Port leads city to high job-creation ranking

By Wayne Faulkner
Business Editor
wayne.faulkner@starnewsonline.com You might say that Wilmington’s ship has come in.Port-related activity and communications services have put the city No. 2 in the nation for job creation and retention in a report by the Milken Institute, an economic think tank based in Santa Monica, Calif.

In Wilmington, “port-related activity contributed to growth in other sectors, such as business services and construction,” the report said.

“Investments in port infrastructure have led to improvements in cargo capacity, creating more opportunities for trade linkages and port-related business.”

Based on 2006 data, the full study, “2007 Best-Performing Cities Index,” is to be released today. Wilmington moved up from 59th place in last year’s survey.

Ocala, Fla., ranked No. 1.

The institute, which describes itself as nonprofit, nonpartisan and publicly funded, has been doing the study for nearly a decade.

“The tremendous growth we’ve seen at the Port of Wilmington over the past several years results from the channel-deepening project completed in 2004,” said Tom Eagar, chief executive officer of the N.C. State Ports Authority. “To have our contributions to the Wilmington area’s tremendous progress recognized by the experts at the Milken Institute validates the ports’ economic-development initiatives and deepens our commitment to the expansion of the Port of Wilmington and our plans for the new port in Brunswick County,” Eagar said.

Wilmington’s performance goes beyond the port, according to Connie Majure-Rhett, president and CEO of the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re a complete package here in terms of job development,” Majure-Rhett said Tuesday, commenting on the Milken Institute report. “People want to live here; companies want to locate here. The cost of living is relatively low.”

Looking ahead, though, she worries that “we have to have people to fill those jobs. We’re already seeing shortages in some areas. That’s why we think Cape Fear Future is so important,” she said, referring to an area initiative to attract highly skilled “knowledge workers.”

“Because as companies want to relocate to great places, we’ll lose our momentum if we don’t have the work force to supply those companies.”

Southern cities comprised 15 of the top 25 in the Milken report. The study said “it was no coincidence” that the top locations show “entrepreneurial strength, lower business costs and favorable business climates.”