Commerce, JDIG, and the Megasite Race
Inside the lobbying field that shapes how North Carolina competes for billion-dollar economic development projects — and why every region wants in.
- 01JetZero, Toyota, Fujifilm, Eli Lilly: the latest wave of mega-projects
- 02Boom Supersonic Greensboro plant signals an aerospace bet
- 03The Global TransPark in Lenoir County is back in the conversation
- 0457+ municipalities and 35+ counties chase the same projects
The Economic Development Landscape
How NC's economic development apparatus shows up at the State Capitol, April 2026.
How NC Buys Its Job Announcements
JDIG — the Job Development Investment Grant — is North Carolina's flagship economic development incentive. It pays cash grants to companies that meet job creation and capital investment commitments.
JDIG is administered by the NC Department of Commerce and the Economic Investment Committee. Awards are tied to performance, paid out over 12 years, and usually bundled with property tax abatement, infrastructure improvements, and workforce training packages from local governments. Most of the state's largest recent project announcements relied on a JDIG award as the anchor incentive.
- 01JDIG is performance-based — paid only if jobs and investment materialize
- 02Awards typically span 12 years
- 03Layered with local property tax abatement and infrastructure spending
- 04Administered by NC Commerce and the Economic Investment Committee
- 05Announcements typically come with bipartisan press conferences
Economic Development Partnership of NC
EDPNC is the public-private partnership that markets North Carolina to companies considering relocation or expansion. It works in tandem with NC Commerce on incentive packages.
EDPNC carries 2 registered lobbyists in the registry, with the broader Economic Development Partnership of NC, Inc. listed separately. The organization is the state's principal recruiting arm and routinely coordinates with regional development partnerships and local economic developers. Its role makes it the connective tissue across the entire economic development ecosystem.
- 01Public-private partnership recruiting companies to NC
- 02Works in tandem with NC Department of Commerce on incentive packages
- 03Coordinates with regional partnerships (Charlotte Regional, Triangle, RDU, RTRP, AdvantageWest)
- 042+ registered lobbyists
- 05Connects state, regional, and local development efforts
NC Chamber and Economic Development
The North Carolina Chamber and the local Chambers of Commerce together form the largest organized business voice on economic development policy at the State Capitol.
The NC Chamber maintains 3-4 registered lobbyists, with separate registrations for Greater Raleigh, Greater Fayetteville, Greensboro, Business High Point, and other local Chambers. The Chamber agenda typically emphasizes tax competitiveness, regulatory streamlining, workforce development, and infrastructure capital that supports industrial site readiness.
- 01NC Chamber — 3+ lobbyists
- 02Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce — 3 lobbyists
- 03Business High Point Chamber — 3 lobbyists
- 04Greater Fayetteville Chamber — 2 lobbyists
- 05Greensboro Chamber — 1 lobbyist
- 06Greater Asheville and other regional chambers also active
Reach Economic Development Decision-Makers
Lapel editions are read by the lobbyists, site selectors, regional developers, and legislators who shape NC commerce policy.
Premium full-page sponsorship available for law firms, government affairs practices, and project developers.
Lobbying Bench by Project
Number of registered lobbyists for the largest recent project announcements and major manufacturers in NC, April 2026.
JetZero: A Greensboro Aerospace Bet
JetZero is developing a blended-wing-body commercial aircraft and selected Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro as the site for its planned manufacturing facility.
The JetZero project is one of the most ambitious aerospace announcements in NC history. The company has 4 registered lobbyists at the State Capitol, reflecting the need to coordinate state incentives, infrastructure investment around PTI, workforce training, and university partnerships with NC A&T and other institutions. Greensboro's existing aerospace ecosystem (HondaJet, Boom Supersonic) makes this a strategic regional play.
