What Makes North Carolina a Competitive Location for Defense and Military?

Low Cost of Doing Business:

North Carolina is the best state with the lowest cost for doing drone business in the United States. It continues to attract bright and capable individuals, emerging innovative companies and new divisions of renowned defense corporations from all over the world. North Carolina also ranks #1 for lowest state and local business tax burden.

Workforce Solutions:

North Carolina offers an expanding innovative workforce pipeline containing a winning combination of technical civilian talent and former military with specific skills, expertise and a culture of learning. The top-tier labor and innovation pipeline are made possible via university-level aerospace programs, aerospace-specific vocational training, research & development partnerships, and military specialization.

Connected to Customers:

North Carolina’s connection to customers is unmatched. With 7 major military installations representing all major branches of the military, North Carolina has the #3 largest active duty military population. These military units with 106,000 active duty personnel across the state are heavy users of drone technology. North Carolina’s existing customer base allows for state-wide understanding in the use of drone technology.

Connected to relevant industries:

North Carolina is home to a unique ecosphere with dozens of large companies, including RTI International, SAS, CISCO, IBM, Microsoft, Google, HondaJet, Red Hat, and GE Aviation, are doing UAS-relevant work that have already established major presences here. Numerous small and medium sized companies also call North Carolina home like PrecisionHawk, Primal Space Systems, Charlotte UAV, and VX Aerospace. These companies give North Carolina a collection of industry clusters including: Information Systems & Technology, Aerospace, Advanced Manufacturing, Simulation and Gaming, and Defense.