Members of the Charlotte Mastermind Group remain incredibly busy with a number of projects throughout the Metro area. Brian Welch with ESP Associates advised they have seen an uptick in the activity in the public sector, especially K-12 schools and with the NC-DOT, but that they are also experiencing a slow-down from the various municipalities with zoning and permitting approvals, as the local teams deal with the heavy volume. Further discussion centered around the uncertainty in the retail sector, with vast numbers of store closings and consolidations and financing continuing to be difficult to attain.

Ryan McDaniels, Executive Director of the Lake Norman EDC, shared their strategy for business attraction and growth. The area has attracted several manufacturing companies including Newtech and Pactiv, and continues to focus on growth in the mixed use development arena.