Brittany Brady, Immediate Past President, North Carolina Economic Development Association (NCEDA)

Invest: spoke with Brittany Brady, immediate past president of the North Carolina Economic Development Association, about North Carolina’s competitive position, the role of rural communities, workforce strengths, and the priorities needed to sustain investment momentum. “North Carolina is successful in economic development because of collaboration,” Brady said.

What changes over the past year have had the greatest impact on economic development activity across North Carolina?

North Carolina is the top state to do business according to CNBC in 2022, 2023, and 2025, and we are proud of that. That comes with a lot of collaboration and cooperation across partners, including business and industry leaders, elected officials, the community college system, the school system, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and economic developers at the state, local, and regional levels.

When we all come together and play on Team North Carolina, we are able to create strong policy, do great work around sites and buildings, and leverage our workforce. We are also able to adapt when there are challenges. The political and economic landscape across the globe has changed a lot over the past decade, and through this collaboration, we can listen and respond to the needs of our citizens and corporate citizens and come up with solutions for success.

How would you describe North Carolina’s competitive position today?

North Carolina is successful in economic development because of collaboration. One area where we are strong is our workforce. We are known as the Great 58, because we have 58 community colleges that serve more than 575,000 students.

Over the past couple of years, the governor’s office has focused on talent and economic opportunity, and we have seen that echoed in the General Assembly. Locally, economic developers are latching on to that as well.

Economic development is simple in many ways because it is about people and it is about product or place. We try to get that right by first taking care of our people through a cradle-to-career approach, while making sure our sites and buildings meet client needs. We have seen that happen through partnerships, through the work of the General Assembly, and through local communities putting strong plans together.

What industries or types of projects are creating the most momentum across the state right now?

North Carolina is known as first in flight, so transportation projects, including automotive and aviation, have been leaders in the state for quite some time. We are also seeing new technologies come in, along with new projects and companies. We have Pratt & Whitney in western North Carolina and Boom in the Greensboro area, so there is synergy across the state. Transportation components are a big area of momentum. Life sciences is another leader for North Carolina, and we continue to see growth there.

In general, North Carolina is built on manufacturing, and we are seeing advanced manufacturing across all sectors. That includes machinery, food and beverage, and outdoor products, which is an interesting area we see specifically in western North Carolina and on the coast in eastern North Carolina. Industry 4.0 is making its way to the state, which many people may feel is rooted in traditional manufacturing, but we are seeing strong investments there.

What are companies evaluating most carefully today when deciding where to invest or expand operations?

Partners are probably the most important factor. There are a lot of meetings before a company makes an announcement, but companies want to make sure promises can be kept and followed through with. Partnerships with the community college system and our workforce partners are crucial because we have to take care of people.

Companies also want to see that a site has the infrastructure and access it needs. Collaboration around infrastructure and access is huge. Strategic location is also important. North Carolina is strategically located on the Eastern Seaboard, and we can reach most major markets within a day’s drive. As fuel costs are escalating, that strategic location is important for clients as they evaluate supply chains and logistics.

What strengths does North Carolina have in creating a healthy workforce pipeline for expanding employers?

We have a cradle-to-career approach. The governor’s office and the Department of Commerce took bold steps a few years ago to have a dedicated staff person focused on childcare, making sure childcare initiatives were not just a solution for children but also a solution for parents to re-enter the workforce. That is truly the cradle part of the approach.

Our K-12 pipeline continues to grow and work closely with the trends and needs we are seeing in education to make sure students learn the skills needed to become successful employees in North Carolina.

Our secret sauce is our community college system. Customized training is a real winner in making sure projects and companies locating here get training specific to their needs. Whether that means traveling to a company’s headquarters or to another country to learn the process or translate documentation, that level of customization is unique and special for every client.

We also have a strong university system that we are quite proud of, and the engineering capabilities within those universities allow our youngest citizens to get the training they need to enter the workforce in sectors that are successful here.

What role do rural communities play in the state’s broader growth strategy?

Most of North Carolina is rural. We obviously have some urban pockets in the Raleigh and Charlotte areas, but the vast majority of North Carolina is made up of rural communities. That is one of the reasons people love the state. We have diversity with the mountains, the Piedmont, and the coast, and that creates different pockets throughout North Carolina.

That is where the magic happens in these communities. Most communities are unique in their feel and culture, which means the companies located there are also unique to them. Outdoor products, for example, are something you see on either end of the state, with a strong growth pocket in western North Carolina and in rural communities where you can make a boat and test it on the river. That is a unique asset.

Life sciences is bubbling up around the Research Triangle Park area, which is unique to that demographic. There are different pockets of prosperity across the state, and our rural communities bring something special to the economic development puzzle. Their downtowns are amazing, and that cultural amenity and quality of life also anchor economic development.

How is the economic and policy environment influencing investment decisions in North Carolina?

We continue to have a healthy pipeline of projects looking at the state. Our policymakers in the General Assembly continue to focus on what we call the three Ps: product, people, and posture.

There is a strong push to make sure sites and buildings are ready and available for companies to locate here or expand. There is also a focus on the community college system and apprenticeship programs. In addition, there is work to make sure our incentive programs are robust and easy for clients to use.

When you couple those pieces together, North Carolina remains an attractive place to do business. We are still getting a lot of looks. We are also seeing a lot of existing industries expand, which is not always what makes the headlines, but it tells me as an economic developer that businesses have decisions to make and have found that North Carolina is the right decision. They continue to invest in our state and our people, which is a testament to how we collaborate and how we have become a business-friendly state.

What should North Carolina prioritize over the next several years to remain competitive and continue attracting investment?

We are a product of our own success, and with that comes challenges around ready sites. We see many of our peers investing heavily in getting sites and infrastructure improved so that when the next client comes, a project is off the ground and running.

Many neighboring states invest a little more heavily in site development than we do in North Carolina, and that is one way we could lose some of our competitive edge. We need to focus on sites and infrastructure.

We also need to make sure we do not lose our competitive edge with workforce. That means ensuring the North Carolina Community College System and K-12 education system are fully funded and able to adapt as our economic needs, workforce dynamics, and technology change. We need to continue investing in our future workforce with the proper training.

I am biased, but I think North Carolina is the No. 1 state. We have great partners and collaboration to make the magic happen, and I hope we continue to be a top state for many years to come.