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Charlotte Business Climate
The presence of Bank of America, the second largest financial institutions in the U.S., and Wachovia, the fourth largest, makes Charlotte the second largest financial center in the nation, behind New York City. Both banks, along with other regional banking and financial services companies, are headquartered in the Uptown financial district. The Bank of America CorporateCenter, a 60-story postmodern gothic tower designed by architect Cesar Pelli, is the tallest skyscraper between Philadelphia and Atlanta.
In addition to the huge banks, such Fortune 500 companies as Duke Energy, Family Dollar, Goodrich, Lowe's, Nucor, Sonic Automotive and SPX call Charlotte home. Other major companies located in Charlotte include Time Warner Cable, Belk, Meineke Car Care Centers, Carlisle Corporation, Compas Group USA and Royal+Sun Alliance.
And more than 75% of the American motorsports industry, including NASCAR, live and work within two hours of Charlotte. Charlotte is hometo the Lowes Motor Speedway, a NASCAR track, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame will open in 2009.
Charlotte has a labor force of some 433,394, of which 412,114 are employedand 21,280 unemployed for an unemployment rate of 4.9%.
Non financial-related industries include machinery, food, plastics and rubber, computer and electronics products, metal fabrication, printing, paper and chemicals.
The largest employers in Charlotte include Wachovia, Carolinas HealthCareSystem, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Bank of America, City of Charlotte,US Airways, Duke Energy, Mecklenburg County and Presbyterian Healthcare/Novant Health.