Expansion Solutions Magazine: The Best Kept Secret for Aerospace/Defense & Life Sciences

A recent edition of Expansion Solutions Magazine pulled back the curtain on North Carolina as the United States’ “Best Kept Secret for Aerospace/Defense & Life Sciences.”

North Carolina is quickly becoming a national leader in life sciences—and at the heart of this growth are Wake County and the Research Triangle.

“The life sciences sector has steadily grown in the Triangle in Wake County for decades, but momentum has picked up in recent years, especially in biomanufacturing. Key elements driving this growth include the areas top-tier education system, established workforce development programs, a low corporate tax rate, lower overall costs, available sites and space, and a developing transportation system for shipping and supply chains.”

The article expands on North Carolina’s competitive advantages including diversity of industries, cost of living, and most notably, quality of life. “Lower cost of living, cultural amenities, and outdoor recreating make it a place where employees want to live and companies want to grow.”

To capitalize on the exposure of the magazine, WCED ran a full page ad within the feature story highlighting recent top rankings for the region and the state, including:

• #1 Best Performing Large City (Raleigh, NC | Milken Institute)
• #1 State for Business (North Carolina, ’25, ’23, ’22 | CNBC)
• #2 State for Business (North Carolina, ’24 | CNBC)
• #2 City for International Business (Raleigh, NC | Financial Times)
• #3 Very Large U.S. Metro for Growth (Raleigh, NC | Brookings)