Greensboro/High Point area tops for '06
The Greensboro/High Point area saw the greatest number of new and expanded companies last year among metropolitan areas nationwide boasting populations from 200,000 to 1 million.
"Site Selection" magazine is reporting that the Greensboro area saw 33 such corporate projects during the past year - eight more than the Raleigh/Cary area, which ranked sixth on the magazine's breakdown of comparably sized areas.
The ranking was part of the magazine's report on the top 10 states for corporate openings and growth last year.
North Carolina ranked third on that list, behind Ohio and Texas. Ohio, which has ranked second on the "Site Selection" top 10 the past two years, took the magazine's Governor's Cup award for 2006, based on the state's 431 corporate projects. Texas had 363 projects, and North Carolina reported 316.
Other N.C. areas made the magazine's rankings, as well.
* Among places with a population greater than 1 million, Charlotte/Gastonia and Concord, S.C. were lumped together in eighth place. That metropolitan area saw 63 new and expanded corporate facilities last year.
* Statesville and Mooresville, together, topped the list of micropolitan areas - cities of 10,000 to 50,000 people that cover at least one county - for the third consecutive year. The area saw 28 corporate projects last year.
* Lincolnton ranked seventh on the list of micropolitans, with 12 projects.
According to a "Site Selection" breakdown, North Carolina topped the South Atlantic region for new and expanded projects. The state saw 98 new manufacturing facilities last year and an equal number of expanded manufacturing operations. North Carolina also reported 120 other facilities during 2006, the magazine said.
Between 2004 and '06, the state has seen 1,029 total new and expanded corporate projects, according to the magazine.
"Site Selection," a development-focused magazine based in Atlanta and published by Conway Data, has published its list of the top states for new and expanded companies annually since 1978.
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