The Carolina Core is a prime market for business, and you can help tell our story.
From discussions with business colleagues to interactions as you travel to casual conversations with friends and family, you can be a powerful voice for sharing a unified message about the unstoppable momentum growing in the Carolina Core.
Learn the Carolina Core facts and our key messages. And feel free to download images and logos to help you spread the word.
Key Talking Points
North Carolina’s New Economic Powerhouse: The Carolina Core—a 150+ mile swath of central North Carolina anchored by Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point and Fayetteville—has emerged as the state’s next economic engine, propelled by billions of dollars of recent investment from companies from around the world.
With a high-performing talent pool of more than 2 million people fueled by access to 30+ colleges and universities, prime real estate for growth and an exceptionally strong business climate, the region is a globally competitive market that offers undeniable momentum and a strategic location between Charlotte and the Research Triangle.
One of America’s Best Business Climates: Named the #1 state for business by CNBC in 2022 and consistently ranked by Forbes as a top three U.S. location for business, North Carolina has the nation’s lowest corporate tax rate at just 2.5% with plans to drop gradually to 0% by 2030.
Smart, Skilled and Growing Workforce: At the heart of North Carolina’s urban crescent which has a population of 8 million and growing, the Carolina Core offers a highly skilled, loyal and educated workforce of more than 2 million people. Nearly three dozen colleges and universities, with more than a quarter million students combined help keep the talent pipeline full.
A Future-Tech Juggernaut: With more than $15.5 billion in capital investment pouring into the Carolina Core in 2021-2022 in record-breaking announcements for the state, the region has diversified from its rich legacy of textiles, tobacco and furniture manufacturing to a future-forward economy catalyzed by research, innovation and business partnerships coming out of local colleges and universities.
A Life Science Leader: With close proximity and strong synergies with the globally renowned Research Triangle, the Carolina Core is fast emerging as a leader in life sciences and biomedical breakthroughs in its own right. Winston-Salem’s Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM); Wake Forest School of Medicine’s Center for Artificial Intelligence Research; iQ Healthtech Labs; and KeraNetics are among biomed-related companies located in the city’s Innovation Quarter. The region is also home to more than 75 biotech companies, including LabCorp, Syngenta. Procter & Gamble, Pfizer and Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
A Full-Stack Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Since the region’s earliest days, entrepreneurship has shaped the Carolina Core economy. Today, a wide range of organizations provide a full continuum of support for entrepreneurs seeking funding, programming, mentorship and networking opportunities.
Prime Real Estate for Growth: Bulldozers and cranes are everywhere in the Carolina Core, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t scores of prime properties still available at outstanding values. In addition, more than 6.7 million square feet of industrial and flex space is now under construction or available for build to suit.
The Right Infrastructure. A Strategic Logistics Location: With easy access to six interstate highways, Carolina Core metros are consistently recognized as having the least amount of traffic congestion in the country, making for no-hassle travel and short commute times. The region also offers access to three international airports, four ports within 300 miles, rail services and high-speed broadband.
More in the Core for Life: Ask just about anyone and they’ll tell you they love living in the Carolina Core. They love the ease of getting around, the wide range of housing at affordable prices, great options for public or private K-12 schools and state-of-the-art health care facilities. Residents savor the four seasons of mild weather and the fact that you can get to the beach or the mountains in under two hours or stay close to home and enjoy a top-notch arts, culture and dining scene, or hiking, golfing or paddling.