Jobs, Jobs, Jobs...

Electrolux to Create at Least 738 Jobs in Mecklenburg County

Electrolux expects to create a minimum of 738 jobs over the next five years and invest $8.3 million in a new North American headquarters in Charlotte. The announcement was made possible in part by a state Job Development Investment Grant and a One North Carolina Fund award.

"Electrolux looked across America to choose a location for a North American headquarters and they chose Charlotte, North Carolina," said Gov. Perdue. "Once again this state's tremendous workforce and top business climate attracted a globally competitive company."

Electrolux is a global leader in home and professional appliances whose products include refrigerators, freezers, washers and dryers, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers and cooking products sold primarily under the Electrolux, Frigidaire and Eureka brands in North America.

The company will consolidate corporate offices from around the country into the new Charlotte headquarters. Electrolux currently employs around 650 people in North Carolina, the majority at a dishwasher manufacturing plant in Kinston.

For more information about Electrolux, including job opportunities, visit http://electrolux.com/career_opportunities.aspx .

Risk Management Consultant to Create 430 Jobs in RTP

International risk management consultant IEM will move its headquarters from Baton Rouge, La., to Durham County, creating 430 jobs over the next six years. The announcement was made possible in part by a state Job Development Investment Grant and One North Carolina Fund award, and is contingent upon approval of local incentives.

"As a technology hub with a vast military presence, the relocation of IEM to North Carolina is a perfect fit that will benefit both the company and the state," Perdue said. "This partnership is another step in creating the top-paying, knowledge-based jobs that I am committed to bringing to North Carolina."

IEM is a privately held company that provides risk-based solutions for measuring and managing threats to people, infrastructure and information. Since IEM's founding in 1985, it has provided emergency management, homeland security, military and information technology solutions to federal governmental agencies including the U.S. Department of Defense, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Health and Human Services and as well as working with cities, ports and the private sector.

The 430 new jobs will pay an overall average wage of $62,778 a year, not including benefits. That is higher than the Durham County annual average of $57,772.

For more information about IEM, including job opportunities, visit www.iem.com .

Laboratory Equipment Manufacturer Adds 104 Jobs in Buncombe County

Thermo Fisher Scientific, a world leader in laboratory equipment and services, will expand its operations in Buncombe County. The company will create 104 jobs and invest nearly $5 million during the next three years at its site in Asheville. The announcement was made possible in part by a $208,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is a leading global provider of analytical instruments, equipment, reagents and consumables, software and services for research, analysis, discovery and diagnostics. Thermo Fisher's Asheville site, which manufactures cold storage equipment, centrifuges and ovens for medical and research laboratories, is expanding to accommodate new product lines.

For more information about Thermo Fisher or job opportunities with the company, go to http://www.thermofisher.com/ .

Talon Systems to Bring 90 Jobs to Statesville

Talon Systems Inc., an international manufacturer of household storage cabinets and furniture, will hire 90 workers over the next three years and invest $5.9 million to open its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Statesville. The project was made possible in part by a One North Carolina Fund grant of $46,590.

Talon Systems is a 50-year-old, privately owned Canadian manufacturer of ready-to-assemble furniture and organizational units. Based in Ontario, the company currently employs more than 150 workers and makes veneer storage cabinets, dressers, shelves, computer desks, TV stands, partitions and many other products.

For more information about Talon Systems, including job opportunities, email inquiries to northcarolina@talonrta.com .

Governor Reestablishes N.C. Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service

Gov. Bev Perdue on Thursday signed Executive Order No. 41 reestablishing the N.C. Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. The order was signed while Gov. Perdue participated in a home refurbishing volunteer project in Asheville.

"This year, more than any other time in our lives, our neighbors and communities need all of us to reach out with a helping hand," said Perdue. "As governor I've asked all North Carolinians to make service a way of life. We're reenergizing this important group and getting more businesses and community members engaged in service."

The N.C. Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, first established in 1994, is charged with developing and implementing a comprehensive statewide service plan for promoting and recognizing volunteerism in North Carolina. In addition, the Commission administers four volunteer programs; AmeriCorps, Governor's Page Program, Governor's Volunteer Service Awards, and Citizen Corps.

As Governor, Bev Perdue has made volunteerism and community service a priority. In addition, to today's project in Asheville, Gov. Perdue has participated in a number of volunteer activities including reading to children, planting a garden for the hungry, and serving Meals-on-Wheels. She has also called on family, staff and all North Carolinians to become more involved in their communities.

