The Good News Report

[kermit]

and here is yesterdays non-announcement:

CPCC signs training agreement with

German chamber – IHK Karlsruhe

CPCC students can earn IHK certification in multiple programs

Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) signed an articulation agreement today with IHK-Karlsruhe, a German regional chamber of industry and commerce, making CPCC the first U.S. community college to offer IHK-certified job-training programs. Starting in August, CPCC students will be able to earn IHK-endorsed certificates in five programs, making them more attractive to German companies in the Charlotte region.

[carolinagarnet]

I think that is the most underwhelming Chamber announcement I have ever read. The program is certainly a unique idea and I guess qualifies as "precedent setting", though that seems like an overstatement. The certification may make Charlotte more attractive to companies in the Baden region, which is a big tech area of Germany, but I question whether German companies with facilities in Charlotte are really going to give consideration to these programs unless they include German language classes.

[cltbwimob]

Trijicon is looking at the Charlotte region for a location to build a 100000 sq ft space that could house distribution manufacturing and even a headquarters for its gun scope manufacturing facility. For those of you that don't know, Trijicon is one of the top military suppliers for gun sights. This would be a boon to the Charlotte defense sector.

Steag Energy Services is looking for another sight in the Charlotte region to add a 350k sq ft facility to reprocess pollutant removing equipment for power plants.

Yadkin Valley Financial Services will be exiting TARP shortly, and is considered to be a potential takeover target for Capital (formerly NAFH). Such a takeover would give them entry into the Charlotte market, and there has been talk that they may eventually put the official HQ in Charlotte. Currently, the official HQ is somewhere in Florida even though the top company officials work in Charlotte, and the retail bank is based in Raliegh, so I don't know if the HQ talk means an HQ consolidation in Charlotte or what. At any rate, should all that happen, Capital would have over 10 billion in assets and could potentially claim the spot as Charlotte's second largest bank. Furthermore, they have stated that their goal is more or less to serve the entire Southeast, so who knows, maybe one day Charlotte will have another bank of 30-50 billion in assets.

[dubone]

Hopefully this is not because of a surge of purchases of gun scopes in the Charlotte region this year.

It is good that we are getting lots of middle of the road companies expanding here. They don't become symbols of the city, but they keep our economy strong.

[kermit]

Chamber announcement dujour:

Chobani Greek Yogurt, America’s #1 yogurt brand, announced at the Charlotte Chamber Board of Advisors meeting that it will locate its sales headquarters in Charlotte. The 5,200 square foot office will be located in the Charlotte Plaza building in Uptown Charlotte.

Projected to eventually have 60 employees at a $70,000 average salary.

[Urbanity]

^ I find this very good news. It's not a huge operations or a lot of jobs, but I love that Charlotte is thought of as a function HQ for something outside of financial services and energy. Also love that they will be downtown!

[HopHead]

Per a Twitter post this morning: @cltecondev Economic Development announcement at the Chamber this morning at 10:45 am. More good jobs and investment news for Charlotte! - Jeff

[DCMetroRaleigh]

So, what is the announcement?

[ah59396]

This....

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2012/04/25/peak-10-to-build-data-center-campus-in.html

[Urbanity]

Additional details from Peak 10 http://www.peak10.com/blog/post/peak-10-expands-with-62000-square-foot-facility-in-north-charlotte

[kermit]

Ally just put its mortgage subsidiary (Residential Capital) into bankruptcy as is looking to sell its international operations

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304192704577403782887891126.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection

The good news part of this is based on the possibility of expansion of its local online bank unit once it is is beyond the dark cloud of federal ownership.

[kermit]

The Observer reports that Quicken loans will hire 75 and double its office space in Southpark.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/05/15/3242350/quicken-mortgage-unit-is-hiring.html

[HopHead]

Per today's Charlotte Biz Journal, Time Warner Cable will be adding another 100 people to it's Charlotte-area operations in Ballantyne by year end. The positions will be in marketing, account management, sales and customer care. These are on top of the jobs announcement for TWC that was made last year. This will push their local employee base to over 2,900.

[atlrvr]

^ The Quicken expansion was poorly reported by the Observer. The way I understand it, Quicken Mortgage is hiring 75 in Charlote, and related company Quicken Loans is hiring an additional 50 in Charlotte as well.

[HopHead]

^ The Quicken expansion was poorly reported by the Observer. The way I understand it, Quicken Mortgage is hiring 75 in Charlote, and related company Quicken Loans is hiring an additional 50 in Charlotte as well.

Yea, I was rather confused by that report as well. I couldn't figure out if they were saying 75 people were being hired but 50 were locally or like you said 75 in Charlotte with an additional 50 going to Quicken Loans.

[kermit]

Two interesting (but not substantial) bits in the CBJ this morning:

-- Anecdotal --

The table talk section (no online version) reports on Charlotte becoming an attractive location for Wells execs who are based in San Francisco due to cost of living differences and eastern time zone location.

insiders say that an increasing number of its employees are making a different decision [than staying in SF]: Given the choice, they are moving to Charlotte.

