AM_Carolinas Discover CLT_Q4 2018 | Page 5

Fortune 500 Headquarters in Charlotte region No. 1 State for business in 2017 (Forbes, 2017) 291 • Bank of America • Lowe’s • Duke Energy • Nucor *Sealed Air is the largest corporate headquarters relocation in Charlotte history, in terms of jobs and investment (Charlotte Observer, 2014) • Sonic Automotive • Sealed Air* No. 1 City millenials are moving to (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017) No. 1 Most up and coming cities in America (Time Magazine, 2017) No. 1 Destination for most one-way moving truck rentals (U-Haul, 2016) Fortune 500 companies have locations in Charlotte (Charlotte Chamber) One of the lowest costs of business than any other major U.S. metropolitan area When it comes to cost of doing business, you can’t get much more affordable than Charlotte in comparison to other major metropolitan areas, thanks to the region’s business-friendly tax approach. The largest corporate expenses, labor and rent, are well below other major markets, making the region an attractive place to expand or relocate major operations. Charlotte was named #5 Top Metro for starting a business in America, beating out Raleigh, NC; Dallas, TX; and Atlanta, GA. The unemployment rate in Charlotte (4.4%) is below the national average, while the average salary is above that of the national average - all good indicators of the cost of doing business. Cost of Doing Business Charlotte 86 Kansas City 89 Atlanta 90 Phoenix 93 Denver 94 Dallas 94 Chicago 99 Austin 101 Seattle 102 Philadelphia 105 Boston 120 New York 160 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 Source: Moody’s Cost of Doing Business Index 5