The business recruitment team of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance generated 7 European projects alone in October and November. We experienced significant activities on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from the European market. As European countries gradually opened travel restrictions, many companies finally can travel to the U.S. for in-person meetings. We are finding more activity in the field with a focus on talent assessment, site and facility due diligence, and discussion around incentives.
The majority of those companies are privately owned with specialized and advanced technology in the manufacturing industry. Many of them already have some U.S. customers, however they realize that they must have a physical location in the U.S to better serve their existing and future customers.
We also engaged with companies looking to expand their presence in the U.S. from other states. Skilled labor availability, accessibility, strong economy, and a well-connected European business community were a few main reasons for them to consider the Charlotte Region.
The recruitment team also hosted 3 company visits in November: a UK technology firm, an Austrian automation machinery manufacturer, and a German carbon supplier and manufacturer.
Overall, the level of activities in the last two months demonstrated that the Charlotte Region continued attracting FDI for both new companies as well as expansion opportunities. Despite the challenges brought by COVID, international companies seem ready to move forward with their U.S. projects.