- 01Selected Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTI) in Greensboro
- 02Manufacturer of a blended-wing-body commercial aircraft
- 034 registered lobbyists at NC General Assembly
- 04Joins HondaJet and Boom Supersonic in PTI's aerospace cluster
- 05State, county, and city incentives all part of the package
Boom Supersonic at PTI
Boom Supersonic is constructing a supersonic aircraft assembly facility — the 'Overture Superfactory' — at Piedmont Triad International Airport, anchoring Greensboro's aerospace profile.
Boom Supersonic chose PTI for its first US production facility and committed to a multi-phase manufacturing buildout. While Boom does not maintain a NC lobbyist registration in the current snapshot, its presence anchors the broader Greensboro / Triad aerospace cluster and underwrites JetZero's site logic. Local leaders cite the Boom investment as proof that the region can compete for advanced aerospace work.
- 01Overture Superfactory under construction at PTI
- 02First US production facility for the company
- 03Multi-phase buildout planned
- 04Anchors Greensboro's aerospace cluster alongside HondaJet
- 05Helped justify the JetZero site selection
Toyota at the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite
Toyota Motor North America is investing billions in a battery manufacturing complex at the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite, one of the state's marquee certified megasites.
The Toyota battery plant is the single largest justification for North Carolina's decades-long megasite strategy. The project demonstrated that a state-led, county-cofunded site preparation effort can land an investment of this scale. Toyota maintains 3 registered lobbyists at the NC General Assembly. The Greensboro-Randolph site itself was developed through a coordinated effort across the state, Randolph County, and the Greensboro Chamber.
- 01Multi-billion dollar EV battery manufacturing complex
- 02Located at the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite
- 033 registered lobbyists representing Toyota in NC
- 04Anchored a decade-long megasite preparation strategy
- 05Cofunded by state, Randolph County, and regional partners
Fujifilm Diosynth in Holly Springs
Fujifilm Holdings America is investing billions in a large-scale biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, expanding NC's biomanufacturing footprint.
The Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies project leverages the Research Triangle's life sciences ecosystem and the Town of Holly Springs' established bio-manufacturing zoning. Fujifilm fields 4 registered lobbyists in NC. The project is one of the largest single investments in domestic biopharmaceutical capacity in the country and reinforces the Triangle's position as a global biomanufacturing hub.
- 01Large-scale biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility
- 02Located in Holly Springs (Wake County)
- 034 registered Fujifilm lobbyists in NC
- 04Reinforces the Triangle's biomanufacturing leadership
- 05Holly Springs is one of the country's leading bio-manufacturing zones
Eli Lilly Manufacturing Investments
Eli Lilly and Company has announced and executed multiple manufacturing expansions in North Carolina, including a major facility in Concord (Cabarrus County). The company maintains 3 NC lobbyists.
- 01Multiple manufacturing facility investments in NC
- 02Concord (Cabarrus County) site is a flagship
- 033 registered lobbyists in the NC registry
- 04Reinforces NC's pharmaceutical manufacturing position
- 05Cabarrus County maintains its own lobbying registrations
Government Affairs Intelligence
Lapel tracks every economic development lobbying registration in NC — daily.
Sponsor this space to reach the project finance and site selection professionals who follow this work.
The Megasite Race
Megasites — large, certified, infrastructure-ready industrial parcels — are the platform North Carolina has built to compete for billion-dollar manufacturing announcements. Each one took years of public investment.
- 01Greensboro-Randolph Megasite (Toyota battery plant)
- 02Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing Site (VinFast)
- 03Kingsboro Megasite (Edgecombe County, Triangle Tyre / various)
- 04Moncure / Chatham-Siler regional sites
The Global TransPark Returns
The North Carolina Global TransPark in Kinston is one of the state's longest-running economic development bets — a state-owned industrial park and airport originally developed with massive public investment.
After decades of slower-than-projected absorption, the Global TransPark has hosted Spirit AeroSystems, Hanesbrands logistics, and other tenants. Lenoir County and the surrounding region (Greene, Jones, Craven) routinely lobby on its behalf for state appropriations and federal pass-through funding. James Allen Perry's 4-county practice (Craven, Greene, Jones, Lenoir) is the lobbying axis around the TransPark today.
