CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In an effort to promote economic development and support North Carolina communities, Duke Energy is implementing the new program – ‘Hire North Carolina’ – to maximize the use of locally owned and diverse contractors for utility projects within the state.
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“We want to continue to support job creation and investment with suppliers, vendors and contractors who, like many of our team members, are proud to call North Carolina home,” said Melody Birmingham, senior vice president of supply chain and chief procurement officer for Duke Energy. “Hire North Carolina will be a useful resource for Duke Energy to expand access to our local and diverse talent for construction projects.”

“As a small business owner, I am passionate about supporting other local and women and minority-owned businesses,” said Neeta Singh, owner of Tiger Controls, a Greensboro-based electrical and electronic distributor and engineering services provider. “At a time when many small businesses are facing financial challenges, I appreciate this new initiative to identify diverse suppliers. This program will not only drive in-state investments but open up additional opportunities for women and minority-owned businesses, and I look forward to adding our company name to the Hire North Carolina list.”

Read more below for information on qualifying projects and further details on the program!

This week, Burlington-headquartered life-sciences company LabCorp announced it received an Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its COVID-19 at-home test kit.

​The kits will be offered through the Pixel by LabCorp™ platform and initially be made available to healthcare workers and first responders.

LabCorp intends to make COVID-19 self-collection kits available to consumers in the coming weeks. Future updates about the self-collection kits can be found on LabCorp’s COVID-19 microsite. 

"LabCorp continues to develop new ways to help patients and healthcare providers fight the COVID-19 crisis through our leading testing capabilities and deep scientific and research expertise,” said Adam Schechter, president and CEO of LabCorp. “Our at-home collection kits are designed to make it easier and safer to test healthcare workers and first responders during this important time.”

LabCorp's leadership in the response to COVID-19 and their commitment to providing fast, accurate solutions to the healthcare community are critical in this pandemic.  Alamance County is thankful to be home to LabCorp and the many dedicated scientists, technicians and their support staffs who are delivering for the world!  

​To all of our #AlamanceStrong Businesses: Thank you for helping the public health community’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic!  We are encouraging companies that are producing or have pivoted to producing needed items to do the following:

Want to make sure that others in the state know what you manufacture? Register on https://www.manufacturednc.com/.  This site has existed for some time and is where we are directing individual hospitals and care providers who reach out to us seeking specific resources and items. ​
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Are you a manufacturer willing to help with production of finished PPE or materials? Is your business able to pivot to manufacturing Personal Protective Equipment? Manufacturers interested in contributing to textile PPE (gowns, masks, gloves, etc.) can contact the Carolina Textile District (CTD) for help in transitioning their production to prototype and producing medical supplies during the COVID-19 crisis. Contact Sara Chester. Carolina Textile District for more info at sara@theindustrialcommons.org or by phone at 828-674-3141