For more information about the N.C. Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, visit www.volunteernc.org .

Online Learning Report Shows N.C. Virtual Public School Fifth in the Nation in Enrollments

A new report "2009 Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning" lists North Carolina's Virtual Public School (NCVPS) the fifth largest virtual school in terms of enrollment. In just two and a half years, the school has become one of the fastest growing virtual schools in the nation, topping 20,000 in enrollments by the fall of 2009.

"Technology is revolutionizing the way we live and work - and I'm committed to using it to revolutionize the way we teach and learn," said Perdue. "I'm proud of what we have accomplished here in North Carolina, and I'm looking forward to seeing enrollments continue to grow for the NC Virtual Public School."

North Carolina continues to see rapid growth of over 50 percent per year in virtual school enrollments. The Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 terms posted more than 15,700 enrollments, while the Summer and Fall 2009 terms saw enrollment surge to the current levels above 20,000.

The roots of the NCVPS were established in 2002, when the General Assembly created the Business Education Technology Alliance (BETA) and charged it with ensuring that the effective use of technology is built into the North Carolina School System for the purpose of preparing a globally competitive workforce and citizenry for the 21st century. The BETA Commission, under the leadership of then- Lt. Governor Bev Perdue, established the E-Learning Commission and charged it with establishing the North Carolina Virtual Public School. The NCVPS offered its first online courses starting in June 2007. For more information, visit www.ncvps.org .

North Carolina Number One in National Board Certified Teachers

Gov. Bev Perdue announced that North Carolina once again leads the nation in the total number of teachers who have earned certification by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards with 15,695 teachers now certified. This group of teachers accounts for nearly 19 percent of all the 83,359 National Board Certified teachers in the nation. North Carolina also ranked first in the nation in the number of newly-certified teachers, as the state is home to 1,509 of the 8,874 educators nationwide who earned the recognition this year.

"National Board Certified teachers are essential to helping transform North Carolina's schools," said Gov. Bev Perdue. "Fifteen years ago our state saw its first group of teachers achieve National Board Certification. We continue to be the nation's leader as nearly 16,000 have earned this hallmark distinction. Throughout the years, I have seen first-hand how these outstanding educators have changed the culture of teaching and learning in their classrooms and their schools. Most importantly, research shows that National Board Certified Teachers can be a valuable learning resource to all students, especially students who need them the most."

National Board Certification, the highest credential in the teaching profession, requires an extensive series of performance-based assessments including teaching portfolios, student work samples, videotapes and thorough analyses of the candidates' classroom teaching and student learning. Teachers also complete a series of written exercises that probe the depth of their subject-matter knowledge, as well as their understanding of how to teach those subjects to their students.

National Board Certification was first offered in 1994, when eight North Carolina teachers achieved this professional credential. Since then, the number of teachers in the state receiving the certification has continued to grow. North Carolina has led the nation in the number of National Board Certified teachers for 14 years. The other states in the top three this year are Florida, with 13,281 and South Carolina, with 7,293 certified teachers.

For more information on National Board Certification, go to www.nbpts.org .

Governor Calls on Federal Government to Ease Credit for Small Businesses

Gov. Bev Perdue today called on North Carolina's Congressional Delegation to support steps to ease the credit crisis facing North Carolina's small businesses. Gov. Perdue's #1 priority is creating jobs in North Carolina, and helping small businesses grow is critical to creating jobs.

"Small businesses are the backbone of North Carolina's economy," said Perdue. "It is critical that we get credit flowing back to small businesses to work our way out of this economic and financial crisis."

In a letter to the N.C. Congressional Delegation, Gov. Perdue asked for federal government support for North Carolina's efforts to increase lending to North Carolina small businesses. Specifically, the federal government should:

• Identify sources of capital, such as unspent TARP funds, that can be repurposed and deployed through banks specifically for small business lending.

• Extend the availability of 90% no fee SBA-backed small business loans, and ease the regulatory pressures applied to lenders to bring credit access back within reach of the many viable businesses that need it.

• Consider tax incentives for small businesses that create jobs as a result of federally-backed loans.

In 2006, small businesses accounted for 98% of employers and 49% of private-sector employees in North Carolina.

Governor's schedule for the coming week

Monday, December 21
- Office time

Tuesday, December 22
- Office time
- Press Conference, Concord