- 01State-owned aviation-focused industrial park in Kinston
- 02Decades of public investment with phased tenant absorption
- 03Spirit AeroSystems and Hanesbrands among current tenants
- 04Lenoir County and its neighbors lobby for ongoing funding
- 05James Allen Perry represents all four anchor counties
VinFast and the Chatham-Siler City Site
The Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing Site landed VinFast — a Vietnamese EV manufacturer — for a multi-billion dollar US assembly plant.
Chatham County's pursuit of advanced manufacturing investment, supported by state JDIG and infrastructure funding, made the VinFast announcement possible. The project drew significant attention to the Chatham megasite model and the broader competition between rural NC counties for project siting. Chatham County is also home to a major Wolfspeed semiconductor expansion in nearby Siler City — making this corridor one of the most active project zones in the state.
- 01Multi-billion dollar VinFast EV manufacturing plant
- 02Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing Site
- 03Wolfspeed semiconductor expansion in adjacent Siler City
- 04JDIG, infrastructure, and water/sewer commitments coordinated regionally
- 05Among the most active project corridors in the state
The Kingsboro Megasite
The Kingsboro CSX Select Site in Edgecombe County is another state-supported megasite developed with rail access, water and sewer capacity, and incentive readiness.
Kingsboro has hosted Triangle Tyre and continues to compete for new tenants. Edgecombe County's economic development team works with regional partners and the EDPNC to position the site for the next wave of project announcements. Like the Greensboro-Randolph and Chatham-Siler megasites, Kingsboro represents years of public investment ahead of any tenant landing.
- 01State-supported site in Edgecombe County
- 02Rail-served via CSX Select Sites program
- 03Triangle Tyre is an anchor tenant
- 04Positioned for additional manufacturing announcements
- 05Years of pre-project public investment
How Megasites Get Built
Megasite development is not a one-time investment. It is a multi-year, multi-jurisdiction commitment of state, county, and city dollars to bring industrial-scale parcels to readiness.
Site preparation typically includes land acquisition or assembly, environmental assessment, water and sewer extension, road improvements, electric and gas service capacity, broadband, and certification by EDPNC and CSX or Norfolk Southern. Each of these steps depends on legislative appropriations and local capital investment. The work is invisible until a project lands — and then it is suddenly the state's biggest news story.
- 01Land acquisition or assembly through public-private partnerships
- 02Water and sewer extension funded jointly by state and local
- 03Road improvements coordinated with NCDOT
- 04Electric, gas, and broadband capacity provisioning
- 05EDPNC certification and rail-served designation
- 06All require legislative appropriations and lobbying
Project Finance Intelligence
Lapel monitors every lobbying registration that touches NC's economic development apparatus.
Sponsor this space to reach the developers, lawyers, and consultants who structure these deals.
Local Government as Economic Developer
When a project comes to North Carolina, the state's incentive offer is one component. The cities and counties match it with their own packages — and lobby Raleigh on behalf of their share.
What Cities and Counties Bring to the Table
Local economic development incentives are layered on top of state JDIG awards. Each tool requires legislative authorization, careful structuring, and often a public hearing.
Local incentive packages typically include some combination of property tax abatement, infrastructure grants, workforce training pass-throughs, fee waivers, and land transfers. None of these tools exists outside the framework set by the General Assembly — which is exactly why local governments lobby so heavily.
- 01Property tax abatement (negotiated under state-authorized economic development incentive grants)
- 02Infrastructure grants for water, sewer, road, and rail access
- 03Workforce training partnerships through community colleges
- 04Fee waivers and expedited permitting
- 05Public land transfers for site assembly
Charlotte: The Largest Local Recruiting Engine
Charlotte and Mecklenburg County between them maintain 11 registered lobbyists and one of the largest local economic development operations in the southeastern US.
