Automotive (SIC 336, 333) The Charlotte region has long-been a location that is highly attractive to the automotive industry – with over 250 automotive companies in the region, employing over 15,000 people. Freightliner, a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler, has 3 major assembly plants in the region, and the BMW facility lies just 1 hour 15 minutes from Charlotte Douglas International Airport – the only airport in the region with non-stop flights to Detroit and Munich. Other significant facilities include Dana Corporation, ArvinMeritor, Continental Tire, Eaton Corporation, Goodyear, Hella Lighting, Mayflower Vehicle Systems, Meridian Automotive Systems, and ZF Lemforder. Click here for more information on the Automotive industry in Charlotte USA.

Motorsports (SIC 336, 333) The Charlotte region is the hub for NASCAR, with over 90% of NASCAR teams built and operating within a fifty mile radius of downtown Charlotte. The NASCAR Research and Development Center is located here, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte offers a program in Motorsports and Automotive Engineering, and there are two wind tunnel testing facilities located in the region. There are three major races at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, NC: Coca-Cola 600, The Nextel All-Star Challenge (formerly The Winston), and the Bank of America 500. Click here for a list of motorsports companies in the Charlotte region. Click here for more information on the Motorsports industry in Charlotte USA.

Metalworking (SIC 33, 34)
The strong machine manufacturing industry in the Charlotte region is further supported by a strong metal working skills base. There is a leading technical college system, which has many specialized courses and certifications for metalworking and machine manufacturing. All told there are over 1,000 companies in metal manufacturing in the Charlotte region that employ more than 36,600 people.

Medical Device and Supplies Manufacturing (SIC 3841, 3842, 3845)
There are 60 companies that produce medical devices and equipment in the Charlotte region that employ a small group of 2,000 talented people. Some of the larger manufacturers are Hartmann-Conco Inc., Scott Health and Safety, and Zimmer Orthopedic Surgical.

Financial Services and Insurance (SIC 61, 62, 63, 64, 67, 87420401, 87410102, 87429908, 72991000, 73890900) Charlotte is the second largest financial center in the United States. Only New York holds more financial assets than Charlotte. Bank of America, the largest bank in the US, and Wachovia Corporation, the fourth largest bank in the country, are headquartered here. Their presence has spawned a growing financial services industry in the Charlotte region. There are currently 253 companies in the Charlotte region offering financial services that employ almost 60,000 professionals. Besides being the home to major corporate operations of commercial banks, the Charlotte region also houses many large operational and customer service centers for companies like CitiFinancial, GE Capital/Lowe’s Credit, and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Inc. In 2000, TIAA-CREF, the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association College Retirement Equities Fund, opened a major new operations, data, and customer service center in Charlotte. The Charlotte region also houses the corporate headquarters of Royal & Sun Alliance and Transamerica Reinsurance. Allstate, AmeriCredit, The Hartford, Kemper, Liberty Mutual, MetLife, Nationwide, State Farm and Travelers all have operational or processing centers in the Charlotte region. The local Central Piedmont Community College also offers a variety of finance-related courses and certification classes to further train a workforce for the financial services industry.