The Port

The North Carolina State Ports Authority was created by the state legislature in 1945. Its mission was to promote a better atmosphere for the development of North Carolina industry by establishing two deep-water ports, thus breaking the state's dependence on ports in Virginia and South Carolina. The terminals, one in Morehead City and one in Wilmington, were equipped to handle ocean-going vessels and opened in 1952. Today they are the backbone of the North Carolina shipping industry, and the mission is to enhance the state's economy.

In fiscal year 2007 the Port of Wilmington received more than 380 ships loaded with diverse cargoes from Europe, South America, the Far East and beyond. Cargo tonnage through the port exceeded 3.4 million tons. The container TEU’s were more than 173,000. Warehousing at the port includes almost one million square feet of prime covered and sprinklered storage, with 100-plus acres of paved storage area and 25 acres of semi-improved open storage area. The port has rail access to berths, transit sheds, warehouses and open storage and direct transfer of heavy lift and dimensional loads between vessel and rail or truck. The entire Wilmington Terminal is approved as Foreign Trade Zone 66.

Countries that do significant business through the North Carolina Port at Wilmington include China, Korea, Colombia, Venezuela, Italy, Germany, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. Top imports for fiscal year 2007 were chemicals, coal, cement, forest products, general merchandise, metal products and furniture. Primary exports were wood pulp, forest products, general merchandise and food.

A channel-deepening project in the Cape Fear River has increased channel depth to 42 feet from the river's mouth to the State Port to accommodate larger ships. The port's capacity has recently tripled, due to the addition of four 100-foot container cranes and other container handling equipment and improvements to the dock infrastructure and terminal operating system in the first phase of Wilmington's container terminal expansion.

For more information, visit the website at www.ncports.com or contact the Communications office at (910) 343-6491 or (800) 334-0682.

Tourism

Tourism remains one of the most important industries in North Carolina, particularly in the southern coastal region. With an appealing variety of attractions - beaches and waterways, breathtaking gardens, a rich arts environment, well-established cultural events, beautiful historic homes and landmarks - in moderate year-round temperatures, this area is a highly desirable destination for visitors from all over the country. Last year, this translated into $815 million in state revenue, according to tourism statistics from the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Tourism is one of the state's largest industries; visitors to and within North Carolina spent a record $16.5 billion in 2007, an increase of 7.2 percent from 2006. The number was higher than the previous record of $15.4 billion set in 2006..

In the year 2006 (most recent figures available), domestic travelers spent more than $388 million (more than 5,400 jobs and $93.54 million payroll) in New Hanover County, more than $336 million in Brunswick County and approximately $61 million in Pender County. The economic impact is significant in terms of jobs and and payroll dollars in the three-county area. The N.C. Department of Commerce report for New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties directly attributes a total of 10,790 jobs and more than $173 million in payroll as a result of tourism.

With more than 50 championship golf courses and a long mid-March through mid-November playing season, golf is another major draw to the region. Restaurants number in the hundreds and continue to proliferate at an astounding rate, with the best of them enjoying capacity dining on weekends. Special attractions and activities such as horse-and-carriage rides in the historic district, boat tours, sailing charters, a downtown Wilmington walking tour, the free trolley, Riverwalk and educational tours in the historic district continue to respond to high demand.

Summer is no longer the sole tourism season. Visitors Bureau officials recognize that Wilmington and the surrounding communities have moved from a three-month to a nearly year-round tourism season, with the majority of visitors arriving from March through November. With that in mind, the Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau has several locations starting with the main office at 24 N. Third Street, (910) 341-4030, and the River Booth, located along the Cape Fear riverfront near the corner of Water and Market streets. Other centers include one in the town hall at 1121 North Lake Park Boulevard in Carolina Beach and at 305 West Salisbury Street in Wrightsville Beach.

Accommodations are plentiful in the Greater Wilmington area and coastal Brunswick County. Historic downtown Wilmington and picturesque Southport offer a bounty of charming bed and breakfast inns. With such an abundance of accommodations at their disposal, visitors are only limited in choice by their budget or their imagination. Still, it is often difficult to find lodgings on short notice during the summer, and advance reservations for these months are highly recommended, especially for weekends.

Trade

Shopping on our coast is a participation sport. The past few years have seen the opening of major national and regional chains with more arriving almost daily, making Wilmington a major shopping destination. The city's retail corridor is pushing north along U. S. Hwy. 17, with extremely heavy development along Military Cutoff Road on the east side, including four large upscale shopping complexes — Landfall Shopping Center, The Forum, Lumina Station and Mayfaire Towncenter. On every corner, there seems to be a new shopping plaza going up, and retail stores stocking everything from beachwear and souvenirs to designer clothing and high-ticket household furnishings are everywhere. 

Retail and service industry businesses have also made inroads in the southern corridor from Wilmington's city limits to Carolina Beach as well. Of particular note is the Lowe's Home Improvement Superstore, the newly opened Home Depot and the Wal-mart Supercenter shopping complex in the Myrtle Grove area at the end of South College Road, which features places to eat and a variety of shopping opportunities.

While lacking the density of retail development seen in Wilmington and New Hanover County, the number of retail stores and shopping centers are increasing in Brunswick County. In 2007 a Wal-mart Supercenter opened on U.S. Highway 17 in Leland, and right across the street, you will find the Village Shoppes at Waterford, which includes several specialty stores and restaurants. The Southport-Oak Island area and Shallotte to the south both have acquired large Wal-Mart Superstores and Lowe's Home Improvement Centers, not to mention boutiques and stores of every description. Shallotte has become the retail hub for southern Brunswick County with a shopping center that offers such regional and national retailers as Belk, Bath & Body Works, Cato, Home Depot and Office Depot.