Charlotte competes directly with Atlanta, Nashville, and other major southeastern metros for corporate headquarters, financial services investment, and advanced manufacturing. The city's 9 lobbyists and Mecklenburg's 2 work on the legislative authorizations that make those competitions possible — including hospitality taxes, transit sales tax, stadium financing, and regional infrastructure.
- 01City of Charlotte — 9 lobbyists
- 02Mecklenburg County — 2 lobbyists
- 03Competes regionally with Atlanta and Nashville
- 04Hospitality tax authorizations support stadium and convention financing
- 05Transit sales tax enables CATS and the LYNX Blue Line
The Triangle's Recruiting Stack
Wake, Durham, and Chatham counties — together with Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Apex, and Holly Springs — form the Triangle's recruiting ecosystem. The Greater Raleigh Chamber maintains 3 lobbyists; multiple individual jurisdictions add their own.
- 01Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce — 3 lobbyists
- 02Town of Cary — 2 lobbyists
- 03Town of Apex — 2 lobbyists
- 04Town of Holly Springs (home to Fujifilm) — represented through Isley
- 05Durham County Government — 3 lobbyists
- 06City of Durham — 4 lobbyists
Biotech, Pharma, and the Research Triangle Model
North Carolina's biotech ecosystem is the result of decades of public investment in the NC Biotechnology Center, university research, and Holly Springs / RTP infrastructure. It is now one of the largest in the country.
NC Biotechnology Center
The North Carolina Biotechnology Center is a state-funded nonprofit that has supported the growth of the state's biotech industry for more than four decades. It maintains 3 registered lobbyists.
NCBiotech's role is unique in the country: a publicly-funded organization that provides early-stage grants, ecosystem development, and policy advocacy for the biotech industry. Its lobbying activities focus on protecting state appropriations, expanding workforce programs, and supporting the broader infrastructure that makes Holly Springs and RTP attractive to biopharmaceutical manufacturers.
- 01State-funded nonprofit, more than 40 years old
- 02Provides early-stage grants and ecosystem development
- 033 registered lobbyists
- 04Anchors the Holly Springs / RTP biomanufacturing cluster
- 05Workforce development and university partnerships are core priorities
Regions That Don't Get the Big Wins
Most JDIG awards and megasite tenants land in a handful of metropolitan and metro-adjacent counties. Many rural and small-town counties have not received a major project in the current cycle.
- 01Northeast NC counties dominated the lobbying registry but not the project board
- 02Far western NC counties have limited recent project activity
- 03The northeast and west together represent the largest regional gaps
- 04Counties with smaller lobbying budgets often share contract representation
The Northeastern Coastal Plain
Bertie, Camden, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank, Perquimans, and Wilson counties together form one of the most concentrated rural lobbying blocs in the state — yet have received few major manufacturing announcements.
The lobbying registry shows the northeast prepared and organized: Jackson Stancil represents 9 northeastern jurisdictions, and former Senator Robert Steinburg covers 8 overlapping clients. The gap between this organizational footprint and the region's project results is a persistent question for state economic development policy.
- 019-county lobbying bloc represented by Stancil
- 028 overlapping counties represented by Steinburg
- 03Few recent major manufacturing announcements
- 04Long-running concerns about workforce, infrastructure, and broadband
- 05An organized but under-resourced regional voice
The Western Mountain Counties
Far western North Carolina — Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon, Swain, and others — have limited representation in the active lobbying registry and even fewer recent major project announcements.
Western NC counties face a different mix of constraints: tourism-dominated economies, limited industrial sites, transportation distance, and recent disaster recovery from Helene. Small towns like Boone and Asheville have their own lobbyists, but the smallest western counties rarely appear in the registry. This gap is structural and well-known to economic development professionals.
