With a budget cut of 5.4 percent from last year, the North Carolina Dept. of Commerce is re-examining its efforts at economic development. The state has been hit with large job cuts in the manufacturing sector. North Carolina's formerly hot technology and information sectors have also taken a beating. State Commerce Secretary Jim Fain says North Carolina will shift its efforts from recruiting new business to "retaining, recruitment and readiness."

New Plant Investment in North Carolina From 10/2000 - 6/2001
Company	Location	Product	Investment US$ (millions)
Corning	Concord	Optical Fiber Plant	450
Carolina Power & Light	Salisbury	Power Plant	400
Entergy Power	Salisbury	Gas Power Plant	300
DFI Group	Morehead City	Ethanol	132
Crosslands Commercial	Indian Land	Business Park	70
Lowe's	Garysburg	Building Materials	59
BorgWarner Turbo	Asheville	Turbochargers	50
Pepsi Bottling Ventures	Raleigh	Beverage Bottling	40
DSM	Desotech	Stanley Coating Materials	32
Source: Conway Data Inc. New Plants Database

      The Dept. of Commerce has launched a new program called 21st Century Communities aimed at areas of the state that are at risk for substantial job losses, or need assistance with economic development. "We need to help our companies and communities retain and grow the jobs they have," says Fain.
      The program will also feature a call center that will help business and industry hook up with the resources they need from state agencies. The program should be up and running by January of 2002. "We're starting it from scratch," say Ray Denny, head of the Commerce Dept.'s Division of Business and Industry. "We're trying to create something that can be a model for other states."
      The new North Carolina budget also includes $3 million in funding for both the North Carolina Technology Development Authority and the Industrial Recruiting Competitive Fund. A bill regulating genetically altered tobacco was withdrawn so that plans to manufacture a nearly nicotine-free cigarette in the state can move forward.
      Lowe's announced in late May the construction of a 225-acre (91- hectare) regional distribution center near Garysburg in Northampton County. The center is expected to employ nearly 600 workers. "Northampton County is a perfect location for our ninth strategically located distribution center," says Lee Herring, senior vice-president of distribution for Lowe's. "Northampton has a high local work ethic, county support and excellent highway access."
      Asheville is the site for a new technology center, the Corporate Technology Center at Biltmore Park. Located on land originally purchased by his great grandfather, George W. Vanderbilt, Jack Cecil is developing the master-planned 2,500-acre (1,012- hectares) community called Biltmore Park. Volvo Construction has a site within the technology center, which offers fiber-optic wiring with unlimited bandwidth, video conferencing and Internet service.
      Rockingham County is the site of a new joint venture between Unifi and Sans Fibers. The $25 million facility will refurbish an old Unifi nylon covering plant and will manufacture high- tenacity nylon yarns. The project will create 100 new jobs.