The Good News Report

[jednc]

12 hours ago, NCMike1990 said:

ClearSkyImages has a new photo album called "Homeplate Highrise", under helicopter galleries. There are no pics posted yet.

http://photos.clearskyimages.com/helicopter

Hopefully, this means movement is picking up and an announcement will be made soon.

Missmylab liked this so I'm going to read that as an endorsement of the idea that something is about to be announced.

[sclark]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/article202364669.html#storylink=hpdigest

Ernst & Young expanding. 375 jobs over five years. 

[CLT2014]

2 hours ago, sclark said:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/article202364669.html#storylink=hpdigest

Ernst & Young expanding. 375 jobs over five years. 

"There are currently EY wavespace locations in New York, San Francisco and Seattle. "

- not a bad group of tech cities for Charlotte to be included with for "initiative focused on emerging technologies such as robotics, blockchain (think “bitcoin”) and artificial intelligence."

[KJHburg]

Driven Brands has taken another 7,700 sq ft of space in 400 South Tryon bldg and kept their 28,750 sq ft in the current Ally Bank bldg.  They have 2600 locations across US with their Meinke and Maaco shops.  They now have room for 270 employees uptown.  This is a $2.4 Billion company based in uptown.  Subscriber only article https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2018/03/01/driven-brands-steers-toward-larger-presence-in.html

Edited March 2, 2018 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

Charlotte named by Forbes as one of the top 10 cities for African Americans.   All 10 cities are south of the Mason Dixon line from Baltimore to Austin and San Antonio with Atlanta being #1 

http://www3.forbes.com/business/where-african-americans-are-doing-the-best-economically-2018/6/   As recent is the photo is they used from Getty Images still not recent enough the uptown stunner is missing (Ascent)

[Guest]

14 hours ago, KJHburg said:

Charlotte named by Forbes as one of the top 10 cities for African Americans.   All 10 cities are south of the Mason Dixon line from Baltimore to Austin and San Antonio with Atlanta being #1 

http://www3.forbes.com/business/where-african-americans-are-doing-the-best-economically-2018/6/   As recent is the photo is they used from Getty Images still not recent enough the uptown stunner is missing (Ascent)

I don't know how the city with the worst upward mobility in the united states could be ranked in the top 10 for african americans. Not saying African American's are the only people affected by upward mobility, but are pretty good percentage of the people in Charlotte who have this to worry about. 

Edited March 5, 2018 by Guest

[CLT2014]

19 minutes ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

I don't know how the city with the worst upward mobility in the united states could be ranked in the top 10 for african americans. Not saying African American's are the only people affected by upward mobility, but are pretty good percentage of the people in Charlotte who have this to worry about. 

Two very different studies. The Forbes data is focused on medians / averages. The Harvard study was focused on who jumped from the 10th percentile to the 90th percentile. The Harvard study specifically said that the relationship between children and parent income was non-linear so they couldn't draw any conclusions on averages or people falling in the middle.

"Unfortunately, we find that this canonical log-log specification yields very unstable estimates of mobility because the relationship between log child income and log parent income is non-linear and the estimates are sensitive to the treatment of children with zero or very small incomes"

So a place like Charlotte could be "better" to be an average African American and have higher home ownership, decent median income, etc... but more challenging to jump from being in the bottom 10% to the top 10%. 

 

[Vitamin_N]

1 hour ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

I don't know how the city with the worst upward mobility in the united states could be ranked in the top 10 for african americans. Not saying African American's are the only people affected by upward mobility, but are pretty good percentage of the people in Charlotte who have this to worry about. 

Are you referring to Raj Chetty's study? It's got some methodological issues, I wouldn't put too much stock in it.

[KJHburg]

I will put this on potential good news Freightliner to add 100s of jobs locally https://www.salisburypost.com/2018/03/05/freightliner-is-ramping-up-production-adding-a-significant-number-of-jobs-sources-say-it-could-be-720/  Not sure if this is previously laid off workers or really net new jobs.  Probably a combination of both but still good news.   People forget when they say NC has not auto plant that we have a a huge truck plant in Rowan County and we build school buses in High Point. 

Edited March 6, 2018 by KJHburg

[tozmervo]

11 hours ago, KJHburg said:

I will put this on potential good news Freightliner to add 100s of jobs locally https://www.salisburypost.com/2018/03/05/freightliner-is-ramping-up-production-adding-a-significant-number-of-jobs-sources-say-it-could-be-720/  Not sure if this is previously laid off workers or really net new jobs.  Probably a combination of both but still good news.   People forget when they say NC has not auto plant that we have a a huge truck plant in Rowan County and we build school buses in High Point. 

