Womble Carlyle Economic Development Digest - June 15, 2016

We look forward to seeing you all at our Annual Economic Development Summit on July 21st in Charleston!

NORTH CAROLINA
• Chamber: Let cities pass own LGBT protections, The Charlotte Observer (May 24, 2016)
Charlotte feels the financial impact of HB2.

SOUTH CAROLINA
• Audit recommends merging DOT, highway borrowing agency, PressofAtlanticCity.com (May 26, 2016)
South Carolina considers merger of DOT with the SIB.


Read more...(pdf)

Congratulations to Blackbaud for the announcement of its new worldwide corporate headquarters campus in South Carolina!

In this week's Economic Development Digest:

Georgia

• Atlanta leaders look for answers in Texas, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (May 3, 2016)
Leaders from Atlanta, Georgia travel to Dallas, Texas to learn how Texas approaches economic development.
• Georgia extends sunset date of exemption for regionally significant competitive projects, TaxAnalysts.com (May 3, 2016)**
Georgia HB 937, signed into law as Act 596, changes the sunset date of the exemption for sales of tangible personal property used in the construction of competitive projects of regional significance from June 30, 2019, and extends the sunset date of the excise tax on rental car charges from December 31, 2038, to December 31, 2047.
• Georgia DOR rules taxpayer's new LLC will qualify for high-technology computer exemption, TaxAnalysts.com (February 23, 2016)**
The Georgia Department of Revenue advised a taxpayer forming a new limited liability company to provide business process and information technology services to its partners that transfers of hardware and software assets from the taxpayer to the new entity will be exempt from sales and use tax under the state's high-technology computer exemption.

North Carolina:

• North Carolina tourism posts record 2015; will it continue this year in light of HB 2?, Charlotte Business Journal (May 4, 2016)
North Carolina begins to feel the impact of HB 2.
• Public records: Commerce learned of PayPal HB2 reversal from the Internet, Triangle Business Journal (May 16, 2016) North Carolina state commerce officials attempt to mitigate the impact of HB 2.

Continue reading the Digest...(pdf)

The Womble Carlyle Economic Development Digest - January 26, 2016

Womble Carlyle’s Economic Development Digest aggregates news, opportunities and legislation impacting business in the United States.

In this week's Economic Development Digest:

Georgia
• Georgia DOR amends sales tax rule on energy for manufacturing, TaxAnalysts.com (January 4, 2016)**
The Georgia Department of Revenue has amended a sales tax rule on energy necessary and integral to manufacturing to clarify the statutory definition of energy, the taxable use of energy at a manufacturing plant, the exempt use of energy at a manufacturing plant, and the energy exemption created by the Transportation Funding Act of 2015.

Maryland
• Hogan says he'll seek tax cuts, The Baltimore Sun (January 7, 2016)
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan proposes $400 million in tax cuts over the next five years (highlights include a $1.1 billion "rainy day fund”, $6.3 billion for K-12 education, $314 million in new funding for school construction and $2 billion for "shovel-ready" infrastructure projects, including fixing every structurally deficient bridge in the State).

• Maryland tax structure an impediment to business, TaxAnalysts.com (January 26, 2016)**
The prosperity of Maryland businesses will, in most instances, lead to the creation of jobs for the State's citizens.

Continue reading this week's Digest (pdf)...

**Note: a paid subscription is required to access this article. A brief description has been provided. Please contact Womble Carlyle’s Economic Development Team for more information on these developments.

The Womble Carlyle Economic Development Digest - December 11, 2015

Womble Carlyle’s Economic Development Digest aggregates news, opportunities and legislation impacting business in the United States.
 
In this week's Economic Development Digest:

National
Tax Foundation releases 2016 state business tax climate index, TaxAnalysts.com (November 17, 2015)**
The Tax Foundation has released its state business tax climate index for 2016; notable changes to this year's rankings include Illinois' jump from 31st to 23rd due to the sunset of corporate and individual income tax increases, Nevada's fall from third to fifth due to its commerce tax, and New Mexico's jump from 35th to 27th due to a corporate income tax reduction.

