CHARLOTTE — From Japanese bank SMBC Group to the New York-based Citi Group, Charlotte has been on fire with job announcements. The city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County have partnered to bring more than 6,300 jobs in the past year alone!
North Carolina Chamber of Commerce President Gary Salamido wants to keep that momentum going.
“When you’re on top, everybody tries to knock off the person who’s on top,” he said. “We’ve done well here. It’s been intentional and we’re going to continue to do well. We got to protect it.”
When the state legislature returns to session this month, the NC Chamber will be advocating for business friendly legislation to pass.
First and foremost, the Chamber would like to see lawmakers pass a budget. They want to explore tax code changes and also see lawmakers address child care and affordable housing.
“What can we do to have housing be more available and affordable for folks that are public servants, so they can live for to live and work in their communities,” he said.
While in Charlotte, Salamido also said he is excited about Charlotte’s new direct flight to Abu Dhabi. He thinks this will open the Queen City up to more business.
“It’s a real big deal,” he said. “The reason they’re coming to Charlotte is because of the finance capital, because you have access to so many executives across so many industries. So it’s really competitive.”
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