Individual questions from the video interview with Scott Doney
Tad Dunn, deputy director, The North Carolina Military Foundation
Q. How does the NC Military Foundation connect businesses with military needs?
A. A little bit about the Foundation's background first, the NC Military Foundation was established to grow the state's defense and homeland security industry and generate long-term investment and jobs for the state. The leadership of the Foundation is comprised of distinguished retired military leaders with strong North Carolina ties and executives from North Carolina's leading corporations intent on growing a vibrant defense and homeland security economy. The Foundation is a non-profit organization funded solely by the private sector.
To answer to your question, the Foundation targets the defense industry in two ways: One, by connecting prime defense contractors with smaller businesses, and two, by generating interest and recruiting companies to the state.
Q. Defense growth is expected to add an additional 49,000 new jobs to North Carolina's economy by 2013 - what industries are the focuses of this growth?
A. The Department of Defense is expected to award $5 to $7 billion in new construction to support growth at NC-based military installations. That is a huge opportunity for North Carolina's construction and A/E firms. As the military grows, so does the need for specialized support by the defense industry at, or near, the military installations.
One industry I would like to single out is the state's expertise in wheeled vehicles and the potential for widespread involvement with military and defense contractors. The current wartime operational requirements on the military's wheeled vehicle fleet are causing a growing demand to reconstitute or replace them. Further, the Army and Marine Corps are always looking for ways to improve existing vehicles and is working to create a new vehicle called the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. Companies and the state's university system have a well-respected expertise in wheeled vehicles and there is potential for them to be more involved in the defense industry.
On an overall level, in October of 2008, the NC Military Foundation launched a statewide defense industry cluster analysis to identify North Carolina's strengths within industry and academic research and development as they relate to priority defense and homeland security requirements. Fuels and power sources, performance materials, and wheeled vehicles are several of the focus areas in the study. The report should be finalized by February of 2009.
Q. There seems to be many organizations, on both the state and federal levels, working toward the same goal (NC Military Foundation, NCMBC, BRAC, etc) - can you explain how they are working together to boost NC's military economy?
A. Here's an example, recently and for the second year in a row, we co-hosted a military construction conference with the NC Military Business Center. Over 500 businesses attended to learn more about the $5 billion to $7 billion in military construction projects taking place in the state.
Q. How can local businesses increase their growth through military contracts?
A. Companies in North Carolina that consider defense one of their key focus areas are making every effort to be aware of, and obtain, defense contracts. However, there are many companies in the state that do not consider themselves exclusively focused on defense, but make products or posses an expertise that have a dual-use application to the defense industry. The NC Military Foundation believes these companies can become more involved in the defense industry.
Watch the NC Now Feature
An interview with Scott Doney