N.C. Department of Commerce

Microsoft to offer NC free training

bniolet — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:32:32 -0500

Gov. Bev Perdue was in Charlotte this afternoon to announce a state partnership with Microsoft to offer free technology training.

The governor appeared on the campus of Central Piedmont Community College to announce that North Carolina will receive 10,500 vouchers for Microsoft Windows and Office online training, 10,500 vouchers for Microsoft Business Certification Exams and 2,700 vouchers for advanced technical professional-level online training, Rob Christensen reports.

Each voucher is redeemable for free online training in Microsoft Windows or one of the programs in the Microsoft Suite.

The vouchers will be distributed through the state community college system, the Division of Workforce Development in the N.C. Department of Commerce, and the N.C. Employment Security Commission.

The partnership is called "Microsoft Elevate America."

Perdue recruiting NY business

bniolet — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:00:14 -0400

Gov. Beverly Perdue is visiting New York City today and tomorrow to sell financial firms on the merits of relocating to the Tar Heel state.

During the day, Perdue is meeting with officials at several financial services companies that spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson declined to identify, Alan Wolf reports on the .biz blog.

Tonight Perdue will work the room at a reception hosted by the N.C. Department of Commerce for site selection consultants who work with financial clients.

"Her sole reason for being there is to recruit businesses to this state," Pearson said.

As North Carolina's jobless rate of 10.8 percent remains well above the national average, Perdue and other officials are eager to win new expansions and jobs. Pearson said that since taking her position, Perdue has made hundreds of recruitment phone calls and held dozens of meetings with prospective companies.

Financial services is one industry that's an important target for North Carolina, especially as firms look outside of Wall Street for cheaper offices and strong workers.

Budget: Natural and Economic Resources

bniolet — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:51:46 -0400

Natural and economic resources includes the state's agricultural and environmental agencies as well as the departments of labor and commerce.

All agencies within this category will see vacant positions eliminated.

The budget proposal would also:

* Increase the annual fee to register pesticides administered by the Department of Agriculture from $100 to $150 to raise $500,000.

* Require the Labor Department to charge enough fees for an apprenticeship program to raise $450,000. The figure would offset a 25 percent reduction in funding for the program.

* Eliminate 70 vacant positions in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to save $3.4 million.

* Reduce by $50 million each year for two years the appropriation to the Clean Water Management Trust Fund.

* Require the Department of Commerce to sell the state's King Air plane and reduce all costs associated with operating it, including a pilot position, to save $148,000 this year and $296,000 next year.

N.C. official travels to west coast

kkiley — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:46:58 -0400

Despite budget cuts that restrict travel, the Department of Commerce spent about $1000 to send its assistant secretary for tourism to Oregon for a national conference.

Assistant Secretary Lynn Minges was there for a meeting of the U.S. Travel Association's board of directors. The conference, which ran from July 22-26, brought together government and private industry representatives to talk about policies such as cooperative marketing.

"We have, like every other department, certainly curtailed our travel spending," said Kathy Neal, the commerce department's assistant secretary for communications and external affairs. "This was one time where the opportunity to work in person would really determine the success of the meeting."

Neal said the conference was an opportunity to work with other tourism groups to find ways to spend advertising dollars more efficiently for one of the state's largest industries.

"We really want to be in on the ground floor for these discussions about how we can best leverage advertising and business expenses," she said.

More incentives likely for Apple

bniolet — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:38:34 -0400

Somewhere in this state, somebody is trying to figure out how to give more financial aid to Apple.

Good luck trying to figure out who. Or where.

The N.C. Department of Commerce released the first batch of records Thursday detailing negotiations that prompted Apple to agree this month to build a $1 billion data center in North Carolina and create 50 jobs. The decision came after state lawmakers, despite a more than $4 billion budget shortfall, changed corporate tax law to benefit the California computer company, shaving an estimated $46 million from its tax bill over a decade.

Apple still hasn't said where it is going to build. And the Commerce records go to some length to hide any hint.

Officials removed names, e-mail addresses and any other clues before making the records public. The records make clear that Apple will likely get more financial assistance.

About the only way to find out anything is to talk to lawmakers. Sen. David Hoyle, a Gaston County Democrat who shepherded the legislation, said Catawba County was in the picture. It's unclear who the other contenders are. (N&O)

Whither the State Energy Office?

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:56:09 -0400

Where does the State Energy Office belong?

