After posting the best performing quarter in the history of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance®, the business recruitment team is hitting the road hard to close the year. The team is set to make more than 12 business recruitment trips, domestic and international, by the end of year. Elevating the ground game is important as we look to build brand recognition and generate leads for the entire Charlotte Region.
A primary component to our ground game is site selection consultants. There are approximately 633 site selectors throughout the U.S. and our team will continue visiting with consultants in Q3 and Q4 to promote regional assets. The goal is to keep the Charlotte Region top of mind as site selectors help companies evaluate communities for relocation or expansion opportunities.
Conferences and trade shows are another focal point. The region’s traditional strengths (manufacturing and financial services) help inform our work, but as we look ahead to the future of the region, emerging markets like electric vehicles, life science, and technology industries have become core targets for 2022 and beyond. In fact, both JLL and CBRE have recognized the Charlotte Region as a high-growth-potential market for life sciences and tech industries. We look to capitalize on the momentum of announcements like Eli Lilly’s new production operation in the region.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is our third pillar. Western Europe has the largest presence of international companies and foreign-born residents within the region and will continue to be a significant market in our recruitment work. In Q3, we have a trade mission opportunity in Belgium and will also attend BIO-Europe, the world’s leading life science expo in Germany. As we plan for 2023, the goal is to expand our international reach. We are targeting Latin America and Asia as new opportunities for lead generation and FDI.
