North Carolina Rising

Main Menu

Preserving Jobs with Military Contracts

About the Project

Location

Eastern North Carolina

Demographics

Ft. Bragg Army Base
- Located in Cumberland and Hoke counties, outside of Fayetteville, NC
- Population 29,183 (as of 2000 census)
- 4,215 families residing on the base
- 148,609 acres (232.2 sq mi)
- Median household income $30,106
- 10.0% of the population and 9.6% of families are below the poverty line
Pope Air Force Base
- Located in Cumberland county
- 12 miles northwest of Fayetteville, NC
- Home of the US Air Force Air Mobility Command 43d Airlift Wing
- Neighbors Fort Bragg Army Base
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
- Located in Goldsboro, NC, Wayne County
- Goldsboro is the county seat of Wayne County
- Goldsboro population 38,023 (2006 estimate)
- Median household income $29,456
- 15.4% of families and 19.2% of the population live below the poverty line
Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base
- Located near Jacksonville, NC, Onslow County
- Home to the II Marine Expeditionary Force, 2nd Marine Division
- Onslow County's population 143,491 of which 43,100 are active service members
- Median household income $34,995
- 15.8% of the population lives below the poverty line
New River Marine Corps Base
- Helicopter base near Jacksonville, NC
- Located in Onslow County
Cherry Point Marine Corps Base
- Located in Havelock, North Carolina, Craven County
- The second most populous city in Craven, Pamlico, and Carteret County
- Craven County population 94,875
- Median household income $39,141
- 13.7% of the population lives below the poverty line
US Coast Guard Center
- Located in Elizabeth City, NC, Pasquotank County
- 50 miles south of Norfolk, Virginia
- County population 41,897
- Median household income $30,444
- 18.4% of the population and 15.5% of families were below the poverty line

About the Advisory Commission of Military Affairs

Many organizations in North Carolina are working to build the State's military economy. These programs work directly with NC-based businesses and federal contractors to secure lucrative federal and military contracts that boost the economies of local and State economies.

The NC Advisory Commission of Military Affairs (ACMA) was created by the General Assembly in 2001 to advise both the Governor and the Secretary of Commerce on how to protect NC's existing military infrastructure and to promote new economic opportunities for the state. The Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) was created to objectively review and analyze the list of bases and military installations which the Department of Defense (DoD) has recommended be closed or realigned.

The ACMA works with the BRAC, advocating and promoting policies that will continue to build North Carolina as the "Most Military Friendly State in America." The ACMA also provides a forum for military bases, the State, local communities and NC businesses to interact and work together to secure federal contracts. In addition to several regional planning organization and groups dedicated to managing the growth of specific military bases, many other publicly and privately funded organizations contribute to the development of the military sector in NC, including the NC Military Business Center, the Defense and Security Technology Accelerator, the Procurement Technical Assistance Center, and the NC Military Foundation.

The North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) is a business development entity of the North Carolina Community College System, headquartered at Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC). The NCMBC leverages military and other federal business opportunities for economic development by helping existing businesses identify, bid on, and win military and other federal contracts. The DoD spends over $270 billion in procurement each year, including $2.97 billion in North Carolina in 2007. With six major military bases and the third highest number of military personnel in the country, NC created the NCMBC to leverage more of this business for firms in the state.

To connect NC businesses with all possible opportunities, the NCMBC created the State's official, free web directory for federal contracting at www.matchforce.org. NC businesses can register on the site to receive automatic matches to federal opportunities Firms that find contract opportunities through MatchForce then work with the NCMBC for one-on-one assistance in securing the contracts.

The efforts taken by the state to make its military presence more profitable for the state have been paying off. According to a 2003 report prepared for the NC Advisory Commission on Military Affairs, the military contributed $8 billion to the state economy and was responsible for 7% of NC's gross state product. In the 2005 calendar year, NCMBC-assisted companies obtained 36 contracts with a value of $26 million. And, in 2006 NC companies received 162 contracts worth a minimum of $58 million.

The Defense and Security Technology Accelerator (DSTA), located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is a new program designed to connect the military, entrepreneurs and innovators in order to drive technology business development, technology commercialization, and job creation in the State. By leveraging two unique assets in North Carolina, the military bases in the Fayetteville/Cumberland County area, and the excellent research and innovation in the Research Triangle Park (RTP), the DSTA will assist entrepreneurs in generating new, just-in-time security and defense technology solutions to meet the military's technology needs.

The NC state legislature funded this program with a $2 million appropriation and the project received an additional $300,000 from the North Carolina Department of Commerce's Economic Development Reserve Fund. The North Carolina Technology Association initially proposed the Accelerator and the Partnership for Defense Innovation administers the program.