NCMF - Chairman's Message

--General Buck Kernan, USA, (Ret.)

The state of North Carolina is home to our country's fourth-largest military presence--a natural draw for defense and homeland security companies. In total, more than 416,000 individuals, or 8 percent of total state employment, are either directly employed by the military or Coast Guard, or have jobs with organizations and companies producing products and providing services that support the U.S. military in North Carolina. As well, defense growth is expected to add an additional 49,000 new jobs to North Carolina's economy by 2013.

The military installations located in the state are a major contributor to North Carolina's economy, and the North Carolina Military Foundation is working to grow both their presence and their impact in the state. How?

By connecting important centers of influence that can make new, long-term jobs and investment happen for North Carolina.

Here are just three examples of how the Foundation is growing the state's defense and homeland security economy:

We co-hosted the 2007 North Carolina Military Construction Summit, convening more than 200 private sector and Department of Defense leaders to discuss how contractors statewide can tap into the more than $5 billion in emerging military construction needs in North Carolina.
We hosted a meeting between the Embassy of Australia and more than 60 business, academic, and state leaders during which potential opportunities stemming from the United States -- Australia Defense Cooperation Treaty were discussed. The U.S. Department of Commerce followed the Foundation's lead and hosted a webinar to allow for further discussion between North Carolina businesses and officials in Washington and Australia.

We convened a Defense Aviation Roundtable in Eastern North Carolina to discuss emerging needs and opportunities stemming from North Carolina's defense aviation assets, and how these opportunities could become a part of the state's strategy to support Aerospace and Aviation as a strategic growth sector. In addition to representatives from North Carolina's defense installations and partner organizations, the North Carolina Department of Commerce Aerospace Sector Team, regional and state economic developers, and representatives from our community college and university systems joined the discussion to pinpoint areas of opportunity and collaboration.

We spearheaded efforts to develop North Carolina’s first Institute for Homeland Security Solutions, a collaboration between the Foundation, UNC Chapel Hill, Duke University, and RTI International. The Institute, funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will enable NC-based businesses and academic institutions to develop new solutions to homeland security priorities for our federal government.

These activities -- and many more -- have occurred during the short amount of time since the Foundation's Board launched the organization in December of 2006.

Here is the bottom line -- there is great potential for defense and homeland security economic growth in our state if the right public and private organizations can partner to create growth opportunities. That is why the Foundation is working everyday to connect the important centers of influence that, when working together, will be successful in furthering our state's economy.

North Carolina's business environment is ripe for the success of the companies and organizations with which the Foundation is working. It is no secret that North Carolina is home to nationally ranked universities, a highly skilled and educated workforce, a competitive cost structure, and a strategic eastern seaboard location, all of which mean this state offers unparalleled advantages to companies located here. We're working hard to be sure that every company in the defense and homeland security industries is aware of our state's advantages.

Please join us as we continue to make connections, create opportunity and grow the economy. We welcome your help in building on the good work already underway.