All Posts

Make NC First in Defense

North Carolina should be a national leader in defense-related economic growth. Yet the state ranks only 27th nationally in defense contract spending, despite assets such as Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. By any measure, we look like a defense powerhouse. So why does our state rank only 27th in the nation for Department of Defense contract spending? That question was at the heart of a recent discussion featuring Jarrett Lane of the North Carolina

Opportunity for NC

Jun 122 min read

Why Another Employer Chose North Carolina

North Carolina’s reputation as one of America’s best states for business didn’t happen by accident.

Opportunity for NC

Jun 112 min read

Building a Workforce Advantage, Not Waiting for One

Thanks to intentional, market-based policy and conservative leadership, North Carolina has once again earned national recognition — this time as the Top State for Workforce Development in 2026, according to Site Selection magazine’s Bright Horizons rankings. Site Selection evaluates states using a broad set of long-term indicators, including credentials and degree attainment, labor productivity, return on training investments, and alignment between education and employer ne

Opportunity for NC

Jan 132 min read

What North Carolina Can Learn from Florida’s “À La Carte” Education Revolution

When rethinking how students learn, Florida is quietly leading with something powerful: à la carte learning, supported by state-funded Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). Families in Florida are breaking free from the “one-school-fits-all” model—and North Carolina should pay attention.

Opportunity for NC

Nov 19, 20252 min read

A New School, A New Pipeline — Investing in Rural Health Through Education

On October 17, 2025, Methodist University announced that its new medical school, the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, has received accreditation approval from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) and will begin recruiting its inaugural class in summer 2026. It will be the fifth MD-granting medical school in the state and the first in four decades not tied to an existing institution. We are most excited about the medical school add

Opportunity for NC

Nov 10, 20253 min read

North Carolina's Newest Growth Opportunity

Recently, Opportunity for NC Board Member Drew Heath hosted the Danish Ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen, Denmark’s Minister for Industry, Business & Financial Affairs Morten Bødskov, and state legislative leaders in a discussion about one of the most dynamic international partnerships in the United States. From Idea to Impact North Carolina has quietly become one of Denmark’s closest business partners in America. Danish companies have invested billions of dollars here, cre

Opportunity for NC

Oct 20, 20252 min read