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About Winston-Salem:
A New Economy Today

A recent article in the New York Times discussed the importance communities place on attracting and retaining new talent and the factors that talent considers when relocating. “Across the country, cities are scrambling to become the place that recent grads want to be. In the last decade only 14 urban areas nationwide saw more of these workers move in than move out.” One of them was Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

In a world where thousands of cities are vying for attention, what makes Winston-Salem and Forsyth County stand out? Why are families and young professionals fleeing larger urban centers for the lifestyles of mid-sized cities like Winston-Salem? Why did Forbes magazine recently rank Winston-Salem as the 18^th best place in the United States for business and careers in 2009, ahead of areas such as Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas, Orlando, and Washington, DC. And why are professionals who have lived all over the world returning to Winston-Salem?

It’s Here in Winston-Salem
Talk to Winston-Salem’s newest residents, and a clear answer emerges: Winston-Salem is a progressive city looking towards the future, and people are excited about being part of its transformation. Winston-Salem is building on its strengths to create the perfect environment to live, work, shop, and play. And, Winston-Salem stands at the top of the list as an attractive home with amenities of the highest caliber, desired by those who have traveled far and wide. Those who have lived here know that Winston-Salem is, for its size, a top-tier city with all the amenities and qualities of big city living and none of the drawbacks.

As an anchor for Northwest North Carolina, Winston-Salem is a magnet for thousands who commute from surrounding counties to work every day. Once a thriving manufacturing town, Winston-Salem has transformed itself into a community of arts, culture, and innovation with a knowledge-based economy that takes its intellectual capitalâ€”its research at universities, by entrepreneurs, and in private companiesâ€”and transforms it into companies and jobs, creating a high-tech business base in bio-medicine, life sciences, nanotechnology, design, and advanced manufacturing. Downtown Winston-Salem’s Piedmont Triad Research Park, which is planned to be the largest urban research park in the country, is already producing revolutionary discoveries that promise to transform our lives and how we treat disease.

Our economic drivers are bolstered by Winston-Salem’s continued prominence as a center for arts, financial services, tourism, and education. Fortune 500 Companies like BB&T and Hanesbrands choose to have their headquarters in Winston-Salem because they know they can attract people from all over the world to live and stay here.

For more information about Winston-Salem, please contact the Chamber.