OPPORTUNITY RISING
Accolades & Advantages
- Lenoir ranked least expensive U.S. location*
- #1 Best Business Climate, Site Selection magazine
- #4, Top States for Business, CNBC
- #5, Pro-Business States, Pollina Corp Real Estate
- Generous incentives and tax credits
- No inventory or intangibles taxes
- No municipal income tax
- Industrial revenue bond financing
- Right-to-work state, no private-sector union presence
- 75 minutes to domestic and international air hub
- Appealing quality of life factors
- Lenoir among “Next Great Adventure Towns,” National Geographic Adventure magazine
*Lowest projected annual operating costs out of 45 U.S. locations with less than 50,000 population; Boyd Group Site Consultants, Princeton, NJ
Biotechnology
North Carolina is the #3 state in the U.S. in biotech firms and employees, and fast becoming a global biotech hub. Clearly, there’s no better place to build a biotech success story than the Tar Heel State. And, with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop, there’s no prettier place to do it than Caldwell County:
- Extensive biotech infrastructure in place
- Multiple state agencies supporting biotech development
- NC recognized as a leader in R&D and innovation
- Competitive wage structure
- Low real estate and operating costs
- Proximity to regional markets, numerous trucking carriers
- Skilled and trainable workforce with supervisory talent
- World-class biotech training and education:
- BioWork at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
- NC Community Colleges System BioNetwork
- NCBioImpact training and education
- NC State University Biomanufacturing Training & Education Center
- Project Lead The Way high school biomedical curriculum
- North Carolina Biotechnology Center supports biotech growth
- North Carolina Biosciences Organization (trade group)
- NC Research Parks Network
- Caldwell Science Institute, local research and tech support.
- 30 minutes to Appalachian State University (ASU)
- ASU North Carolina Center for Engineering Technologies in Hickory
- University of North Carolina-Charlotte(90 minutes):
- Home of the Charlotte Research Institute
- Doctoral program in bioinformatics and computational biology
“I’ve managed facilities around the world and I’d put the workforce of Caldwell County among the top. They’re hard working, committed and exhibit a high level of trust and pride. There’s an adequate supply of skilled workers and labor rates are extremely competitive. Local officials have been unbelievably supportive and responsive, and the overall community is steeped in the southern hospitality that makes doing business that much easier.”
Pete Molinaro CEO Adhezion Biomedical
“Greer Laboratories has called Caldwell County home for over 77 years. What started as a collector of botanicals and has evolved into the largest allergy immunotherapy company in the U.S. Our plan for future growth is simple: continue to invest in Lenoir and Caldwell County. The work force, educational access, operating environment, government support, and quality of life make this strategy a no-brainer.”
John Roby President & CEOGreer Laboratories Inc.
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