demand's expansion of their corporate headquarters in Downtown Burlington. The company will invest $1.42 million in a 34,425 square foot former banking office, creating 15 new jobs in the community. The average salary of these positions is $129,333.

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On April 21, 2022, Governor Roy Cooper announced that the City of Burlington will receive a $300,000 NC Commerce Building Reuse Grant to support ChenMed’s establishment of a new medical clinic in the city. The company will invest $1.25 million in a 10,000 square foot former pharmacy building, creating 30 new jobs in the community. The average salary of these positions is $90,330.

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April 22, 2021 :  NOA Living, a luxury home goods designer and manufacturer, announced on April 16th, 2021 that the company will bring their corporate headquarters to a renovated historic mill in Burlington. 

The company plans extensive renovations to the vacant Lakeside Mill complex at 423 Lakeside Avenue, Burlington, investing $3,747,492 and creating 24 jobs with an average annual wage of $51,350.

Click the image to the left to read the full press release.