- 01Limited lobbying presence from far western counties
- 02Tourism-dominant economies with limited industrial site readiness
- 03Disaster recovery priorities have shaped the recent agenda
- 04Boone and Asheville maintain individual lobbyists
- 05Most far western counties do not retain dedicated representation
Counties Competing With Each Other
The most uncomfortable feature of NC's economic development model is that it pits cities and counties against one another for the same projects. The lobbying registry captures every region's bid for attention.
When a project decides between Greensboro-Randolph and Chatham-Siler City, both counties have already invested years in site preparation, both have local elected officials backing them, and both have lobbyists at the State Capitol working their angle. The state's role is to support the winner without explicitly choosing — and to prepare the losing site for the next project. The same dynamic plays out between Charlotte and the Triangle, between coastal and inland counties, and between megasite hosts and conventional industrial parks.
- 01Greensboro-Randolph vs. Chatham-Siler City competed before each landed
- 02Charlotte and the Triangle compete for HQ relocations
- 03Coastal and inland counties pursue different industries
- 04Megasite hosts compete with conventional industrial parks
- 05The state's job is to prepare every site without choosing winners
Sponsor This Space
Lapel editions reach the people who follow NC economic development daily.
Reserve a sponsorship slot in an upcoming edition. Limited availability.
What the State's Recruiting Arm Wants
EDPNC's legislative priorities typically focus on JDIG funding, megasite development capital, workforce alignment, and industry-specific initiatives like film, life sciences, and clean energy manufacturing.
- 01Sustained funding for JDIG and the One NC Fund
- 02Megasite development and infrastructure capital
- 03Workforce alignment with community colleges and universities
- 04Industry-specific initiatives (film, biotech, EVs, semiconductors)
- 05International marketing and trade missions
NC Rural Economic Development Center
The NC Rural Economic Development Center supports economic development in the state's 80 rural counties. Together with the National Institute of Minority Economic Development, it represents constituencies that often miss out on the largest single project announcements.
Rural EDC's lobbying agenda focuses on infrastructure, workforce, small business support, and community development financing. The Center's 2 registered lobbyists and the NIMED's 3 lobbyists give rural and minority economic development a Capitol presence distinct from the marquee project recruiting agencies.
- 01NC Rural Economic Development Center — 2 lobbyists
- 02National Institute of Minority Economic Development — 3 lobbyists
- 03Focus on small business, broadband, and rural workforce
- 04Often work with the NCACC on county-level priorities
- 05Distinct from EDPNC and the chambers of commerce
NC Economic Development Association
NCEDA is the professional association of NC's economic developers — the people who actually structure deals at the city, county, and regional level. It maintains 2 registered lobbyists.
NCEDA's agenda reflects the day-to-day operating concerns of working economic developers: the predictability of state programs, the speed of incentive approvals, the quality of state marketing, the availability of site readiness funding, and the consistency of legislative authorizations. NCEDA's voice is distinct from the chambers and from EDPNC, even though its members work alongside them daily.
- 01Professional association of NC economic developers
- 022 registered lobbyists
- 03Focus on operational predictability and speed
- 04Members work for cities, counties, regional partnerships
- 05Coordinates with chambers and EDPNC without merging into them
Semiconductors and the Wolfspeed Bet
Semiconductor manufacturing has become one of the most contested categories in state economic development competition. North Carolina's bet is centered on Wolfspeed and the Chatham-Siler City corridor.
Wolfspeed announced a multi-billion dollar silicon carbide chip facility in Chatham County, joining VinFast in making that corridor one of the most concentrated advanced manufacturing zones in the southeastern US. The state's commitment to the semiconductor industry includes JDIG, workforce training, infrastructure, and academic partnerships through NC State and NC A&T.
- 01Wolfspeed silicon carbide facility in Chatham County
- 02Joins VinFast and other tenants in the same corridor
- 03Multi-billion dollar capital investment
- 04Federal CHIPS Act has reshaped the competitive landscape
- 05NC State and NC A&T partnerships are central to workforce strategy
EVs, Batteries, and the Auto Future
Toyota's battery plant, VinFast's EV assembly, and NC's traditional auto-parts manufacturing base position the state as a major participant in the electric vehicle transition.