The Film Industry

The Wilmington Regional Film Commission, located on the EUE/Screen Gems Studios lot, 1223 N. 23rd Street, Wilmington, (910) 343-3456, facilitates on-location filmmaking in the Cape Fear region. With the largest film studio facility outside of Los Angeles, Wilmington consistently ranks as one of the top filmmaking locations in the nation.

Since the industry's beginning in 1983, filmmaking activities in the Port City include more than 300 feature film, television series, movie-of-the-week and mini-series productions. Eight television series — Matlock, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, The Road Home, American Gothic, Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, Surface and Eastbound and Down — have filmed here, and numerous music videos, television commercials and still photography shoots have utilized the amenities found in the area. Filmmakers have access to a broad base of local talent and professional film crews along with the facilities at Screen Gems Studios and, of course, fabulous natural scenery.

Feature films and television movies made in the Wilmington area include Lolita, Billy Bathgate, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Domestic Disturbance, The Hudsucker Proxy, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Betsy's Wedding, The Runaway, 28 Days, Black Knight, Muppets From Space, Rambling Rose, Year of the Dragon, Elmo In Grouchland, The Jackal, Maximum Overdrive, Silver Bullet, Blue Velvet, Firestarter, Sleeping With the Enemy and Weekend at Bernie's. Several movies slated for release in 2008 were filmed in the Wilmington area, including The Marc Pease Experience, Nights in Rodanthe and Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever.

Commercials filmed here include local, regional and national companies such as SunCom, Nautica, American Express, National Geographic, Mattel, Smithfield Farms, the New York Ballet, J. Crew, Kodak, Harley Davidson, Rolling Stone magazine, McDonald's, RJ Reynolds, Wachovia Bank and more.  

EUE/Screen Gems Studios offers a multitude of amenities to film and television production companies under the guidance of president Frank Capra Jr. The studio's lot features nine sound stages, post-production services, more than 20,000 square feet of production office space, a 40-seat screening room, editing suites, sound transfer services, lighting and grip equipment rental, set construction shops and much more. In addition to the studios, production companies discover a wealth of experienced film crew professionals here. Wilmington Regional Film Commission Director Johnny Griffin estimates that number at 650 in the Greater Wilmington region.

Senior Services

Over the past few years, the business of retirement has become a major industry in southern coastal area. This is due largely to the maritime location, which makes the climate unusually mild for this latitude. Warm spring breezes, hot summers, a mild autumn and a few days of freezing winter temperatures create a friendly weather pattern for retirees from the North, who yearn for the warm weather of Florida, but still want to experience "the seasons."  Many services geared to retirees have been established in this area. (See our Retirement chapter for more about senior services.)

On the state level, 12 percent of North Carolina's population is in the age 65 and older category, and about 13 percent of New Hanover County residents are older than age 65. The percentage of residents older than 65 is projected to grow in the future as the number of retirees continues to increase. In response and expectation, planned retirement communities, senior services, recreational opportunities aimed at retirees and other enterprises will represent a major component of the local economy. As retirees flow into the area from more prosperous economies in the North and West, they bring their nest eggs with them, thereby giving a considerable boost to the local economy. An added benefit is their contribution of skills and knowledge to area volunteer organizations.
 

Of the many services that seniors often find themselves needing, outside help can be one of the most important. Comfort Keepers provides in-home care for you or your loved ones, ranging from companionship to homemaking to personal care. These non-medical services can include meal preparation, light housekeeping or transportation to a doctor’s appointment, as well as more skilled services such as bathing, incontinence care and mobility assistance. For most seniors, the ability to stay in their homes means leading normal lives. By providing these much-needed services, Comfort Keepers offers the best solution to help seniors stay at home and enjoy the highest possible level of independent living.
 

Health Care

Healthcare is big business in the region. More than 450 physicians and five hospitals employ large numbers of medical personnel. One of the largest employers is New Hanover Regional Medical Center, with 4,700 employees. Local healthcare services are extensive, and many are comparable with the best state-of-the-art medical facilities and services in the nation. An example is the Zimmer Cancer Center at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center, providing complete cancer care in one facility.

The rapidly expanding seniors' healthcare market is a national phenomenon, but it is particularly pronounced in coastal/resort communities. In addition to extensive medical services, New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties offer a large — and constantly growing — number of domiciliary care facilities. See our Healthcare chapter for more information about area hospitals and medical services in the three-county area.

Real Estate

Now more than ever, it is a great time to buy a house. Interest rates are at an all-time low, choices abound with a large inventory of new and existing homes for sale, and prices have leveled off or declined. After the real estate boom of 2005 and 2006, the market has corrected and sales have decreased. In New Hanover County, home sales for March 2008 were down 40 percent over March 2007. See our Real Estate chapter for more about the local market.

Industry

The largest industrial companies in the area include Corning Glass Works (the Wilmington location is the largest manufacturer of optical fibers in the world); General Electric (aircraft engine parts, nuclear fuel components); Progress Energy; International Paper; KoSa (chemicals), PPD (pharmaceutical research); Victaulic Company of America (pipe fittings), Rampage Sport Fishing Yachts; Louisiana Pacific (wood products); Terex American Crane; VisionAir (software); Verizon (wireless phone service); Oracle Packaging; Archer Daniels Midland; Chloride Systems (lighting); Del Laboratories; L.L. Building Products; aaiPharma (pharmaceutical products); Caterpillar, Inc. (hydrostatic transmission); and Interroll (conveyor components).

For a complete industrial directory, contact Wilmington Industrial Development, Inc., at 1739 Hewlett Drive, Wilmington,(910) 763-8414. In Brunswick County, contact the Brunswick County Economic Development Commission office, 25 Courthouse Drive, Bolivia, (910) 253-4429, for information on the county's industrial parks or a listing of local manufacturers.

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