The Queen City prides itself on its supportive business attitude and the vital, growing firms that benefit from it. In return, businesses and the services that support them have helped shape the city and the region – an area with a strong and diverse economy, high-quality expanding workforce, solid technical, educational and transportation resources, vibrant communities and diverse lifestyles. The influx of new, skilled workers to the area and partnership between the private sector and public agencies ensures that Charlotte will continue to be a great place to do business.

Finance is a major player here; with more than $1 trillion in assets, Charlotte is second only to New York City. Six of the nation’s top 150 banks have operations in Charlotte. Two banks that rank in the nation’s top five are headquartered in Charlotte: Bank of America Corp., ranked first, and Wachovia Corp., ranked fourth largest nationally. The two institutions have branches throughout the nation and provide specialty banking services worldwide.

Uptown’s skyline has been influenced by these and other banks, whose growth is reflected in skyscrapers such as Bank of America Corporate Center, The Hearst Tower, the IJL Financial Center and One Wachovia Center. Beyond its financial prowess, Charlotte is also home to seven Fortune 500 companies including Duke Energy, Goodrich, SPX and Sonic Automotive. The headquarters for Family Dollar and Lowe’s are located in nearby suburbs. Additionally, nearly 300 Fortune 500 businesses operate facilities in Charlotte.

Small businesses flourish in the area as well. In the past ten years, nearly 9,000 firms have opened in Charlotte, offering more than 77,000 new jobs and investing $7.4 billion in new facilities.

As a manufacturing center, Charlotte is home to more than 2,000 manufacturers that employ over 100,000 workers in textiles, electronics, printing, plastics, industrial machinery and other industries.

Charlotte’s status as a transportation hub significantly facilitates economic growth. Served by a superb network of highways and as the center of the country’s largest consolidated rail system, Charlotte continues to be a focal point for development in the Southeast.

If you flew in for a job interview or a house-hunting trip, you’ve already seen Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, the nation’s 14th busiest in terms of total operations. The facility, on the city’s west side, averages 523 flights daily and moves more than 154,000 tons of cargo each year. Charlotte is the largest hub for US Airways, which offers flights to points all over the United States and internationally.

In 2004, Johnson & Wales dissolved their Norfolk, Va. and Charleston locations and moved to Gateway Village in 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 prospects in the Center City.

The Bobcats, Charlotte’s new NBA expansion team owned by Black Entertainment Television founder Robert Johnson, is anticipated to bring in considerable economic growth to the Charlotte region. The Bobcats begin play at the Coliseum in 2004 and move into their new arena in First Ward in 2005.

Another new business is the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association headquarters, which recently moved from Minneapolis to Charlotte – Billy Graham’s hometown. The headquarters will offer hundreds of new jobs and draw thousands of tourists from across the country.

Within the next three years, Charlotte will be home to a world-class whitewater park, modeled after the 2000 Olympic site in Australia. Located at the future intersection of I-85 and I-485, the Charlotte Whitewater Park will draw tourists and outdoor sports enthusiasts from across the country.

According to the Charlotte Chamber, nearly 400 foreign-owned companies do business in Charlotte, representing half of all foreign companies in the state. Countries with the greatest representation include Germany, Japan and Great Britain, with Swiss 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.

Development seems to go nonstop here, especially along I-485, the 60-mile outerbelt that is under construction.

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.

CHARLOTTE’S LARGEST EMPLOYERS
15,000 – 19,999 Employees
Wachovia Corporation *

10,000 – 14,999 Employees
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools*
Bank of America*
Carolinas HealthCare System*

5,000 – 9,999 Employees
Duke Energy Corporation*
US Airways
Mecklenburg County*
North Carolina State Government
City of Charlotte*
U.S. Government

3,000-4,999 Employees
Presbyterian Healthcare/Novant Health *
Ruddick/Harris Teeter, Inc. *
Winn-Dixie Charlotte

1,500-2,999 Employees
U.S. Postal Service
BellSouth Telecommunications
Food Lion
Belk*
IBM Charlotte
UNC at Charlotte*
Family Dollar Stores*
Solectron Technology
Eckerd Corporation
Microsoft Corporation
Royal and SunAlliance
Compass Group*
Wal-Mart Stores/Sam’s
Interstate Brands-Merita
Lowe’s Companies

1,000-1,499 Employees
The Charlotte Observer
Rea Construction Company
United Parcel Service
Continental Tire North America, Inc.*
Allen Tate Company*
Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS)
T.J. Maxx
J.A. Jones Services
Vanguard Group
Allstate Insurance Company
Lance, Inc. *
Wells Fargo
Sprint PCS
Bi-Lo Food Stores

750-999 Employees
AT&T
Carolina Restaurant Group LLC (Wendy’s)
Coca-Cola Bottling Consolidated*
Equitable
TIAA-CREF
Yellow Freight System
Crowder Construction *
Central Piedmont Community College *
McDonald’s Hamburgers
Frito-Lay, Inc
Hartford Insurance
Pizza Hut
Target Stores
CVS/Pharmacy
PCA International, Inc.
Cigna
Dillard’s
Siemens Westinghouse
Blythe Construction*

500-749 Employees
Bojangles Restaurants, Inc.*
Ingersoll-Rand Company*
Herff Jones, Inc.
ALLTEL Communications
Hendrick Automotive Group*
K-mart Corporation
Clariant Corporation
Sears, Roebuck & Company
Piedmont Natural Gas*
Davidson College*
Burns International
Blythe Construction *
Burger King Corporation
Charlotte Pipe & Foundry*
Wilton Connor Packaging*

*Headquartered in Mecklenburg County
Source: Charlotte’s Largest Employers is based on a 2002 survey conducted by the Charlotte Chamber.