“A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work."
‒ Colin Powell

It was great to see so many of you at the Jerry Awards last Thursday. You can see a slide show of some of the photos from the event here.

For those of you that missed it, we debuted a new marketing video, “Charlotte USA: Life. In balance.” that was a visual presentation of why our region is such a great place to live and do business.

The Charlotte Regional Partnership delivers that message throughout the country and around the world. Every day.

In the first nine months of

“Competition helps people figure it out."
‒ Brian McBride

We all know by now that we are part of a global economy, and as we meet with site location advisors and corporate leaders throughout the world, the Charlotte Regional Partnership emphasizes our region’s competitive advantages – outstanding accessibility, pro-business climate, skilled workforce and other assets. The question is how to retain and improve our competitive position.

Last week, two members of the Harvard Business School faculty were in our office to talk with energy leaders about the findings of their multi-year

“Peace is a natural effect of trade."
‒ Charles de Montesquieu

Over the last several weeks, I’ve talked in one way or another about how foreign direct investment impacts our regional economy and what the Charlotte Regional Partnership is doing to attract more of it. We have one competitive tool that I haven’t mentioned recently: Foreign Trade Zone #57. Not only does our FTZ help draw foreign direct investment to the Charlotte region, it also enhances the profitability of existing industries that use international components in their manufacturing or delivery processes.

FTZ #57 has

“As the world's sole remaining super power and economic powerhouses, our nation's ability to be at the forefront of innovation and production has enabled unparalleled economic success of our nation's workforce."
‒ Leonard Boswell

Innovation has always been America’s strong suit, and regional ingenuity was on display last Friday at the Charlotte Business Journal’s Energy, Inc.:

• A municipal smart grid system with street lights controlled by a nexgrid system that uses a General Microcircuits device.
• Carbon fiber products SGL Group manufactures for the automotive industry and

“We benefit from foreign direct investment. Many Americans are employed by foreign companies with plants in the United States…"
‒ Ben Bernanke

This afternoon, the Charlotte Regional Partnership signs a memorandum of understanding with Investe São Paulo to foster trade between the two regions. Also today, the Partnership’s David Swenson, Donny Hicks of Gaston County Economic Development Commission and Scott Millar from Catawba County Economic Development Corporations begin an eight-day business development trip to France, Germany and Israel. Paul Stratos with Stanly County Economic

“Every great movement in the history of Western civilization from the Carolingian age to the nineteenth century has been an international movement which owed its existence and its development to the cooperation of many different peoples."
‒ Christopher Dawson

Brazil is hot – and I don’t mean the weather. Several years ago, the Charlotte Regional Partnership targeted the South American country as having companies with real potential for growth within our region. Since 2010 when I flew to Rio de Janeiro on US Airways inaugural flight from Charlotte, I have visited Rio and São Paulo

“Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
‒ Charles Eames

Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx called the new 200-acre intermodal at Charlotte Douglas International Airport “a big deal,” and he wasn’t kidding. When it opens in 2014, the $90 million facility will link air, road, rail and sea transportation to more seamlessly and efficiently move freight from and through Charlotte. The city estimates that the transportation activity and resulting growth in light manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and other

“Focused, hard work is the real key to success. Keep your eyes on the goal, and just keep taking the next step towards completing it. If you aren't sure which way to do something, do it both ways and see which works better."
‒ John Carmack

This is Charlotte USA’s year in film. The Hunger Games, which began causing a frenzy well before it was released last Friday, hubbed in the Charlotte region and will undoubtedly be the biggest movie of 2012. Showtime’s critically acclaimed TV series “Homeland” is heading back to shoot in Charlotte for a second season. Cinemax/HBO will begin filming

“Champions keep playing until they get it right."
‒ Billie Jean King

Each one of the presidential candidates assures us that he has the recipe for economic growth. I suspect, however, that if there were a secret sauce, the world economy would be recovering a whole lot more quickly than it is. Although, there might not be a definitive formula on the macro level, we can ensure that businesses have all the ingredients they need to cook up successes in Charlotte USA.

1 cup accessibility

One key ingredient we can check off is accessibility. Three interstate highways, connecting state

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."
‒ Buddha

In another acknowledgement that Charlotte USA is indeed becoming the New Energy Capital, President Barack Obama last week chose the Freightliner truck assembly plant in Mount Holly to propose an “all-of-the-above” energy policy. I’d like to thank Roger Nielsen, Daimler Trucks North America COO and a Charlotte Regional Partnership board member, for hosting us. N.C.  Gov. Bev Perdue, U.S.Rep.Mel Watt, U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, Mount Holly Mayor Bryan Hough, Charlotte Mayor Anthony