Wachovia Championship, Coca-Cola 600 Bookends for Truly 'A-May-zing' Month in Charlotte USA
16-County Region Bursting With Activity, Initiatives Pointing To Vibrant Future
CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 2 -- Beginning with the Wachovia Championship May 2-8 and wrapping up with the Coca-Cola 600 May 29, there's only one way to describe the next four weeks in Charlotte USA:
A-May-zing!
The PGA TOUR stop at Quail Hollow Country Club and NASCAR racing at Lowe's Motor Speedway will showcase the region to millions of television viewers around the globe. But even without those marquee events, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about being in Charlotte USA, the 16-county region of North Carolina and South Carolina with Charlotte, N.C., as its hub.
"As a region, Charlotte USA is proud to serve as host to these great events and welcomes the opportunity to show golf and racing fans what true Southern hospitality is all about," said Kenny McDonald, senior vice president of the Charlotte Regional Partnership, the premier regional economic development organization that markets Charlotte USA on behalf of its 16 member counties. "But we're just as excited about all of the ongoing activity that will enhance our region's quality of life on a long-term basis and make Charlotte USA even more attractive as a location for both new and expanding businesses."
May will be a busy month for the Partnership, which will be using events such as the Wachovia Championship and the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge to host key business location consultants and relocation prospects and to educate them about the Charlotte USA region's unique balance of business strength, accessibility and quality of life. Key partners, including Duke Power, BellSouth, Time Warner Cable, Bank of America, and Speedway Motorsports make it possible for the Partnership to use these events to host clients.
McDonald points to a baker's dozen of exciting things both large and small that help make this an a-May-zing month in Charlotte USA:
- A local group spearheading efforts to bring the NASCAR Hall of Fame to
Charlotte is putting the finishing touches on its bid, due to NASCAR by
May 31. The group has selected a site and hired the world renowned
architectural firm of I.M. Pei to design the project, which could yield
an estimated $100 million economic impact and bring 400,000 visitors a
year.
- Charlotte is hopping with film industry activity in May, with "Walker,"
a major motion picture, currently shooting episodes in several
Charlotte USA counties, according to the Partnership's film recruiting
office. And the Charlotte USA logo will make a cameo appearance in an
episode of the WB Network drama, "One Tree Hill," which features scenes
shot on location at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The episode is scheduled to
air at 9 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, May 3.
- The Partnership is preparing to host three or four German companies
over the next two months, the direct result of a European business
recruiting mission April 11-21. The Partnership's efforts to spur
foreign firms to bring new jobs and investment to Charlotte USA are one
reason the region leads the U.S. in foreign-firm growth and now is home
to manufacturing, U.S. headquarters offices, and other facilities of
165 German companies. Additionally, a group of nine smaller German
companies seeking partners in the U.S. market are slated to visit this
week.
- Alerting all "foodies": On May 19, the inaugural class of freshmen at
Johnson & Wales University completes its first academic year at the
culinary school's location in the sparkling Gateway Village complex,
putting the budding chefs one year closer to graduating and going forth
to create great new restaurants in Charlotte.
- The NBA Charlotte Bobcats, coming off a modest 18-64 inaugural season,
are looking forward to the May 24 NBA draft lottery with unbridled
glee, since the team is guaranteed two of the top 14 picks and could
wind up with two of the top three in the June 28 draft. Rookies will
join the old hands in the Bobcat's stunning new $265 million uptown
arena in October 2005.
- On May 7-8, USA Canoe/Kayak's directors meeting in Charlotte get a
progress report on the new U.S. National Whitewater Center being built
by a private group on a 307-acre site near the Catawba River. The
artificial river with re-circulating rapids will be the official home
of the U.S. Whitewater Slalom Team and will host Olympic trials, World
Cup competitions, and other events in addition to being open to the
public most days. Opening is set for spring 2006.
- It's unofficial and unscientific, but our Charlotte USA Crane Index
might just hit a new high point in May. Construction cranes are
shooting skyward everywhere, from the NBA Charlotte Bobcats' new uptown
arena to the mixed-use high-rise on the site of Charlotte's old
convention center to the continuing expansion of SouthPark Mall.
- By the end of the month, Crate & Barrel should be close to opening its
210,000-s.f. distribution center in the Lincoln County (N.C.)
Industrial Park. Charlotte USA is the clear choice for distribution
facilities like Crate & Barrel's: Within a day's drive of more than
half of the U.S. population and convenient to three major East Coast
ports, the region is the distribution hub for the nation's fifth-
largest urban center.
- In its May issue, Site Selection magazine singles out Charlotte USA
community Mooresville, N.C., and its Mooresville-South Iredell Chamber
of Commerce as one of the Top 10 local development groups in North
America. Just two months ago, the Mooresville-Statesville area was
named the No. 1 "Micropolitan area" in the U.S. The Partnership works
closely with Mooresville and other local economic development
organizations in the 16-county region to promote quality jobs and new
investment.
- Following through on its March announcement, Curtiss-Wright Controls
continues to migrate highly skilled engineering talent from its former
headquarters in New Jersey to Gastonia, where the aerospace firm is
creating a new technical center of excellence. The Curtiss-Wright Corp.
subsidiary is one of nearly 300 of the Fortune 500 with facilities in
Charlotte. Nine of the Fortune 500 have their corporate headquarters in
the Charlotte USA region, including Charlotte-based Bank of America,
the No. 2 bank in the country and anchor of the nation's second-largest
financial center.
- The Wachovia Championship is quickly establishing itself as one of the
great stops on the PGA TOUR and a fan favorite (sold out three years
running). In addition to the TV coverage that will beam images of
Charlotte's springtime beauty to more than 140 countries worldwide, the
tournament is expected to generate an estimated $40 million to $45
million in economic activity and related spending for the region from
the 200,000 fans expected to attend.
- Race Weeks: The NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge race will take place
May 21, followed by the Coca-Cola 600 May 29, both at Lowe's Motor
Speedway in Concord. The Charlotte USA region is home not only to one
of NASCAR's premier venues, but serves as home base to more than 90
percent of NASCAR racing teams and claims more than $3.9 billion of the
estimated $5 billion in motorsports spending in North Carolina.
- Last but not least, the May forecast calls for Charlotte weather!
(Average highs for early May in the mid-70s; average number of sunny
days per year, 214.)
About the Charlotte Regional Partnership
The Charlotte Regional Partnership is a nonprofit, public/private economic development organization created in 1991 to market and promote the Charlotte region as a highly competitive location for new and expanding businesses. The Charlotte region encompasses 16 counties in North and South Carolina, surrounding the City of Charlotte.