1) The NC STEP Leadership Team serves southeastern North Carolina and aims to provide strong economic development leadership through innovative marketing and regional collaboration. 2) Since 1996, their efforts have created over 8,600 jobs, generated $908 million in private investment, and secured 105 industry locations in the region. 3) The region has a population of over 1.12 million that is growing by more than 12% and a workforce of over 545,000, but also faces challenges in areas like port competitiveness, workforce skills, and defense funding reductions.

1. NC STEP Leadership Team
St. Paul’s NC
North Carolina’s Southeast
Economic Development Partnership

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF A DYNAMIC
REGION
1.12 M Population > 12% growth since 2000 > 545,000 In Workforce

3. INDUSTRY CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT
“Our mission is to provide
strong economic
development leadership in
southeastern North Carolina
through innovative marketing
and collaborative regional
initiatives that will create new
jobs, generate capital
investment, and secure new
business locations.”
Since 1996…
•8,637 industry jobs created
•$908M private investment
•105 industry locations

4. POPULATION GROWTH

5. NCSE KEY REGIONAL ASSETS
•NC Port at Wilmington
•Fort Bragg & military presence
•Transportation/distribution access
•Agricultural base
•Diversified manufacturing/industry base
•3 State Universities & 2 private colleges
•8 Community Colleges
•I-40, I-95, and I-74
•2 International Airports
•3 Municipal Airports with uncontrolled airspace

6. REGIONAL ECONOMIC CHALLENGES
• Port competitiveness & modernization
• Workforce skills improvement
• Global competition in business recruitment
• Funding for economic development
• Defense funding reductions & sequestration

7. MANUFACTURING JOBS

8. DEFENSE SECTOR

9. INFRASTRUCTURE

10. COMPANY PROJECTS BY INDUSTRY
SECTOR

11. PROJECTS REQUIRING PORT AND/OR
RAIL

12. REGIONAL WORKFORCE
• Industry is more efficient than ever before -- employs fewer, but
increasingly better paying jobs
• Overall, regional workforce is somewhat under-skilled in some
areas to be fully competitive in the global economy
• 60% - 70% of jobs in region in next decade will not require
traditional four year degree but will require more than a HS
diploma
• Aligning skills investments with labor market realities is critical
• 6.1% of workforce is knowledge jobs and projected to grow 12%
by 2018

13. REGIONAL EMPLOYMENT
• 2011 Regional Employment: 545,400
(Includes: self-employment, private, and public sector)
• 2006- 2011 Employment Growth: 3%
• 2011-2016 Employment Growth (projected): 9%
(50,298 new jobs injected into the regional economy)

14. PROJECTED WORKFORCE DEMAND
2011-2016

15. ECONOMIC GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
• Agriculture & food processing • Exporting
• Distribution • Health care services & facility
expansion
• Re-shoring of manufacturing
back to U.S. • Advanced Manufacturing
• Small business development • Defense sustainability and
defense firm growth
• Existing industry growth and
sustainability

16. CONTACT INFORMATION
North Carolina’s Southeast
707 West Broad Street
Elizabethtown, NC 28337
www.ncse.org
(800) 787-1333 / (910) 862-8511
Steve Yost - Director
stevey@ncse.org
Joe Melvin - Director of Business Development
joem@ncse.org
Bart Richardson- Marketing Research Manager
bartr@ncse.org