Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

Coastal business | N.C. earns notice for business climate

Coastal Business

CAROLINAS

N.C. earns notice for business climate

Site Selection magazine named North Carolina the state with the top business climate for 2009. South Carolina was also in the top 10.

The research is based in part on a survey of corporate real estate executives who ranked North Carolina with the best opportunities for investment in the United States for the fifth year in a row.

Executives said the strengths were the state's taxes, work force, incentives and regulatory environment.

Site Selection, published by Conway Data Inc., covers planning and development for a readership of about 44,000 executives.

The magazine's annual business climate rankings are based on the performance of the state in Conway's new-plant database, which tracks new and expanded business facilities; and a survey of companies seeking new sites across the country.

According to that executive survey North Carolina ranked second behind Texas, and South Carolina came in fourth.

The top three factors in determining a location for a new facility were transportation infrastructure, existing workforce skills, and state and local taxes, according to the survey.

MYRTLE BEACH

HGTC opens center for entrepreneurs

Horry-Georgetown Technical College is opening an entrepreneurial center at the Grand Strand Campus near The Market Common.

The center is in the continuing education building at 950 Crabtree Lane, Building 60 in Myrtle Beach.

The entrepreneur center is a partnership between the college, the Business Resource Group and SCORE.

The mission is to advise people who are starting a business and help existing businesses hire people, create training programs and adjust to changes in the market, according to the college's Web site.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Santee Cooper offers rebates

Santee Cooper announced a new program designed to reduce the use of electricity and improve energy efficiency Monday.

The Smart Energy Homes Program is part of the energy company's "Reduce the Use South Carolina" campaign.

The program has two categories, one for new homes and one for existing homes.

Builders who build new homes to Energy Star standards, which are 15 percent more efficient than the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code, get a rebate of $1,600.

For homes built to a smart energy new home standard, which is 10 percent more efficient than the 2006 code, the rebate is $1,000.

For existing homes, homeowners can qualify for a $600 rebate for making certain energy-efficiency improvements.