North Carolina’s Re-emerging Economic Vitality

By David Hodes

North Carolina’s legacy industries are alive and well, the economy has turned the corner from the downturn of a few years ago, and the future drive for prosperity has cleared the starting gate.
That outlook comes across loud and clear from the state’s leaders these…

Illinois Growing Rapidly in Diverse Directions

By Rachel Hamilton
The economy in Illinois is growing rapidly, and businesses and economic development entities are diversifying quickly to pull themselves out of the hard times that started in 2008.
“The Great Recession hit us really hard,” says Dave Roeder, communications director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and…

West Virginia Putting Its Shale to Work

By Rachel Hamilton

The Marcellus and Utica shale formations under the Appalachian region of West Virginia and parts of surrounding states are enormous. The Marcellus Shale alone is the largest source of natural gas in the United States.

West Virginia has historically exported natural gas and now “The volumes of…

Washington: Building Business Legends

By Rachel Duran
Washington state is a hub of innovation, where collaborations between major industry sectors should not be underestimated. Foreign investors are taking notice and increasingly making the most of the state’s culture of innovation. The investments are the result of a surge in business meetings and trade…

Pennsylvania Economy Driven By Energy

By David Hodes

Pennsylvania’s leaders are realigning the economy, with an industry shuffle (steel to energy), and a shift in business processes (slow to fast), which is changing the way business gets done.

C. Alan Walker, the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), says…