RALEIGH, N.C. -- State lawmakers have headed home from their so-called short session. But they say they laid the groundwork for a big name company to locate in the state.
- There is an assumption that now that legislators are done with their work, and no legislation could be brought up that is not business-friendly, Apple could make its intentions known soon
- Amazons HQ2 is still up for grabs
- State leaders say they believe the environment here is the one businesses are looking for
“We generally don't say anything about economic development issues as things are being considered,” says Sen. Phil Berger, the republican President Pro-Tem. “I think with reference to Apple or any other business in the state, North Carolina is a great place to be.”
There is an assumption that now that legislators are done with their work, and no legislation could be brought up that is not business-friendly, Apple could make its intentions known soon.
“I can tell you frankly, and I have not talked with anyone from Amazon or Apple, but with executives thinking about locating in North Carolina, one of the things they talk about is that they are worried about our process even more than our policies,” said Rep. Robert Reives, a Chatham County democrat.
Meanwhile, the biggest fish, Amazon's HQ2, is still up for grabs. The Triangle is a finalist for this and according to a Seattle-based tech news website, GeekWire, its readers think North Carolina is the best place for the project to land. The site announced Friday it was surprised with its survey results that picked the Triangle above the other 19 finalists. It certainly wasn't a landslide victory, though, with 11 percent of the readers picking the area.
State leaders say they believe the environment here is the one businesses are looking for.
“It’s no accident that a lot of companies, a lot of international companies are looking to North Carolina,” said Rep. Tim Moore, NC Speaker of the House. “So I am looking for great positive news in the coming months from a number of folks.”