The Division of Business and Industry Development leads North Carolina's business and industrial recruitment efforts. Through collaboration with public and private development organizations, economic developers work to attract new companies to the state.  To further these efforts, the Division operates international offices in Frankfurt, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo and Toronto.

Once located, North Carolina remains committed to the success of the state’s businesses and industries. The Division offers retention and expansion services to companies currently located in the state.  Existing Industry Specialists are located in each of the state’s seven geographic regions and are dedicated to building long-term relationships with area companies.

In addition, the Business ServiCenter is a one-stop portal for information, programs and resources to help grow small businesses through one-on-one client consultations; customized licensing and business structure information; referrals to relevant contacts; and a small business ombudsman to resolve issues with government agencies.

The Division of Community Assistance (DCA) assists local governments with economic development, community development, growth management and downtown revitalization with three major components:

• The Main Street program helps cities maintain a thriving downtown through a four-part, self-help process involving organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring.
• The federally funded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program assists local governments with projects that benefit low- and moderate-income families.
• Planning and growth management services to local governments.

The Division of Workforce Development  oversees the chartering and operation of the state's JobLink One-Stop Career Centers and administration of the federal Workforce Investment Act. These centers combine a variety of state and local agencies in one location to provide job seekers and businesses with information, recruitment and placement, and training opportunities. The Division also staffs the Commission on Workforce Development.

The Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development provides a variety of programs whose goals are attracting more visitors, film-related productions and sporting events to the state and promoting the North Carolina wine and grape industry.  The Division leads the state in the developing North Carolina as a major destination for leisure travel, group tours, meetings and conventions and sporting events as well as film and wine production.

The Division is comprised of four main sections:

• Tourism

The Tourism Division teams with local and regional economic development and tourism promotion organizations to advance tourism in the state.  Available marketing resources include a cooperative advertising program, industry and consumer publications, a consumer web site, and international travel trade development opportunities. The Division also staffs nine Welcome Centers on interstate highways to assist travelers to North Carolina. In addition, the Division administers a grants program, which helps local areas make improvements to their regional promotions, and the Heritage Tourism Program, which supports our state’s natural, historic and cultural resources.

• North Carolina Film Office

The North Carolina Film Office promotes North Carolina as a location for television, motion picture and advertising productions. Working in cooperation with state agencies and affiliate offices, the Film Office provides services to studio and independent filmmakers and production companies that include custom location packages, scouting assistance and permitting guidance.

• North Carolina Sports Development Office

The North Carolina Sports Development Office advances North Carolina as a leading site for sporting events, actively promoting and recruiting events involving collegiate, amateur and professional organizations. Working with local governments, communities, individuals, corporations and other partners, the Sports Development Office serves as a clearinghouse for sporting activities in North Carolina and assists sports organizations and promoters in making North Carolina a host site for leading amateur and professional sports events.

• N.C. Wine and Grape Council

The N.C. Wine and Grape Council supports the North Carolina grape and wine industry with a multitude of resources that stimulate and inform the industry and help wineries and grape growers offer award-winning products. Through marketing partnerships, information resources and research, the Council helps enhance product quality for consumers and encourages economic viability and opportunity for growers and processors.

The Fiscal Management Division is responsible for the accounting, budgeting and purchasing functions of the Department.

The Commerce Finance Center offers information on financing programs available to qualifying companies that plan to locate or expand in North Carolina. For example, the Center can provide information on tax credits available to new and expanding industries under the Credits for Growing Businesses Act (Article 3J). The Center also administers Industrial Revenue Bonds, which may be used by companies engaged in some type of manufacturing for the acquisition of real estate, facility construction, and/or equipment purchase.  It also directs programs that provide grants and loans to businesses locating or expanding in the state such as:

• Community Development Block Grants
• Industrial Development Fund
• Job Development Investment Grants
• One North Carolina Fund
• Industrial Revenue Bonds

The Human Resources office performs personnel functions including recruitment and selection, employee relations, training, salary administration, safety and benefits administration.

Through two domestic and seven foreign office locations, the International Trade Division provides assistance to North Carolina businesses seeking to capitalize on overseas market opportunities.

Trade consultants in Raleigh and High Point tap into resources and programs that help businesses grow through international sales. The Division's foreign offices in Canada, Mexico, Germany, China, Korea, Hong Kong and Japan help North Carolina businesses enter new markets or expand market share.

The Management Information Systems (MIS) Division oversees information technology services within the Department including Web and application development, LAN management, project management functions for application and system development, and maintenance of personal computers and peripherals.

The Marketing and Customer Services Division creates programs to market the State of North Carolina to business audiences worldwide.  The division promotes the state as a business destination through brand-building, advertising, media and public relations, and relationship marketing programs.  The division also provides support services for other marketing initiatives within the Department, including the agency’s website.

The Policy, Research and Strategic Planning Division provides research, analysis and creative thinking to enable innovative economic development decision-making and practices at the state, local and regional levels.  The division provides support services to programmatic divisions within the department and works extensively with outside partners such as the regional partnerships, university system, community college system, Employment Security Commission and others.

The division is organized into three teams:

• Policy Team:  Policy analysis supports the formation of Department executive and legislative agendas.  The Policy Team staffs the N.C. Economic Development Board, working to bring ED Board and Commerce agendas into alignment.  The team proposes and analyzes policy and strategic planning options and monitors policy trends in other states and countries.  The team is focused on innovation in strategy and policy implementation.

• Market Analysis Team:  This team conducts economic research, market analyses, and impact analyses to support activities of Commerce divisions—Business & Industry, Trade, Workforce, and Community Development—and other state, regional and local agencies.  This team is focused on utilizing and integrating PRSP resources to provide ongoing service to Commerce divisions and partners.

• Business Intelligence Team:  This team builds new data, mapping and information products to assist in economic development marketing, planning, trend analysis, project work and policy analysis.  It is focused on providing economic intelligence tools of increasing sophistication and quality in a user-friendly technology-based environment.

Public Affairs handles media and citizen inquiries.

 Wanchese Seafood Industrial Park promotes fishing and marine industries and serves as a lucrative location for seafood processing plants, boat builders, fishing supplies and other marine-related businesses.