The Charlotte Regional Partnership has come to this week NBAA show (Booth 3575) seeking to attract companies to join the area’s growing cluster of aviation/aerospace activity. Curtiss-Wright and Sealed Air are among the latest companies to relocate their headquarters to the North Carolina city–in both cases moving from New Jersey. Other companies now with significant facilities in the area include UTC Aerospace Systems, General Dynamics, Michelin Aircraft Tire, ATI Allvac and Turbomeca.
According to David Swenson, senior vice president for economic development with the Charlotte Regional Partnership, the Charlotte area’s competitive business climate is the common factor in attracting aviation and aerospace businesses. Another important consideration is the relative proximity to existing facilities operated by major airframers, such as Boeing in Charleston, S.C.; Airbus in Mobile, Ala.; and Honda Aircraft in Greensboro, N.C.
According to the Charlotte Regional Partnership, local labor costs are between 2 and 5 percent less than the U.S. national average and the overall cost of living is 5 to 8 percent lower. The corporate income tax rate in North Carolina is 6 percent and in neighboring South Carolina is just 5 percent. Union membership rates in both states is among the lowest across the U.S. “Companies know they can count on having lower costs in the long term,” Swenson told AIN.
Local community colleges are equipped to provide customized training to match the specific workforce skills needs of particular companies, with the cost of the training directly offset by the state government. For instance, significant investment has been made to train people in metal manufacturing techniques.
Many local workers learn new skills at South Piedmont Community College’s Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing Training Center in Monroe. The Charlotte suburb is also home to Turbomeca’s helicopter engine factory and Midway Aircraft Instrument, which in late 2013 completed construction of a $2.3 million, 27,000-sq-ft facility.
Another important asset in the region is Charlotte Douglas International Airport, proving nonstop scheduled service to 151 U.S. cities and 24 international destinations. Sealed Air, in particular, highlighted the airport as a key factor in its willingness to relocate to the area.
