There’s a new hub for Southern businesses popping up on the piedmont of North Carolina and giving Atlanta a run for its money. The city of Charlotte has a population of nearly 1.5 million, which makes it one of the top 25 largest cities in the U.S. Besides being the biggest metropolis in North Carolina, the Queen City boasts several other notable distinctions, including:
- The 9th fastest growing city in America (as of Forbes’ 2015 list)
- A major center of banking and finance on the East coast; Banks of America and Wells Fargo are headquartered in Charlotte
- Ranked No. 18 for cities with the most efficient spending on education (Feb. 2015 WalletHub.com)
- Ranked No. 1 for city with highest percentage of women in IT workforce (Feb. 2015, NCTA)
- Ranked No. 4 for cities where African Americans are doing the best economically (Jan. 2015, Forbes)
- Listed No. 19 for best metro areas for STEM professionals (Jan. 2015, WalletHub.com)
- Ranked No. 23 for best performing cities (Jan. 2015, Milken Institute)
Charlotte is increasingly recognized as a center for business and professionals not just regionally, but nationally. One such business, Binders Inc., has been manufacturing professional custom binders and supporting the local economy since 1981 – back when the city was just a shadow of what it is today.
“We’re not just producing a product – we’re building something that will leave our facility and serve others well,” the company said in a recent blog post. “We are proud of what we do and the investment we make Monday-Friday to put out quality custom binders and index tabs.”
That Southern work ethic is undoubtedly one of the reasons why more and more major corporations are putting down roots in this corner of the country. Businesses like Binders Inc., and many others, contribute daily to the rise of Charlotte as an industrial and banking epicenter in America.
