Ken Lewis, CEO and chairman of Charlotte-based Bank of America, says the downturn in the financial-services industry could lead to more mergers. A spokesman wouldn’t say whether Bank of America is involved in discussions for any acquisitions other than its purchase of California-based mortgage lender Countrywide Financial.
As part of the deal to recruit Spirit AeroSystems, the state Department of Transportation has committed to several transportation improvements at the Global TransPark in Kinston, including a rail spur. Airplane fuselage components assembled at the plant will be moved by train to the Morehead City port, where they will be shipped to another Spirit factory in Scotland.
When Chicago-based Boeing decided not to build a factory at the Global TransPark in 2003, it was a major defeat for the state. However, officials say, Boeing created interest in the TransPark that eventually led to Spirit AeroSystems’ announcement this week that it would build a plant there.
Greensboro-based textile maker Unifi plans to close a polyester plant in Staunton, Va., by the end of September, idling about 145. The company is moving production to Yadkinville, where it employs about 1,200 at five factories.
Charlotte-based utility Duke Energy disconnected 14% more customers in the Carolinas during the first four months of 2008 than it did in the same period last year. An average of about 500 customers are disconnected every working day.
Republicans and conservative Democrats in the General Assembly are working to repeal a law passed last summer that allows counties to vote on whether to institute a transfer tax on property transactions. Since then, transfer-tax iniatives have failed all 20 times they have been on the ballot.