North Carolina
North Carolina expands incentive program to increase investment, Tax Notes (December 1, 2015)**
In September, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) approved significant amendments to the state's flagship investment incentive program, the Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG). The North Carolina Department of Commerce administers the JDIG program. The cash grant can be awarded to a company that is able to commit to an investment project that generates a significant number of full-time jobs and, for mega projects, a threshold investment value based on local property tax values. The legislation (HB 117) also introduces a mechanism to gross up the amount of the available funds in the grant pool for 2015 and subsequent calendar years for some mega- or high-yield projects. The grant pool for any year will be increased significantly if the state enters into at least one incentives agreement with a business for a high-yield project.

Our opinion: Our "new" council, Greensboro News & Record (December 6, 2015)
Greensboro, North Carolina moves towards a more collaborative approach to economic development.

JDIG and Medicaid: Two NC laws with major business implications in 2015, Triangle Business Journal (December 9, 2015)
Lawmakers approved a package that extends the Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) programs through 2018.

Womble Carlyle launches Strategic Initiatives Group; Entrepreneur, Former Google Executive Rhett Weiss to lead new team, wcsr.com (December 9, 2015)

Read more...(pdf)

The Womble Carlyle Economic Development Digest - November 10, 2015

Womble Carlyle’s Economic Development Digest aggregates news, opportunities and legislation impacting business in the United States.

In this week's Economic Development Digest:

Georgia
Georgia Department of Education adds economic development liaison, Atlanta Business Chronicle (October 21, 2015)
Richard Goble is the new economic development liaison and will work with business executives and promote career education in the schools.

Georgia DOR amends rule on definition of business enterprise, TaxAnalysts.com (November 4, 2015)**
The Georgia Department of Revenue has adopted clarifying amendments to a rule on the definition of business enterprise.

South Carolina
Mauldin mulls creating Community Development Department, Greenville Online (October 28, 2015)
Mauldin, South Carolina forms a new department which will focus on economic development.

Continue reading...


**Note: a paid subscription is required to access this article. A brief description has been provided. Please contact Womble Carlyle’s Economic Development Team for more information on these developments.

Womble Carlyle's Economic Development Team helps clients explore opportunities for locating or expanding operations in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. Our Economic Development Team combines a thorough working knowledge of economic development incentives; land use and siting procedures; and regulatory matters at the state, county and local levels, drawing on strong relationships built over many years with key governmental and civic leaders. For more information visit www.wcsr.com/Practices/Economic-Development.

To contact our attorneys regarding an economic development or related matter, please e-mail EconDigest@wcsr.com for a response within 24 hours.

Congratulations to ScanSource on Greenville, S.C. HQ Expansion, Job Creation

GREENVILLE, S.C.—Congratulations to ScanSource, Inc! The Womble Carlyle client recently announced plans to expand its Greenville headquarters—and add more than 100 high-paying jobs.

Currently, ScanSource employs around 650 workers at its Greenville corporate campus. The new expansion will convert 30,000 feet of warehouse space into additional office space to accommodate the company’s need for additional sales and support staff.

ScanSource is a fast-growing company that has expanded its Greenville headquarters five times in the past 10 years.

Womble Carlyle attorney Stephanie Yarbrough guided ScanSource through this economic development project, including helping the company secure state and local incentives, such as job development credits.

Read more...(WCSR.com)

The Womble Carlyle Economic Development Digest - October 9, 2015

Womble Carlyle’s Economic Development Digest aggregates news, opportunities and legislation impacting business in the United States.

In this week's Economic Development Digest:

California
• Gov. Brown signs climate change bill to spur renewable energy, efficiency standards, Los Angeles Times (October 7, 2015)
California launches a new effort to expand renewable energy and increase energy efficiency.

Florida
• Crumbling US roads can't wait any longer, Newsday (October 5, 2015)
Florida makes its case for the dire need for infrastructure funding.

Continue reading...(pdf).

Please contact Womble Carlyle’s Economic Development Team for more information on these developments.

Womble Carlyle's Economic Development Team helps clients explore opportunities for locating or expanding operations in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. Our Economic Development Team combines a thorough working knowledge of economic development incentives; land use and siting procedures; and regulatory matters at the state, county and local levels, drawing on strong relationships built over many years with key governmental and civic leaders.

For more information visit www.wcsr.com/Practices/Economic-Development.
To contact our attorneys regarding an economic development or related matter, please e-mail EconDigest@wcsr.com for a response within 24 hours.