Markets

Green early adopter markets locally

The success of any green product or service is only as great as the market it can reach. Resulting from the penchant for green lifestyles across the region is an eager early adoption local market. Smart, local, efficient and renewable are product qualities in demand. While the region has a relatively small population of only a million people, the strong green leanings make it an excellent place for prototyping and early commercialization of green products and services – both retail and commercial. With many rural areas, it can also serve as a model region for rural-scale green technologies. Numerous efforts, including the AdvantageGreen program, are working to develop and share best practices among our large public and private institutions to help expand green markets.

Convenient access to Eastern US and global markets

As described in the connectivity section, by road WNC is within a day’s drive of 75% of the US population. Very nearby are significant markets including Charlotte, Atlanta, Raleigh, Greenville-Spartanburg and Chattanooga. Through the world-class broadband resource here, you can instantly reach global markets. Transportation is crucial for fulfillment; however at access to markets is also achieved through relationships. As such, we actively support peer-to-peer networks to facilitate the identification and sharing of useful connections throughout the region’s business community.