- 01Toyota Motor North America — battery plant at Greensboro-Randolph Megasite
- 02VinFast — EV assembly at Chatham-Siler City
- 03DENSO Manufacturing North Carolina — auto components
- 04Wolfspeed semiconductors support the EV supply chain
- 05Combined, these projects represent tens of thousands of announced jobs
Influence Intelligence
Know who's lobbying, who they represent, and what's changing — before it's public.
Lapel editions are produced for professionals who need to understand power and influence in NC commerce.
Why Roads, Water, and Power Are Economic Development Lobbying
No project announcement is complete without the infrastructure that supports it. NCDOT, water and sewer authorities, and electric utilities are all participants in every major economic development decision.
When a new megasite tenant arrives, it brings demand for road capacity, water and sewer extensions, electric service upgrades, and often natural gas service. Each of those requirements implicates a different state-regulated entity and triggers another round of legislative or regulatory engagement. The lobbying registry shows utilities, water authorities, and contractors all active in this space alongside the project sponsors themselves.
- 01NCDOT capital priorities are negotiated through STIP and TIP processes
- 02Water and sewer extensions are funded jointly by state and local
- 03Electric service upgrades trigger NCUC engagement and Duke / Dominion involvement
- 04Natural gas service requires utility planning and right-of-way coordination
- 05Every one of these adds lobbying touchpoints
Community Colleges and the NC Customized Training Program
North Carolina's community college system is the largest workforce development engine in the state and a key piece of every major economic development package.
The NC Community College Customized Training Program provides state-funded workforce training tailored to a new project's needs. The community college system, individual colleges, and training-related advocacy groups all participate in the lobbying field. Funding for customized training is consistently part of any major project announcement.
- 01NC Community College Customized Training Program
- 02State-funded training tailored to specific projects
- 03Community colleges in host counties are typically partners
- 04Apprenticeship programs are an additional layer
- 05Workforce funding is often the most-cited component of incentive packages
Who Holds the Commerce Pen
Economic development policy in North Carolina runs through the appropriations committees, the Commerce committees, and the leadership of both chambers.
These committees and their staff are where every JDIG, megasite, and customized training proposal gets evaluated. Lobbyists for project sponsors, host counties, and statewide associations spend significant time with these members.
- 01Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger
- 02Speaker Destin Hall
- 03Senate Commerce committee leadership
- 04House Commerce committee leadership
- 05Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Economic Development and Global Engagement
How JDIG Gets Funded — and How It Doesn't
JDIG awards are paid out over 12 years from future state revenues. Every legislative session has to renew the program's authorization and the cap on outstanding awards.
When the cap fills up, the legislature must raise it — and that vote becomes a moment of high lobbying activity from project sponsors, EDPNC, the NC Chamber, and regional development partnerships. JDIG's structure as a performance-based, future-revenue-funded program means it is constantly being renegotiated as new projects come online.
- 01JDIG awards paid over 12 years from future state revenue
- 02Statutory caps require periodic legislative reauthorization
- 03Cap-raising votes are major lobbying flashpoints
- 04Project sponsors, EDPNC, and chambers all engage
- 05Bipartisan support has been the historical pattern
The Economic Development Footprint
Add up the major project sponsors, the chambers, the regional partnerships, the rural advocates, the megasites, the workforce voices, and the supporting infrastructure — and economic development is one of the largest lobbying clusters in the state.
The Projects That Didn't Land
For every major project announcement, NC has competed against several other states. The losses don't make the news but they shape every subsequent recruiting strategy.
North Carolina has lost projects to Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas in recent cycles. Each loss is studied internally by EDPNC and the chambers to understand whether incentives, infrastructure, workforce, or political environment was the binding constraint. The lobbying field then adjusts. Some of the most consequential lobbying activity in any year is responding to a loss the public never heard about.
