A health-care consulting company plans to add 300 jobs in Charlotte over the next five years, state officials announced today.

Premier Inc. already employs about 750 people in Charlotte out of its total work force of 1,100. State officials promised the company up to $4,089,000 in incentives if it creates the new jobs and keeps all the existing ones.

The company will move its headquarters to Charlotte from San Diego as part of the expansion. The new jobs will pay average annual salaries of at least $62,460.

Premier helps hospitals reduce costs, improve care and negotiate the best prices for supplies and services. In March, the company named as its new CEO Susan DeVore, who lives in Charlotte.

The Carolina Panthers fall to the Baltimore Ravens 17-13 in Charlotte on Saturday night, Aug. 29, 2009. With the loss, the Panther's are 0-3 in the ... more

Trinity Partners, a Charlotte-based commercial real estate firm, is expanding into Raleigh, reports The Charlotte Observer's Kerry Hall Singe. 


The company is partnering with three senior brokers with the former GVA Advantis Triangle office to create a new office involved with leasing, brokerage, construction services and management for office and industrial institutional owners and corporate users.

Scott Stankavage, David Adams and David Townsend will lead Trinity Partner’s Triangle office, which will have 14 other employees.

Roller-coaster fans, get ready to ride a few hours west.

Carowinds announced today that it will add a $23 million ride next season named after NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt that will be “the Southeast's tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster.”

At 23 stories high at its tallest peak, “The Intimidator” will be Carowinds' tallest ride, The Charlotte Observer reported. It will have seven steep drops – one for each of Earnhardt's NASCAR championships – and travel at a maximum speed of 75 mph.

Carowinds says it will last more than three minutes and have the “intensity of a fast-paced NASCAR race.”

The amusement park, located about 15 minutes south of Charlotte, is adding attractions to lure visitors during the economic downturn.

See photos from the Panthers at the Miami Dolphins in an NFL preseason game on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009.

Will Minton of Raleigh put together three straight rounds under par
(71-69-71—211) to win the boys’ 12-13 division at the Dogwood State
Junior Championship conducted by the Carolinas Golf Association Aug.
4-6 at Cabarrus Country Club in Concord.

Michael McGowan (73-69-68—210) of Southern Pines won the overall boys
title, and Raleigh golfers Alex Ehlert (69-70-73—212) and Spencer
Lawson (71-66-75—212) tied for second overall.

Charlotte's Allison Emrey (73-75-71—219 ) won the overall girls title,
and Clayton's Lizzie Bundy (78-73-79—230) was one of three golfers who
tied for third.

All those packed houses at Carter-Finley Stadium and the RBC Center apparently haven’t gone unnoticed.

Men’s Health Magazine ranked Raleigh as the No. 18 sports-obsessed city in the United States. The ranking of 100 major U.S. cities appears in the July/August issue of the magazine.

See photos from the final round of the Quail Hollow Golf Championship in Charlotte.

Day three of competition at the Quall Hollow Championship in Charlotte, N.C. on Saturday, May 2, 2009.

Good news: Dates are out for the upcoming Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction tour, and there's a North Carolina date. Bad news: It ain't in our end of the state. Instead, it's in (yes) Charlotte on June 12. Oh well; I guess we'll have to settle for the memory of when those two bands played Raleigh together on the first Lollapalooza tour way back in 1991 -- back when NIN was the opening act instead of the headliner...

(Thanks, Isaac.)