
This year North Carolina challenged Georgia in a first-ever tie in the 2020 State Business Climate Rankings. North Carolina has been trying for several years to unseat Georgia and came close in 2019, missing it by just 2 points. This year North Carolina rose to the occasion even amidst a pandemic to tie Georgia for the top ranking.
How did NC do it? Simple, it is a community effort. Individual cities have really stepped up to meet the demand of companies flocking to North Carolina, and even smaller cities are making a huge impact by rising to the challenge. As many US residents rethought their commute and quality of life amidst the pandemic, smaller cities had an opportunity to capitalize on the things that make them such unique places to live. Qualities such as affordability, schools, safety and less hustle and bustle than the big cities have made these communities an ideal place to relocate to, for both individuals and businesses.
This year has challenged us to rethink how we work, how we live and how we balance those two things to live our best life. Corporations have rethought roles to identify whether or not remote is a permanent option. They have reconfigured their spatial needs and even rethought their location. Why pay the over inflated rents of urban areas when a small space can be utilized? How much can they save on building costs and employee salaries by relocating to a state that is more affordable and offers additional cost of living benefits for their employees?

The City of Reidsville, NC has been paying attention for several years now and has built a community that is willing and able to help support large companies and provide the quality of life employees are looking for. Here is a breakdown of how Reidsville has met some of the top considerations of a company’s site selection wishlist:
Workforce Skills & Development
Partnership with community college and high schools to train youth in sought after skills such as manual machining
Quarter cent sales tax referendum supporting community college capital (new building coming online for industrial training)
Rock-A-Top apprenticeship program
Educator Externship program
Job Seekers Boot Camp class
Job fairs hosted by the City of Reidsville for local industries
Transportation Infrastructure
Interstate 785 conversion from US 29
Improved Freeway Drive and Hwy 158 for local connectivity and ease of transportation
Recruited Love’s Travel Plaza which benefits industries and residents
Easy access off Interstate 40 - less than 10 minutes from Greensboro limits
Permitting/Regulatory Procedure
Business-friendly regulations and ordinances with flexibility to adapt
Support staff with efficient procedures and no red tape or bureaucracy
Expedited permit/site plan/building inspection process gets businesses up and running quickly
State/Local Tax Scheme
Low property tax rate valuations for city
Low income tax for state
¼ cent sales tax increase for workforce training programs/buildings
NC has the lowest corporate income tax in the U.S.
Right-to-Work
Low unionization in industry locally and statewide
The companies that have unions have good relationships with their unions
Utility Cost & Reliability
Abundant and inexpensive water/sewer capacity
Low and reliable energy cost (Duke Energy) and natural gas abundance
Fiber certified industrial parks
Quality of Life
Two large lakes boasting a host of outdoor recreation options
Active downtown offering events and things to do - year round
Affordable housing options for both owners and renters
New construction neighborhoods with large lots and room to breathe
Walkable downtown, low traffic and a community of support for new residents
Numerous school options including public, private, charter and homeschooling networks
Champion youth sports leagues, teen center and active parks and recreation department
Over 10 neighborhood parks, including a dog park
Incentives
Tier 1 county designation allows for maximized incentives from the state
Aggressive and flexible tax incentives locally and with county participation
City conveying land and buildings at no cost for big projects
Ability to capture state and federal grant money – very successful in the past
As you can see there a number of reasons to look at Reidsville, NC for your next company location. Reidsville is ideally located just minutes from larger cities such as Greensboro and Winston-Salem, NC as well as Danville, VA. The community is friendly, supportive and welcoming. You couldn’t ask for a better environment for both your business and employees.
Take a closer look at Reidsville and find out for yourself why so many businesses are choosing to “Rock it in Reidsville”! Visit us online to see what all Reidsville has to offer at rockitinreidsville.com or contact Jeff directly at 336.347.2307 (direct) / 336.880.5361 (mobile) or by email at: jgarstka@ci.reidsville.nc.us .
To view the full business rankings article, click here.
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