If you flew in for a job interview or a house-hunting trip, you’ve already seen Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, the nation’s 10th-busiest airport in terms of operations. The facility, on the city’s west side, averages 627 flights daily and enplanes nearly 30 million passengers each year. Charlotte is the largest hub for US Airways, which offers flights to points all over the United States and internationally, including non-stop service to 127 destinations.
In 2004, Johnson & Wales University dissolved its Norfolk and Charleston locations and moved to Gateway Village in Uptown Charlotte. The school, which focuses on business, hospitality, culinary arts and technology, brings more than 2,000 students to Uptown as well as a full campus, an addition that significantly enhances business and hospitality prospects in the Center City.
The Bobcats, Charlotte’s new NBA expansion team owned by Black Entertainment Television founder Robert Johnson, also brings in considerable economic growth to the Charlotte region. After playing their first season in the Charlotte Coliseum, the Bobcats moved to the Charlotte Bobcats Arena in First Ward for their 2005-2006 season, bolstering commercial and residential development in Uptown.
Another new business is the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association headquarters, which recently moved from Minneapolis to Charlotte – Billy Graham’s hometown. The headquarters adds hundreds of new jobs and draws thousands of tourists.
In 2006, the U.S. National Whitewater Center opened – a world-class whitewater park, modeled after the 2000 Olympic site in Australia. Located near the I-85/I-485 interchange, the U.S. National Whitewater Center brings in tourists, outdoor sports enthusiasts and professional athletes from across the country.
According to the Charlotte Chamber, nearly 500 foreign-owned companies do business in Charlotte’s 15-county region, representing half of all foreign companies in the state. Countries with the greatest representation include Germany, Japan and Great Britain, with Swiss, Italian and Canadian firms on the rise. Charlotte’s banking industry has been extremely accommodating to start-up firms and minority businesses.
All this business has given Charlotte an extremely healthy economy. The city has an exceptionally low unemployment rate and has continued to grow steadily.
Business doesn’t stop at the county line, either. Other counties in the Charlotte metro region have equally healthy economies, thanks to their proximity to Charlotte’s amenities, as well as their own aggressive recruiting efforts and, in some cases, incentives to relocating businesses. |
