GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Businesses are working hard through the course of the pandemic. Now, one local organization is taking a look at a year of economic development in review.

Many positives came out of 2021 in terms of economic development not only in the state but Eastern North Carolina in specific. North Carolina saw around 23,000 jobs and $10 billion in capital investments in 2021 alone.

Business professionals in the community also attribute some of this success to leaders in our state saying they have helped make North Carolina more business-friendly.

Now, Brad Hufford, the vice president for Business Development with the Greenville ENC Alliance, says ENC is proving to be a major player in the game for the state and its economic development.

“We have the labor force they’re looking for, we have sites that they would be interested in, that are fully served by infrastructure and our location,” Hufford said. “So we’ve got a great location plus, we have East Carolina University, with all of the 30,000 students there, we have a top 10 community college in our community, and we have just tremendous health care resources with now ECU health.”

Hufford says Thermo fisher bringing $654 million in investment and 790 jobs to the Greenville site in specific within months of 2020 and 2021 is a major help to put this area on the map. He also says the ENC Alliance is excited for this year as they have many proposals and plans to deliver on for our area.

With major companies coming to Greenville and its municipalities, well it helps put it up against Charlotte, the triangle, the triad and other major areas in the state.

He notes Greenville sits perfectly between a major city like Raleigh and also the beach, making it super marketable.