News for Business

Hundreds of people were on hand as Wawa opened its first store in Johnston County on July 24, 2025. The store is the company's third store in the state of North Carolina. The company has a long range goal to open 90 stores over the next 10 years. The opening of the store in the Cleveland area featured tee shirts for the first 100 guests, a competition known as Hoagies for Heroes" between local ...read more

By now, you’ve probably seen an AI notetaking bot pop up in one of your online meetings. Maybe it was Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, or some other bot quietly capturing every word.     These tools promise to make meetings for Chambers, associations, and other organizations run more smoothly, improve accessibility, and help keep records straight. Sounds great, right? Not so fast. They also come ...read more

President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) was signed into law. This sweeping legislation includes major tax reform provisions that will have far-reaching implications for small businesses in the years to come.   One of the biggest impacts of the OBBB is that it will make several key provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) permanent. These policies, which offered extensive ...read more

The North Carolina Task Force on Child Care and Early Education has released its interim report that  outlines the growing gap between childcare supply and demand in the state.  Childcare breakdowns cost North Carolina billions of dollars in lost economic activity each year. According to the task force’s report, licensed programs for infants and toddlers only have capacity to serve 18.7% of ...read more

Boost your business's potential with this week's newsletter! The articles below can help you navigate the modern business world more effectively. Discover strategies for integrating AI, the importance of cybersecurity, and implementing smarter ways to pay yourself, all aimed at securing your financial future and operational efficiency.Click here to read more.   

This week H412 Child Care Regulatory Reforms passed both chambers with bipartisan support. Access to quality child care is a workforce issue. When families have access to quality childcare both parents are able to participate in the workforce. H412 passed thanks to the business community's leadership. Included in the reform are opportunities for childcare professionals to receive credentials ...read more

With the recent announcement of JetZero’s plans to build a new generation of airplanes in Greensboro, North Carolina adds to a string of manufacturing jobs and capital investment announcements. This marks a reversal of the trend of the last thirty years as manufacturing jobs have fallen by 42 percent from 1990 to 2023.i While total state employment grew by 1.75 million during that period, the ...read more

With advanced manufacturing driving economic growth across North Carolina, building a sustainable pipeline of skilled talent is more important than ever—especially in rural communities where new and expanding operations can transform local economies. To support this critical need, the North Carolina Community College System has released a new Rural Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships Toolkit. ...read more

More than a local initiative, Chamber foundations have become a national best practice—empowering chambers across the country to tackle big-picture challenges like workforce readiness, small business resilience, and inclusive economic growth. By establishing our Foundation 14 years ago, we positioned ourselves ahead of the curve, recognizing early on that a 501(c)(3) arm would allow us to access ...read more

69% TOWARD GOAL WITH STRONG COMMUNITY BACKING Bold Initiative Will Unite Public and Private Sectors toAttract Talent, Create Jobs, and Expand Opportunities Across the Region SMITHFIELD, NC – The Triangle East Chamber of Commerce announced that its Triangle East Prospers campaign has officially surpassed the $900,000 mark—representing 69% of the $1.3 million goal to fund a five-year, ...read more

Of the 242,515 total importers in the U.S., 97%—or 236,045—are small businesses, according to a Commerce Department report released this year. Small businesses were responsible for a third of the total value of goods imported, highlighting the significant role they play in U.S. international trade. Why it matters: For many of these companies, even a small increase in tariffs can have a profound ...read more

While roughly 900 people left the labor force in March, the unemployment rate in North Carolina remained unchanged at 3.7 percent. Payroll employment increased by net 8,300 jobs in March with professional and business services leading the way, followed by government and education and health services. Financial services saw a slight decline in employment. Measuring against our neighbors to the ...read more

KS BANK SPONSORED COMMUNITY EVENT FOR ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESSES(Smithfield, NC) – KS Bank was the proud presenting sponsor of the first Harnett Business Resources Summit, hosted by the Dunn, Lillington, Coats, Erwin, and Angier Chambers of Commerce, as well as the Central Carolina Community College Small Business Center. The event provided tools, resources, and insights for entrepreneurs ...read more