The top Wells media relations exec, Oscar Suris, was cited as an example of the Charlotte shift.

--Speculative--

CBJ reports Remington Firearms is scouting Charlotte for a 'possible facility' some sources say headquarters, other sources say manufacturing facilities. Remington is currently HQed in Madison NC (north of Greensboro) and reports trouble with employee retention.

http://www.bizjourna...ted-region.html

Edited May 25, 2012 by kermit

[atlrvr]

Mecklenburg County gained over 1,600 jobs in April, which is the 4th month in a row that it has done that. Mecklenburg County is now just 2,900 jobs off it's peak employment which was April 2008, and if hiring trends for this year continue, next month we should be at the highest level of employment ever.

The rate remains high (but falling) due to continued in-flow of new residents looking for work. While we are only 2,900 jobs below peak employment, our labor force is > 18,000 people greater than in 2008.

The fact that we are on the verge of topping our historical # of people employed is a fact that the press likes to overlook, and instead focuses on the unemployment rate, which really just reflects the fact that people continued to move to Charlotte at a rate faster than companies were hiring.

[dubone]

I'm guessing income levels are far lower than 4/08, though, but that is still very good news. But it is still good that we are gaining new residents, even though they bring their unemployed status. As our economy absorbs those human resources, we will end up in a faster growth.

[kermit]

In one of the most cryptic things I have seen published in the CBJ they report that a major corporate relocation is shopping Charlotte (and presumably several other places) real estate and should decide "later this summer." The only real information provided was that the incentives package was on the same order of magnitude as Chiquita. This was from the table talk section.

Surely someone hear has heard more scuttlebutt about this? Anyone got ideas?

Edited June 11, 2012 by kermit

[Niner National]

Wonder if there is any chance of a TWC or TIAA-Cref relocation?

I've seen these companies rumored in the past and they do already have large operations here.

[atlrvr]

My guess is its someone without large operations currently in the area, though that's purely speculation. To speculate further, I'd guess a large manufactuer (or possibly retailer) from a Great Lakes state. Some guesses.

Illinois Tool Works

Navistar

OfficeMax

Proctor & Gamble (just because we have a knack for stealing Cinncy HQs)

Parker Hannifin

Whirlpool

Some NJ companies might be tired of cost of business there. Some ideas:

Bed Bath & Beyond

ADP

Sealed Air

Of course, United Technologies is my secret hope.

[Niner National]

United Technologies would be a HUGE land for us.

[15895]

I'm still waiting on a North American HQ from ENN... I doubt it but I'm hoping.

An article From 2011. I know Duke has been working to get them to move here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton presided over a signing ceremony in which Duke Energy and China-based ENN Group joined forces to form an EcoPartnership with the city of Charlotte, N.C., and the Chinese city of Langfang in Hebei Province.

...

The larger EcoPartnership collaboration will be complemented by best-practice sharing at the municipal level. Specifically, the cities of Charlotte and Langfang (which is located approximately 40 miles southeast of Beijing) will collaborate on promoting energy efficiency education and encouraging local community action.

http://www.power2cha...ws-release.aspx

Edited June 11, 2012 by AirNostrumMAD

[Niner National]

I'm still waiting on a North American HQ from ENN... I doubt it but I'm hoping.

An article From 2011. I know Duke has been working to get them to move here.

ENN manufactures thin film solar panels. Years ago these provided better value because the price of silicon was so high. With the price of silicon now very low, traditional panels are the better buy (they're still not quite as cheap, but they're about twice as efficient). Their panels are struggling to reach 10% efficiency. Top of the line silicon panels are 24% efficient. When you are leasing roof or land space, that extra efficiency is huge.

Most thin film producers are doing very poorly. It wouldn't surprise me if ENN is having financial troubles.

[kermit]

My guess is its someone without large operations currently in the area, though that's purely speculation. To speculate further, I'd guess a large manufactuer (or possibly retailer) from a Great Lakes state. Some guesses.

.....

Of course, United Technologies is my secret hope.

We have a winner! You are a genius atlrvr! (to be clear the announcement below is not for all of United Tech, rather Charlotte will become the HQ of its aerospace systems business):

From the Guv's press release: http://charlottecham...Gov_Release.pdf

United Technologies to Create 325 New Jobs in Charlotte

State Grants Assist Location of Divisional Headquarters to Mecklenburg County

RALEIGH – Gov. Bev Perdue announced today that United Technologies Corporation, a global

leader in the research, development and manufacture of high-technology products, will expand

its presence in Charlotte. The company plans to create 325 UTC jobs over the next five years and

invest at least $4 million. The project was made possible in part by state grants from the Job

Development Investment Grant and the One North Carolina Fund award.

Alain M. Bellemare, President and Chief

Operating Officer of UTC Propulsion and Aerospace Systems said “With the continued growth of

global air travel, Charlotte will serve as a strategic centerpoint for our operations as we position

the company to meet this demand.

EDIT: Based on the total incentives package (a maximum of $19 million vs. $22 million for Chiquita) this does appear to be the deal that the CBJ was cryptically referring to last week.

Edited June 13, 2012 by kermit