GREENSBORO, N.C. — A spotlight is on Greensboro and it’s paving the way for more economic growth than ever.
Toyota has been holding hiring events to fill thousands of jobs for its battery plant at its mega site in Liberty.
The rumbles of a $50 million investment in aircraft maintenance can be heard at PTI International Airport. Marshall Aerospace broke ground there on its first U.S. company a few months ago.
And that’s just the beginning.
"We have over 100 projects we’re working on currently that would easily be over $20 billion in capital investment and roughly over 20,000 jobs," said Marvin Price with the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce.
Price said 40% of those active projects are with international companies.
He said they’re hearing great things about the Triad.
"We constantly get international companies that are considering us from furniture and design to manufacturing to aerospace," Price said.
Those international investments mean potentially 7,000 jobs.
"We have Guilford Tech and Guilford Works. A lot of these companies partner with them to get hiring done. A lot of people in Guilford get an opportunity," Price said. "But it’s a win for High Point. It’s a win for Winston-Salem, Burlington the whole Triad."
The big question is, is the Triad ready for this type of growth and influx of people?
"Certainly there are challenges and it's not only from the foreign investment it's from the influx of investment we had over the last 2 years," said Greensboro Mayor Nancy. "We’re going through some growing pains whether transportation of employees and workforce development."
Mayor Vaughan said housing is a challenge they're working to tackle.
"We have quite a few building permits in the pipeline but the builders are waiting on interest rates to come down," Vaughan said. "We know the housing will come."
To support a growth track set to continue in the years ahead for the gate city.
"As employees come and work they buy homes they shop in our stores they eat in our restaurants," Vaughan said. "It broadens our tax base and brings more money into the community."
The chamber said they won't draw in all the projects in the works.
Price said they only want to partner with companies that bring high-paying jobs that align with the skill sets of our communities.