The third quarter produced a number of accolades and announcements that reflect the strong Cary community. Of note, Lord Corporation, headquartered in Cary, crossed into the billion-dollar company category. Lord Corporation has over 3,100 employees in 26 countries and operates 19 manufacturing facilities and 10 R&D centers worldwide. 

The importance of the quality of life of a community can never be underestimated in attracting companies, and Cary continues to demonstrate a strong quality of life with our safety being touted yet again. Homesnacks looked at data from 283 cities with a population of more than 100,000 and determined that Cary is the safest place to live in the United States.

Key Investment Announcements in Q3

• Bayer announced the relocation of its Environmental Science U.S. headquarters to Cary’s Centre Green Office Park.
• Cary Towne Center was sold to Turnbridge Equities and Denali Properties. The new owners intend to redevelop the property, moving away from a retail-only focus to more of a mixed-use community.
• Epic Games announced details about their upcoming Fortnite World Cup, a global event with a total prize pool of $100 million.
• The North Carolina Courage women’s soccer team announced they will be the host for the 2019 Women’s International Cup at WakeMed Soccer Park. The NC Courage are the 2018 ICC Champions and 2018 NWSL Champions.

We continue to see great progress in our small business community through the work of Kenneth Caudle in his role as Small Business Liaison. His frequent attendance at grand openings, ribbon cuttings and Cary Chamber of Commerce events connects him with small business owners and the Cary community, positioning him as a resource for help and support. Of special note during this last quarter was his attendance and engagement with Wake Tech’s new entrepreneurial program, Launch Cary. This program focuses on brick-and-mortar small businesses with an intense program that goes from idea to funding to launch. Interested entrepreneurs can find more information at https://www.launchcary.org.

Other events of note include ribbon cuttings for J&S Pizza at the Arboretum (previously a Ruckus location), Doc’s Spine & Sports Medicine, Improv Comedy Club at Parkside Town Commons, Cynthia M Gregg, MD, Enhance Your Life with Oils and Fred Astaire Dance Studio. The quarter ended with the popular NYC burger and shake chain, Shake Shack, announcing that they are opening a location in Waverly Place.