Durham County Business Recruitment

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

Similar to all business recruitment programs, Durham County seeks to attract and retain commercial investments that grow the local economy as well create quality jobs that benefit the County, the region, and the state. This provides both rewarding career opportunities for local residents and capital investments that increase the tax base, allowing for expanded public service delivery while stimulating additional investments. With significant commercial interest in the Research Triangle Park and the County as a whole, Durham County saw the opportunity to align their business recruitment efforts with their broader strategic priorities through the 2020 Resolution Amending Economic Development Policy. In addition to satisfying capital investment or job creation thresholds, the County sought to recruit companies that valued workforce development partnerships, as well as County priorities like contracting with Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBE), childcare, sustainability, and Transportation Demand Management (TDM). Starting in 2019 with projects that were influenced by the revised policy, Durham County and partners have recruited 5,300 jobs, and announced $2.3 billion in new capital investment that is anticipated to bring in $37 million in property tax revenue over the first 5 years of the project. In 2021, recruited companies spent $74 million utilizing diverse vendors to include $68 million with MWBEs, and $3.5 million with veteran-owned businesses.