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Click Here for Major Employers
Click Here for Infrastructure Data
Click Here for Incentives for New and Expanding Businesses

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Workforce Data

Labor Force (2002)
Catawba County 78,514
Hickory MSA 179,930
Source: NC Employment Security Commission

Unemployment (3rd Qtr 2003)
Catawba County 8.8%
Hickory MSA 9.2%
North Carolina 6.5%
Source: NC Employment Security Commission

Distribution of Employment
(Catawba County) 3rd Quarter 2002
Agriculture & Forestry 0.2%
Construction & Mining 3.7%
Manufacturing 37.9%
Wholesale Trade 3.8%
Retail Trade 11.1%
Financial, Insurance, Real Estate 2.4%
Healthcare 9.0%
Services 16.4%
Public Administration 3.4%
Transportation, Communications, Public Utilities 5.4%
Education 4.8%
Misc. 1.9%
Source: NC Employment Security Commission

MAJOR EMPLOYERS (APRIL 2003)

1,000+ EMPLOYEES
CommScope, Inc.
Frye Regional Medical Center
Catawba County School System
CV Industries, Inc.
Coming Cable Systems
Catawba Valley Medical Center
Merchants Distributors, Inc.
Catawba County

500-1,000 EMPLOYEES
Shurtape Technologies, Inc.
Southern Furniture Company
Pierre Foods
City of Hickory
Thomasville Furniture Industries, Inc.
Hickory Public Schools
Ellis Hosiery Mills, Inc.
Clayton Marcus Company
McCreary Modern, Inc.
Shetrill Furniture Company
Hanes Industries, Inc.
Alcatel NA Cable Systems, Inc.

300-499 EMPLOYEES
Vanguard Furniture, Inc
Moretz, Inc. (HQ)
Neuville Industries, Inc.
Delta Apparel (Maiden Plant)
Duke Power Company
Lenoir-Rhyne College
Westpoint Stevens, Inc.
Lee Industries
Getrag Gears
Institution Food House, Inc.
Regency Home Fashions, Inc.

Infrastructure

Regional Air Service
Charlotte International Airport
four runways - Length of longest runway 10,000 feet
14 Carriers

Hickory Regional Airport
Two runways - Length of longest runway 6,400 feet

Motor Freight/Trucking
Catawba County is serviced by approximately 74 carriers.

Rail Service
Served by Norfolk Southern and Caldwell County railroad.

Water/Port Facilities
Charleston, SC 250 miles
Wilmington, NC 298 miles
Morehead City, NC 328 miles

Highway Access
Interstate: I-40, I-77 and I-85
U.S. Primary: Hwy 321, Hwy 70 and Hwy 64
State Primary: Hwy 10, Hwy 16 and Hwy 127

Utilities
Electricity – Duke Power Company, Energy United and Rutherford Electric Membership Corp.

Natural Gas – Piedmont Natural Gas

Telecommunications – BellSouth and Sprint

Water & Sewer – See Municipalities

North Carolina is a Right-to-Work-State
North Carolina law permits individual workers to choose whether or not they wish to join a labor union. North Carolina, which has the nation’s highest percent of manufacturing employment, has the nation’s lowest union membership. The state’s 3.2% union membership rate is well below the national average of 13.9%
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2000

Incentives for New and Expanding Businesses

Assistance to Business
North Carolina provides all qualified companies with financial programs and advantages that will lower your cost of doing business, thus impacting your company's bottom line.

The Commerce Finance Center (CFC) provides a "one-stop" financial center to which relocating companies and existing employers come for the articulation of the financing alternatives available in North Carolina.

Incentives to Qualifying Businesses
William S. Lee tax credits and subsequent acts: This legislation, enacted in 1996 and amended in 1998, provides tax credits that may be taken against state income, franchise, or gross premiums tax burdens. These credits for job creation, investment, worker training, and research and development are available in all 100 counties and based upon a county's level of economic distress.

Industrial Revenue Bonds
Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs) or Industrial Development Bonds may be used by companies engaged in some type of manufacturing for the acquisition of real estate, facility construction, and/or equipment purchase. IRB's fall under three issuance types: Tax Exempt, Taxable, and Pollution Control/Solid Waste Disposal Bonds. Regulations governing bond issuance are a combination of federal regulations and North Carolina statutes. Population designates the amount each state may issue annually.

North Carolina Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program
These grants may be obtained by local governments (municipal and county) to be used for projects involving a specific business that will create new jobs. With a participating bank, loans may be made to private businesses to fund items such as machinery and equipment, property acquisition, or construction. Assisted project activities must benefit persons (60% or more) who were previously (most recent 12 months) in a low or moderate family income status.

Business Energy Loans
These loans may be used by business for facilities or projects that demonstrate energy efficiency or the use of renewable energy resources resulting in energy cost savings.

Industrial Access/Road Access Fund
Administered by the Department of Transportation, this program provides funds for the construction of roads to provide access to new/expanded industrial facilities.

The Rail Industrial Access Fund Program
This program provides grant funding to aid in financing the cost of constructing or rehabilitating railroad access tracks required by a new or expanded industry, which will result in a significant number of new jobs or capital investment.

Industrial Training
North Carolina's Community College System provides approved training for new employees at no cost to the participant company. This is widely considered the top incentive offered by North Carolina and is a model program nationally. Funding is provided from a statewide pool and does not come from the regular operating budget at Catawba Valley Community College.