Ben Tobin
@TriBizGrowth
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@TriangleBIZJrnl reporter covering real estate and economic development outside Wake and Durham counties. Contact: [email protected] or 919-327-1012.
Greater Triangle area, NC
Joined July 2021
New: Pittsboro has been in “dire straights” with its lack of water & wastewater capacity. Now, a utilities merger with nearby Sanford means Pittsboro can approve thousands of acres of development that it previously had to turn away. For @TriangleBIZJrnl: https://t.co/0O89NgbcRg
bizjournals.com
As developers flood into smaller communities such as Pittsboro and Sanford, the growing demand for water is pushing local utilities to the limit. Now, communities are forming partnerships to increase...
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New: I reported on the unsung heroes of the North Carolina economy, general aviation airports, and what they’re doing to overcome capacity issues and attract new businesses in the Triangle area. Really proud of my first cover story for @TriangleBIZJrnl: https://t.co/H0NyLCv2d4
bizjournals.com
How businesses and institutions are forcing regional airports across the Triangle to up their game.
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New: Siler City is set to potentially get 562 new homes (per planning board documents) in one of the first visible signs of @Wolfspeed’s investment to buy 445 acres at the Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing mega site for a $5B chipmaking facility. https://t.co/Inu5gZQnr2
bizjournals.com
A Greensboro company is betting that a huge manufacturing facility coming to western Chatham County will fuel demand for new homes as more people move to the area.
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🐔 Friday fried chicken scoop 🍗 @slimchickens is opening its first Triangle-area store in the booming town of Smithfield, the county seat of the fast-growing Johnton County. https://t.co/cCXssaZzRe
bizjournals.com
Restaurant chain Slim Chickens is coming to Johnston County as the brand plans multiple new locations in North Carolina.
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🚨 Amid a bumpy year, @VinFastofficial is about to get something it has been pining for: a listing on a US stock exchange. Following a SPAC merger, VinFast is set to be traded on the @Nasdaq next week under listing $VFS. https://t.co/0rJDuzk0Rs
bizjournals.com
How electric vehicle maker VinFast performs on the public markets will likely play a key role in its plans for a 7,500-job assembly plant in Chatham County.
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New: There has been a lot of discussion of bringing a casino to Nash County recently in the state legislature. But the Nash County Board of Commissioners is pleading that their constituents should have the right to say if they want it via a referendum. https://t.co/Cg7gsUsSgW
bizjournals.com
Leaders in an Eastern North Carolina county marked as the potential site for a casino have a message for state lawmakers.
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New: Vietnamese EV manufacturer VinFast took a victory lap at a groundbreaking for its $4B facility in NC. It comes against the backdrop of a tough year for VinFast, which has received brutal reviews from critics and delayed its US production start date:
bizjournals.com
Despite all of its setbacks, VinFast expressed confidence in its ability to follow-through on the largest North Carolina economic development project in history at a groundbreaking ceremony Friday.
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@RoyCooperNC @VinFastofficial @NC_Governor NC House Democratic Leader Robert Rieves speaking now: “We are well on our way to being the greatest state in this country and the most progressive state in the South. We are showing what you can do when you have a great vision.”
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@RoyCooperNC @VinFastofficial @NC_Governor Cooper continued on the importance of getting this plant: “We've been working on (getting an auto plant for decades”We wanted an automaker in North Carolina and you know somebody was looking after us. We were just waiting for that EV market.”
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@RoyCooperNC @VinFastofficial .@NC_Governor speaking now: “I'm so happy to be here because I'm thinking about the great paying jobs that are going to be created right here in North Carolina that are going to put money in the pockets of working families. And that's a great thing.”
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@RoyCooperNC .@VinFastofficial Global CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy now about the importance of this new plant for the electric vehicle manufacturer’s global expansion. “We have felt very, very welcome here in North Carolina…we looking forward to a long and prosperous future in this wonderful state.”
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Lots of big names here, including Vietnam ambassador for US Nguyen Quoc Dung, North Carolina Governor @RoyCooperNC, NC House Speaker Tim Moore, among others.
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I’m here in Moncure, Chatham County where @VinFastofficial is holding a groundbreaking ceremony for its massive $4 billion electric vehicle plant. The company originally said cars would be rolling off the lot here next year and is now aiming for 2025.
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New: A Florida-based energy company has purchased more than 850 acres of land in Nash County. They wouldn’t say what that property is being used for, but public records give us the answer: a 78.3-megawatt photovalic solar farm. More for @TriangleBIZJrnl: https://t.co/fB4DYqUuR6
bizjournals.com
A Florida-based energy company has gobbled up almost 1,000 acres to bring a solar farm to Nash County.
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Checking out what I’ve been told is the best bagel in the triangle. Line out the door is a great sign
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My talented and empathetic colleague @TBJrealestate produced a sobering analysis on the lack of affordable housing in Raleigh/Wake County at large. This graf particularly stood out to me, as I rented a 2-bedroom apartment in Louisville for $1,100. Story: https://t.co/Nlmiq80TLK
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My piece on the growing housing affordability crisis in Wake County released today. I worked on this story for months, diving into the multiple factors that have pushed us to this point. https://t.co/vC8VQ8w9MZ
bizjournals.com
There are more issues contributing to the lack of affordable homes in Raleigh and Wake County than there are solutions. And time is running out before the crisis can be reversed in any meaningful way.
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🚨 (Ground)breaking: @VinFastofficial has set a groundbreaking date for its North American manufacturing facility in Chatham County, North Carolina: July 28, next Friday. The company, which has had some setbacks, still plans to open the factory in 2025. https://t.co/oMYiuWGPNY
bizjournals.com
The largest economic development project in North Carolina history is about to take a major step forward.
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