The agency, which leads the state's efforts to provide information about sustainable energy, would move to the N.C. Department of Commerce under a state bill endorsed today by Gov. Beverly Perdue as part of a reform package.

State Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Greensboro Democrat and bill co-sponsor, admitted that might sound a little odd to some people, since Commerce typically handles business recruiting and development.

But she argued the office should focus on business.

"This office is largely a relic of the Arab oil embargo, when it was focused more on energy security," she said. "We seem to have now entered a new era where it's as much about economic development and homegrown energy options as trying to find alternatives to Mideast oil."

The office is currently part of the Department of Administration, a catch-all government agency that houses the state construction office, among other things.

Harrison opposed an earlier effort to move the office to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources which she argued was designed to undermine it. She says the new proposal is a good-faith effort.

Perdue outlines energy plan

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:11:24 -0400

CARY — Standing in front of solar farm, Gov. Beverly Perdue this morning announced an energy program designed to both make North Carolina more energy efficient and also create more jobs connected to the so-called green economy.

The governor proposed investing more public money in private alternate energy start-up companies, elevate state energy policies, and also make state government more energy efficient, Rob Christensen reports.

"Developing our green economy is one of the cornerstones of why I wanted to be governor," Perdue said.

Perdue said the proposals were part of her campaign promise in 2008, in which she said she would work to produce more jobs in North Carolina for projects such as weatherizing homes and businesses, and making the equipment needed for alternative energy forms such as solar power.

After the jump, her proposals.

Garrett Perdue, economic developer?

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:32:50 -0400

Garrett Perdue belongs to a group of economic developers.

Earlier this year, the son of Gov. Beverly Perdue joined the N.C. Economic Developers Association, a statewide association of site consultants, engineers and Chamber of Commerce types who help recruit business.

He was also listed among the attendees of the group's mid-winter conference, one of three it holds each year. Speakers included economics professor Mike Walden and Dan Gerlach, former budget advisor to Gov. Mike Easley.

Executive Director John Peterson said the group was founded in 1966 to offer training to economic developers and advocate for local, state and federal policies that would benefit the state's business climate.

Its roughly 600 members pay $200 a year to belong.

Much of the group's work focuses on state business. Its 2009 legislative agenda calls for support of three corporate incentives programs run by the N.C. Department of Commerce, funding community colleges, and lowering the state's sales taxes, among other things.

Peterson said the group is also concerned about a federal card-check bill.

On incentives and lobbying

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:45:15 -0400

Helping a company get incentives?

You don't necessarily have to register as a lobbyist.

A spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Commerce said that under their reading of state laws, lobbying does not include assisting companies applying for financial incentives with the One North Carolina or JDIG programs.

"'Lobbying' is the attempt to influence legislative or executive action," Kathy Neal wrote in an e-mail to Dome. "'Executive action' specifically does not include a person (or the person's consultant) communicating with a public servant with respect to applying for a determination of eligibility (such as for incentives), or making an inquiry about or asserting a benefit, claim, right, entitlement, payment, etc."

The N.C. Secretary of State's office, which is the arbiter for lobbying registration, said that it would depend on the consultant's role. In some cases, the registration would not become public until after the incentives are approved.

That interpretation did not sit well with Bob Orr, a former state Supreme Court justice who is fighting the state's incentives system through the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law.

"If they don't have to register as a lobbyist, they ought to," he said. "It would seem to me if you're negotiating to get taxpayer money from a government agency, then that's lobbying."

Chancellors head to ACC tournament

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:08:38 -0400

The chancellors of UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University are in Atlanta, but university officials say it's not just for the basketball.

Along with attending the Atlantic Coast Conference men's tournament, UNC-CH Chancellor Holden Thorp met with the CEO of a bank, gave a speech at an alumni reception and schmoozed with university donors.

N.C. State Chancellor Jim Oblinger has a similarly busy schedule.

Stephanie Parker, a spokeswoman for Oblinger, said many college events are scheduled around the basketball tournament, which draws college boosters from around the country and substantial media attention.

The heads of the ACC schools and their athletic directors also hold a three-hour annual meeting, alternating between the men's and women's basketball tournaments.

Thorp flew to Atlanta on Wednesday on a state jet usually used by the governor and other top state officials. Also on the flight were his wife, teenage son, pre-teen daughter and three employees who work in fundraising and university relations.

More after the jump.