- 01Major recent losses to Tennessee, Georgia, SC, and Texas
- 02Each loss is studied by EDPNC and the chambers
- 03Incentive structures, workforce, and infrastructure are the usual variables
- 04Political environment and regulatory predictability also weigh in
- 05Some of the most important lobbying responds to invisible losses
Film, Television, and the Wilmington Question
The NC film industry, anchored by Wilmington's EUE/Screen Gems studios and the state film grant program, has its own distinct lobbying constituency.
Film incentives in NC have been raised, lowered, capped, and restructured multiple times over the last decade. Wilmington's film economy depends on a stable program, and the regional lobbying voice (City of Wilmington, New Hanover County) frequently engages on film grant funding alongside the industry's national associations. This is a smaller but persistent component of the broader commerce lobbying field.
- 01Wilmington / EUE Screen Gems anchors the NC film industry
- 02Film grant program has been restructured multiple times
- 03City of Wilmington (3 lobbyists) and New Hanover County (4) both lobby on this
- 04National film and TV associations periodically engage
- 05Smaller but persistent lobbying constituency
About This Edition
This analysis is based on active lobbying registrations filed with the North Carolina Secretary of State and publicly available economic development records.
Lapel Intelligence makes no representation that any project or lobbyist supports or opposes any specific bill. Registrations are public records of who is permitted to engage on whose behalf.
- 01Lobbying data: NC Secretary of State active registrations as of April 7, 2026
- 02Project data: NC Department of Commerce and EDPNC public announcements
- 03Megasite data: NC Department of Commerce certified site listings
- 04JDIG data: NC Economic Investment Committee public records
- 05All lobbyist-client relationships reflect current registrations, not historical records
Major Project Sponsor Lobbyist Rosters
Selected lobbyist rosters for major economic development project sponsors, April 2026.
- 01JetZero (4): Cloud, Culbreth, Learoyd
- 02Toyota Motor NA (3): Cooper, Honaker, Collins
- 03Fujifilm (4): Crumley, Felgar, Hemans, Cooper
- 04Eli Lilly (3): Honaker, Simpson
- 05NC Biotech Center (3): Freeman, Hardin, Heath, Morgan
- 06NC Chamber (3): Cashion, Derr, Morrissey
- 07Honeywell (2): Kelly, McMahon, Thomas
What the Registry Tells Us
Every billion-dollar announcement starts with years of public investment in sites, workforce, and incentive infrastructure — and a coalition of lobbyists ensuring the legislature stays at the table.
Toyota didn't pick North Carolina because of one good day. Fujifilm didn't pick Holly Springs by accident. JetZero didn't choose Greensboro on a whim. Each of these announcements is the visible outcome of a less-visible process — and the lobbying registry is one of the most reliable maps of that process.
- 01Megasite preparation is multi-year and multi-jurisdiction
- 02Local incentives are layered on top of state JDIG awards
- 03Counties compete with each other for the same projects
- 04Northeastern and far western counties remain regional gaps
- 05Follow the lobbyists to follow the dollars
Track Every Move. Know Every Player.
Lapel monitors the North Carolina lobbying registry daily. Search any project sponsor, county, or chamber to see who represents them.
- 01Daily registration monitoring
- 02Searchable database of every active lobbyist-client relationship
- 03Real-time feed of registration changes
- 04Weekly editions with deep analysis
- 05Free to use — built for transparency
Edition 5: A Future Topic
Lapel publishes a new edition each Tuesday and Thursday. Subjects rotate across the major lobbying clusters in North Carolina state government.
- 01Energy and utilities
- 02Technology and AI
- 03Healthcare and Medicaid
- 04Local government and property tax
- 05Commerce and economic development
- 06Higher education and university research
- 07Transportation and infrastructure
Explore Lapel Intelligence
Search lobbyists, track clients, and follow the influence — all free, all daily, all North Carolina.
Browse all editions