Today Governor Josh Stein and Assistant Secretary of Rural Economic Development Reginald Speight visited the town of Edenton to showcase the state’s partnership with local governments to expand economic opportunity in rural North Carolina.
Topics Related to Economic opportunity
Today Governor Josh Stein announced that North Carolina set a record for tourist spending in 2025, with travelers spending more than $37.2 billion on trips to and within the state, surpassing the previous record of $36.7 billion set in 2024.
This week Governor Josh Stein is making the case for investing in North Carolina at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s SelectUSA Investment Summit. Yesterday Governor Stein participated in the Governors Attracting Global Investment panel, highlighting North Carolina's competitive advantage for foreign investment.
Governor Josh Stein has proclaimed May 3-9, 2026, to be Small Business Week to celebrate the impact of entrepreneurs and small businesses on North Carolina’s economy.
“North Carolina communities are energized by the one million small businesses that innovate, create jobs, and spur growth,” said Governor Josh Stein. “As we celebrate Small Business Week, we recognize the immense contributions of entrepreneurs statewide and reaffirm our commitment to supporting their success and resiliency by fostering opportunity in every corner of the state.”
Governor Josh Stein today announced the launch of major broadband projects throughout North Carolina, following final federal approval from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the state’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) plan and budget. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) completed its approval of the state’s plan in December.
Today Governor Josh Stein announced AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV), a global biopharmaceutical company, will create 734 jobs in a new pharmaceutical operation in Durham County. The company says it will invest $1.4 billion to build a 185-acre state-of-the-art manufacturing campus in the City of Durham.
Today Governor Josh Stein joined HI-CHEW candy manufacturer Morinaga America Foods, Inc. at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for its second manufacturing facility outside of Asia. The $136 million investment in Mebane is creating 204 jobs in Orange County. In 2013, the company established its American subsidiary and selected North Carolina for its first manufacturing site outside of Asia, opening the Mebane plant in 2015 to produce one of the company’s signature products, the fruity candy HI-CHEW.
Today Governor Josh Stein announced his recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 to keep North Carolina strong.
Governor Josh Stein today announced that North Carolina’s Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved seven grant requests for local governments totaling $1,657,500. The grants include commitments to create a total of 215 jobs, 26 of which were previously announced. As a result of these grants, the additional investment in these projects, from private and public sources, is expected to reach approximately $41 million and create 189 new jobs.
Today Governor Stein announced that the N.C. Global TransPark, a 2,500-acre multimodal industrial park in Kinston, and the U.S. Navy have signed a 10-year agreement that will bring more than 400 jobs to eastern North Carolina. The N.C. Global TransPark will support maintenance and aircraft overhaul for the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE), which provides fleet support to all branches of the U.S. Department of War.