News & Rankings

Economic Development September Recap

Featured Projects 
 

HCL Technologies | Cary | Software/IT | Expanding

HCL Technologies, a leading global IT services provider located in Cary, plans to expand its existing center and create an additional 1,237 jobs at a new Global Delivery Center by the end of 2018. This will bring the company's total footprint in Wake County to more than 2,000 employees. The company selected Cary for this growth opportunity because of the region's information technology talent base and the incredible array of university and workforce development resources. The company will hire a wide variety of technology professionals to develop, maintain, and upgrade software applications and provide critical services to global clients. 

Wake County Economic Development worked with numerous partners over the past year and half in meeting the needs of HCL Technologies. These partners include Capital Area Workforce Development, the Cary Chamber of Commerce, Wake Technical Community College, and the NC Department of Commerce. "We are excited about continuing to work with HCL and our partners in the build out of the new Global Deliver Center," said Michael Haley, director of business recruitment and expansion for WCED. "We were able to leverage our partnerships and will continue to sponsor HCL with their talent recruitment efforts through our Work in the Triangle talent initiative." 

To learn more about HCL Technologies' expansion in Cary, read the full story.

Xellia Pharmaceuticals | Raleigh | Biotech/Pharma | Expanding

Xellia Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company that provides treatment for life-threatening infections, is creating 50 permanent full-time jobs and investing $100 million in its manufacturing facility at 8900 Capital Blvd. in Raleigh. Annual salaries for the new positions will range from $45,000 to $70,000. New hires will include manufacturing technicians and maintenance mechanics, senior quality control and assurance, and validation and technology transfer specialists. In early September, Raleigh City Council pledged an economic development incentive valued around $280,000 over a five-year period if Xellia committed to creating 40 additional jobs and invested $100 million in the facility. On Sept.15, the Wake County Board of Commissioners approved a $1.05 million business investment grant to the Danish firm committed to expanding its manufacturing operations in north Raleigh.

New & Expanding Companies 

 

CommunityOne Bank | Raleigh | Financial Services | New

CommunityOne Bank, a financial services company, is expanding its territory into the Triangle region with its first office location in Raleigh. The company will locate to the Rexwoods Center IV building at 4325 Lake Boone Trail and occupy 4,871 square feet of space.   

 

Crude Bitters & Sodas | Raleigh | Food & Beverage Manufacturer | Expanding

Crude Bitters & Sodas, a manufacturer of small-batch artisanal cocktail bitters, is expanding its production operations in downtown Raleigh. The company hopes to add several seasonal and year-round bitters and potentially add a tasting room.

 

Dimension Data | Raleigh | Software/IT | Expanding

Dimension Data, a global IT services firm, is expanding its footprint at The Summit in west Raleigh by 3,000 square feet. The company will occupy a total 14,445 square feet once the expansion is complete. 

Wake County Municipality Highlight: Morrisville  

 

Morrisville, located in the heart of the Triangle, is adjacent to the Research Triangle Park, I-40, and I-540 and is less than two miles from RDU International Airport. In addition to its enviable location, the town's workforce is second to none. More than 74 percent of Morrisville's population holds a college degree, and the two closest high schools to the town rank gold and silver on U.S. News and World Report's 2014 list of Best High Schools. Morrisville's location and workforce have attracted companies such as Lenovo, Time Warner, PPD, and Oracle. Two of Inc. Magazine's fastest-growing companies, Netsertive and Clinipace, have chosen Morrisville as their home. Teleflex Medical recently relocated to Morrisville and ChannelAdvisor has announced plans to move to Morrisville with a target date sometime in 2015.

 

New & Expanding Metrics Since January 2014  

 

Jan. - Sept. 2014

New & Expanding Company Announcements

72

Jobs

4,340

Investment

$466,050,000




  

Since the beginning of 2014, 72 companies have announced relocations or expansions in Wake County. This accounts for the creation of 4,340 new jobs and investment of more than $466 million. Of those announcements, 48 (66 percent) are in Wake County Economic Development's cluster industries. 

 

 

Project Metrics Since January 2014: 

 

 

Jan. - Sept. 2014

Projects Received

82

Client Visits

25

Potential Jobs

14,046

Potential Investment

$2,671,470,650

 

Since Jan. 1, 2014, Wake County Economic Development has worked directly on 82 projects from companies considering relocations or expansions in Wake County. These projects would total 14,046 new jobs and more than $2.6 billion of investment if each were to successfully locate in Wake County. WCED has also hosted 25 client visits to the area.


