Economic Development August Recap

Rolesville is a quaint and unique bedroom community snuggled in northeastern Wake County. One of the top five fastest growing municipalities in North Carolina for the past four years and the second oldest only to Raleigh, Rolesville has a great small town atmosphere with many community events throughout the year. The town has plenty of housing options for small or growing families and a bypass that will bring economic vitality. The parks facility is a gem in the area with lots of trails and open space for all. Rolesville is a wonderful place to live, work, and play. 

Since the beginning of 2014, Wake County has had 67 new and expanding announcements. Of those announcements, 44 (66 percent) are in Wake County Economic Development's cluster industries. 

Wake County Receives AAA Bond Rating

Wake County was assigned an "AAA" bond rating from Fitch Ratings, Standard and Poors, and Moody's, the highest credit rating available to local governments. The rating was assigned to $345.24 million in public improvement bonds. Adrienne Cole, executive director of Wake County Economic Development, presented to representatives from the rating agencies, along with other local community leaders, to help make the case for the county to retain its bond rating. Cole said: "Wake County's workforce, universities, and strong economy all played a crucial role in the ratings. Wake County is one of only 39 counties, in the U.S. to receive this rating out of more than 3,000. This speaks to the strength of the region and helps to ensure our community will continue to progress and prosper."Wake's triple-A bond rating allows the county to receive low interest rates on debt issued for capital expenditures. Wake County has received the highest possible rating from Moody's since 1973, Standard and Poor's since 1983, and Fitch since 2000.

Manufacturing Day

The NC State University Industrial Extension Service will host its third Annual Manufacturing Day on Friday, Oct. 3. Manufacturing Day is a nationwide event that provides a unique opportunity to witness manufacturing in action, while highlighting the vital role of manufacturing in national and regional economies. The wide range of jobs available in modern manufacturing environments that require high skill, but provide high pay, will also be a focus. Numerous Triangle companies will be participating in the event, including Parata Systems (Durham) and EMC Apex Manufacturing (Apex). Fuquay-Varina will host its "Big 4" Tour, highlighting its four largest manufacturers. PNC and NC State Industrial Extension Service will host the "State of Manufacturing: 2015" event Oct. 2. For more information on the event or to register for any of the events, visit  www.mfgday.com. 

WCED Attends NC Advanced Manufacturing & Aerospace 

Supplier Summit

Kelly Maness, research manager for Wake County Economic Development, attended the North Carolina Aerospace Supplier & Advanced Manufacturing Summit in Winston-Salem on Aug. 6. The summit focused on current and future defense, commercial and general aviation, as well as advanced manufacturing. Attendees had the opportunity to connect with key advanced manufacturing and aerospace companies, participate in multiple breakout sessions focused on major opportunities for manufacturers and service providers in NC, and attend focus sessions highlighting NC companies engaged in advanced manufacturing and aerospace-related activities.

Opening of the Vernon Malone College and Career Academy

On Aug. 8, the Vernon Malone College and Career Academy opened just outside of downtown Raleigh. The academy is the result of a partnership between Wake County, the Wake County Public School System, and Wake Technical Community College. It will prepare Wake County high school students for high-demand technical careers, while fulfilling requirements for their high school graduation credits. Located at 2200 S. Wilmington St. in Raleigh, the facility can accommodate 700 students. In addition to traditional classrooms, the space includes labs for technical training programs such as biopharmaceutical technology and cosmetology. During the evening, the facility will serve as instructional space for Wake Tech. The academy's namesake, Vernon Malone, was a community leader with strong ties to education. 

Greater Raleigh Chamber Hosts Retired Gen. Keys for 

Energy Discussion

In August, General Ron Keys, USAF (Retired) joined industry and Chamber leaders from across the Research Triangle at the NC Clean Technology Center at NC State to discuss the link between the military, energy innovation, and economic opportunity. The Greater Raleigh Chamber organized the event. Business owners, economic developers, university researchers, and community leaders attended the roundtable discussion. The event also included a panel with representatives from the Research Triangle Regional Partnership and the North Carolina Military Business Center. Keys visit highlighted the importance of the military's role in clean energy innovation and what it could means for North Carolina's economy.

Raleigh MAIN Event

September

The Raleigh M.A.I.N. Event, an Innovate Raleigh initiative, celebrates a month of music, art, innovation, and NOISE.