I've been in Charlotte for 11 years now, and I swear Freightliner has had more layoffs and hiring sprees than I realized was possible for a single company. Their HR department must be world class

[hinsp0]

11 hours ago, tozmervo said:

I've been in Charlotte for 11 years now, and I swear Freightliner has had more layoffs and hiring sprees than I realized was possible for a single company. Their HR department must be world class

They’ve also spun off several very salacious employment discrimination lawsuits.  Hoyle v. Freightliner, a case in which the Fourth Circuit reversed summary judgment for Freightliner on the Plaintiff’s sexual harassment claim, comes to mind.  The Fourth Circuit opinion is an entertaining read:  http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-4th-circuit/1562117.html

[QCxpat]

To Celebrate the Impending Opening of the LYNX Blue Line Extension -- 9 Days and Counting 'til March 16, 2018

"Happy Days Are Here Again" (1930) performed by pianist, composer and band leader, Jack Hylton, from YouTube.

In 1852 when the Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad first arrived, a local newspaper noted: "Our people seem to be inspired with new life and new energies amounting almost to intoxication."   And, historian Thomas W. Hanchett observed: "More than any other event, the arrival of the railroad in 1852 set Charlotte on its way to being the largest city in the Carolinas.  ... Heretofore, nothing had distinguished Charlotte economically from other towns in the southern Piedmont  There had been no greater reason for farmers to congregate for business here than in Lincolnton or Monroe or Concord."  Well, today, Charlotte is again distinguished by having the only light rail and streetcar systems in the Carolinas. 

Links:

(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW-0kbIcf1E  --  YouTube, Jack Hylton - Happy Days Are Here Again (1930)

(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_and_South_Carolina_Railroad  --  Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad

(3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynx_Blue_Line  --  LYNX Blue Line Extension and Photo Credit

(4) http://www.cmhpf.org/Morrill Book/CH4.htm  --  A History of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County -- Chapter 4, Gold and Railroads, by Dr. Dan L. Morrill, UNC Charlotte.  Dr. Morrill is currently Consulting Director of Charlotte’s Historic Landmarks Commission.

(5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_light_rail_systems_by_ridership  --  List of US light rail systems

 

Edited March 8, 2018 by QCxpat

[KJHburg]

From the Business Journal yesterday this fast growing freight forwarder is taking Passport 's old space in the Gold District adding 35-40 new jobs by the end of the year. 

""Spot Freight, which specializes in freight brokerage and management for shippers and carriers, has signed a lease for 8,424 square feet at 1300 S. Mint St., the historic Textile Mill Supply Company Building. The company is taking the building's entire second floor, formerly occupied by Passport before it moved to a larger space in an uptown tower late last year.  Spot Freight's Charlotte office is currently at 1415 S. Church St., where it leases roughly 1,200 square feet, according to Andy Schenck, president of Spot Freight. The company will occupy its new space by April 1, according to brokers who worked on the lease transaction. In Charlotte, the goal is to hire 35 to 40 more people by the end of the year, Schenck said.""

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2018/03/07/indianapolis-based-logistics-tech-company.html

[KJHburg]

Fastest growing number of women owned businesses in the country the Charlotte metro area!  http://about.americanexpress.com/news/pr/2017/state-of-women-owned-businesses-2017-report.aspx

[KJHburg]

Interview with Tim Sloan CEO of Wells Fargo talking about working through the banks problems but one little interesting nugget I saw.  Wells is saying their employment in Charlotte is over 25,000 which last figures I heard were 23,500 and 24,100.   They are quietly growing bigger and bigger here and jobs once done in California are being posted as open positions in Charlotte.  There are rumors of another tower in Ballantyne to be leased by them and maybe more.  If a company announced they were adding 900 jobs in Charlotte in 1-2 years it would be BIG news here is one that has and it is quiet (and I do understand why).  https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2018/03/27/wells-fargo-ceo-tim-sloan-talks-fed-order-plans.html?ana=e_clt_bn_newsalert&u=oAaDx%2B74FoP4qOJ%2By4AU6dhJPpc&t=1522165603&j=80709611

[QClifer]

Id like to see Wells Fargo go after the naming rights for the arena. I think spectrum just signed but it would be great with 2 banks on different arenas in town

[Cadi40]

It’s really beyond me why they don’t just relocate to Charlotte officially. Practically they are headquartered in Charlotte but officially they’re in SF.

[Niner National]

7 hours ago, Cadi40 said:

It’s really beyond me why they don’t just relocate to Charlotte officially. Practically they are headquartered in Charlotte but officially they’re in SF.

Respecting the roots of the company. Same thing BoA is doing for Charlotte. The HQ for BoA is pretty much Charlotte in name only. The top execs no longer operate from here.

I'll take their jobs. I don't care about official titles.

[J-Rob]

Here is some pretty cool news:

https://www.tesla.com/careers/tesla-start

CPCC is one of two locations in the entire country at which a 12 week course will be available  for those interested in becoming a Tesla technician.