Recent News & Events 

 

Wake County Economic Development Participates in MAIN Event

Throughout the month of September, Wake County Economic Development participated in several festivals, conferences, and forums in downtown Raleigh as a part of the city's MAIN Event. Spearheaded by Innovate Raleigh, the MAIN Event is a month-long event celebrating the music, art, innovation, and noise that makes the city unique and showcases its culture. Among the events WCED participated in were the inaugural Hopscotch Design Festival, Hopscotch Music Festival, SparkCon Creative Festival, and Innovate Raleigh Summit. WCED exhibited in a booth at these events to raise awareness of the Work in the Triangle talent attraction initiative, promote local jobs, and connect with members of the community. In addition, WCED created an art installation featuring a 10-foot wall covered in construction paper hearts that detailed why attendees loved the city. The attraction was a huge success, providing a vivid cross-section of the diversity within the community and how it appeals to all different interests. For more information on the art installation, click here.

 

Innovate Raleigh Summit

The Innovate Raleigh Summit, an annual conference to discuss innovation and entrepreneurship, took place in downtown Raleigh on Sept. 10. It provided an opportunity for WCED staff to connect with local entrepreneurs and community leaders to discuss the future of innovation and entrepreneurship in Raleigh. Breakout sessions and engaging keynotes provided insight to the areas that entrepreneurs feel the city excels in and areas of opportunity that could be further explored. Innovate Raleigh provided a platform to showcase the vibrancy and growth of the entrepreneurial community in Raleigh and highlight the ongoing innovation that sets this area apart. At the event's conclusion, Mayor Nancy McFarlane announced Red Hat's support of Citrix's recently launched accelerator program in Raleigh.  

 

NCWorks Launches Major Workforce Development Initiative 

Gov. Pat McCrory and Secretary Sharon Decker kicked off the NCWorks 1,000 in 100 initiative at DB Global Technology on Sept. 25. The initiative, a listening and learning tour focused on identifying the talent needs of North Carolina companies, will meet with 1,000 companies in 100 counties within 100 days across the state. Jenn Bosser, assistant executive director with Wake County Economic Development, is one of the partners leading the outreach effort in Wake County.

 

Citrix Announces Grand Opening in Downtown Raleigh

Citrix hosted a grand opening and ribbon cutting event on Oct. 9 to open its new ultra-modern, 170,000 square-foot office space in the warehouse district of downtown Raleigh. Approximately 600 employees will work at the new facility.

 

Wake County Economic Development Hosts Annual 

Come Tech IT Out Career Fair

Wake County Economic Development partnered with the North Carolina Technology Association and the Council for Entrepreneurial Development to host the fifth annual Come Tech IT Out Career Fair on Oct. 21 at NC State University's McKimmon Center. The career fair featured more than 30 technology companies in the Triangle that are hiring. More than 400 job-seekers attended.  



Recent Rankings  

 

 For a full list of rankings, please download the Raleigh/Wake County Rankings Flyer.

  • #9 Best Place for Jobs Requiring Post-Secondary Education 
    (Raleigh-Cary, NC) CityLab
  • #3 Best Up-and-Coming City for Art and Culture 
    (Raleigh, NC) Women's Health Magazine
  • #10 Metro Area Where Seniors are on the Rise 
    (Raleigh, NC) Realtor.com
  • #1 U.S. City Attracting the Most Families 
    (Raleigh, NC) Forbes
  • Most Affordable County in NC for a Wedding 
    (Wake County, NC) Nerd Wallet 
  • #2 Most Educated City in the U.S. 
    (Raleigh, NC) WalletHub 
  • #4 Metro for Economic Growth 
    (Raleigh, NC) CityLab 
  • #8 Best City to Live in 
    (Cary, NC) 24/7 Wall Street

Wake County Labor Market Statistics  

 

Labor Force & Employment


 

 
 

As of August 2014, Wake County's labor force has increased by 7,987 and employment has increased by 10,858. This represents a growth of 2 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively. The number of those unemployed, the differential of labor force and employment, has fallen by 9.2 percent to 28,333.

 

 

Unemployment Rate

 

  

Wake County's unemployment rate, the proportion of those unemployed relative to the labor force, has fallen from 6.2 percent in August of last year to 5.6 percent this year. This represents a 0.6 percent decrease.

 

 

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