[CLT2014]

On 12/8/2017 at 5:41 PM, atlrvr said:

Rockwell Collins and UTC Aerospace will announce the location of their combined HQ before the end of March 2018.

It seems highly likely it will be Charlotte.

Further, industry analysts I believe are predicting the new UTC subsidiary to be spun out into it's own company.

That should result in Charlotte gaining a Fortune 100 company.

We gained a Fortune 500 firm a few months ago when MetLife spun off Brighthouse.....I'm not sure how it becomes official, but I assume next year's list will include Bright House.

Update on this: The new combined HQ for Rockwell Collins and UTC Aerospace will be Palm Beach County, FL. 90 of the top senior executives from both companies will re-locate to Palm Beach. The division sites for  the combined Collins Aerospace unit of United Technologies will be:

• Aerostructures — Chula Vista, Calif.

• Avionics — Cedar Rapids

• Interiors — Winston-Salem, N.C.

• Mechanical Systems — Charlotte, N.C.

• Mission Systems — Cedar Rapids

• Power and Controls — Windsor Locks, Conn.

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/rockwell-collins-names-executive-office-locations-for-collins-aerospace-20180222

Posting here at is follows up on the topic and it is "Good News" that most people aren't losing their jobs and Charlotte will remain a key site within the organization. The bad news, is Charlotte moves further down the totem pole within the organization from the "HQ" of a business unit, to a division site of a business unit HQ'd in Florida. 

I'm personally not surprised they picked a neutral site so neither division can say they "won" and a place where the wealthiest executives can buy a house near the water. I'm sure the wealthy Iowa guys will be happy to pack up in Cedar Rapids and move to Palm Beach. This merger was their chance to get out the cold!

Edited March 30, 2018 by CLT2014

[HighRiseHillbilly]

3 hours ago, CLT2014 said:

Update on this: The new combined HQ for Rockwell Collins and UTC Aerospace will be Palm Beach County, FL. 90 of the top senior executives from both companies will re-locate to Palm Beach. The division sites for  the combined Collins Aerospace unit of United Technologies will be:

• Aerostructures — Chula Vista, Calif.

• Avionics — Cedar Rapids

• Interiors — Winston-Salem, N.C.

• Mechanical Systems — Charlotte, N.C.

• Mission Systems — Cedar Rapids

• Power and Controls — Windsor Locks, Conn.

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/rockwell-collins-names-executive-office-locations-for-collins-aerospace-20180222

Posting here at is follows up on the topic and it is "Good News" that most people aren't losing their jobs and Charlotte will remain a key site within the organization. The bad news, is Charlotte moves further down the totem pole within the organization from the "HQ" of a business unit, to a division site of a business unit HQ'd in Florida. 

I'm personally not surprised they picked a neutral site so neither division can say they "won" and a place where the wealthiest executives can buy a house near the water. I'm sure the wealthy Iowa guys will be happy to pack up in Cedar Rapids and move to Palm Beach. This merger was their chance to get out the cold!

It's all well and good until Florida Man comes riding in on an alligator to eat your face off in the middle of a hurricane. 

[JacksonH]

On 3/27/2018 at 12:13 PM, Cadi40 said:

It’s really beyond me why they don’t just relocate to Charlotte officially. Practically they are headquartered in Charlotte but officially they’re in SF.

Probably because the top execs are really wealthy, so they are able to live well in San Francisco.  If you've got money, it doesn't get much better than San Francisco.

[Desert Power]

On ‎3‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 10:42 PM, Niner National said:

On ‎3‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 3:13 PM, Cadi40 said:

It’s really beyond me why they don’t just relocate to Charlotte officially. Practically they are headquartered in Charlotte but officially they’re in SF.

Respecting the roots of the company. Same thing BoA is doing for Charlotte. The HQ for BoA is pretty much Charlotte in name only. The top execs no longer operate from here.

I'll take their jobs. I don't care about official titles.

Right.  Majority of the reports to Sloan are in SF with him.  BofA leadership is pretty evenly split between Charlotte, New York, and Boston.  Last I saw, NYC had the most.

Edited April 3, 2018 by Desert Power

[Scribe]

Spaces, the Amsterdam based co-working company, is leasing 27.4 k sqft of space at West Tremont warehouse that Asana bought last year... (that's over 50% of the warehouse going to Spaces)... paywalled article is here: https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2018/04/03/co-working-company-already-growing-its-local.html

[KJHburg]

Chinese based manufacturing established first headquarters and showroom in Charlotte.  Only 15 jobs but foreign companies usually do this first then establish manufacturing plants later.  Now 48 Chinese companies in the Charlotte area.  10 years ago probably only 2-3.   https://charlottechamber.com/news/2018/04/03/economic-development-news/chinese-forklift-manufacturer-opens-u.s.-headquarters/