Hundreds of Raleigh residents and fans of the city have sent Twitter posts to actor Zach Galifianakis in the past day or so.

The tweets direct the former N.C. State University student and "Hangover" star to the Raleigh Economic Development website, where the city's boosters have a simple favor to ask: Make a sign with a "saying of your choice as to why you think Raleigh is the place to be" and pose with it in a photo.

Economic Development director James Sauls wants to bring some star power to the city's booth at the South by Southwest Conference next month in Austin. He'd like to have a life-size cutout of the actor holding the sign.

Former NFL players and Raleigh residents Terrence and Torry Holt are already on board with the project, offering Galifianakis a signed football if he participates.

Meanwhile, the Twitter trend continues to build under the hashtag #zachraleigh, with each post offering a unique plea to the actor.

The best one I've seen so far came from Raleigh City Councilman Russ Stephenson:

"Zack @Galifianakisz You served me @ Amedeos & I served you @ Sadlacks. Now lets serve #Raleigh"

Here's the link to the Raleigh Economic Development page explaining the request: http://www.raleigh4u.com/connect/zach-galifianakis.

Honda Aircraft announced Monday that it plans to spend $20 million building a jet maintenance facility at its headquarters in Greensboro.

The company already operates a manufacturing facility at the Greensboro Triad Airport.

The Japanese automaker announced in 2007 that it would build a $100 million operation in Greensboro to produce its first jet plane. The same year the company said it would also build a $27 million facility in Burlington to produce the company’s first jet engine.

Those deals were expected to create 420 well-paying jobs -- 70 in Alamance County and 350 in Guilford County.

Honda was lured to North Carolina initially by state and local officials of more than $11 million if it met hiring and investment goals.

The company received a $1 million grant from the One North Carolina fund for this latest expansion.

Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems plans to open an engineering center in Charlotte and create 135 high-paying jobs over the next five years.

This morning, state officials approved giving the Japanese company up to $2.9 million in incentives if it meets hiring and investment targets.

The company will pay average annual salaries of $102,454. Mitsubishi also considered expansion in South Carolina.

The Charlotte center will help build nuclear plants in the United States.

Gov. Bev Perdue plans to make an announcement about new jobs in Charlotte this morning.

Charlotte is making a concerted effort to turn itself into a hub for energy-related companies.

Mitsubishi joins a number of other engineering and design firms that already have a presence in the ciy, including The Shaw Group, AREVA NP, Toshiba, Westinghouse, Fluor, Siemens and URS.

Nearly two years after an explosion rocked the ConAgra Foods plant on Jones Sausage Road, the final Garner-made Slim Jims will roll out Friday, staff writer Sarah Nagem reports.

The company is stopping production as it shifts its meat-snacks operation to a plant in Troy, Ohio. At the Garner plant that has employed thousands of people since it opened more than 40 years ago, and most of the more than 200 remaining workers will be out of a job.

“We’ll start the process of shutting it down and turning it over to the town,” said ConAgra spokesman Dave Jackson. Later this year, the Omaha, Neb.-based company is donating the factory and 106 acres near Interstate 40.

ConAgra is leaving, but Garner officials have big hopes for the site. Two food-manufacturing companies have already toured the plant, and four more have expressed interest, said Tony Beasley, Garner’s economic development director.

Gov. Perdue will visit both Robeson and Surry counties today to make economic development announcements.

Perdue is scheduled to be in Pembroke, about 100 miles southwest of Raleigh, at 9:30 a.m.

The event is being held at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke's Regional Center for Economic, Community and Professional Development.


At 11:30 a.m., Perdue will be in Elkin, about 150 miles west of Raleigh, in Surry County.

The event is being held at the site of a 416,000-square-foot distribution facility that was once occupied by Candle Corp. of America.

News reports have dubbed the Elkin economic development announcement "Project Clear."

The Winston-Salem Journal reported that the company is an auto-parts manufacturer that will create 260 jobs.

The N.C. Commerce Department has also scheduled an Economic Investment Committee meeting for today at 11 a.m. in Raleigh. The committee is responsible for approving jobs and investment incentives grants for companies.

Developers hoping to attract a major retailer have acquired a purchase option on a site in northern Chapel Hill.

The national brand retailer would be one of two “substantial businesses” in a mixed-use project off Eubanks Road, near the Interstate 40 interchange, says Dwight Bassett, the town’s economic development officer.

“I’ve heard Target. I’ve also heard Costco,” says Aaron Nelson, president and CEO of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce. “BJ’s [Wholesale Club] is the one I’ve heard most.”

Broker John Morris confirms the project would have retail, office and residential components. He won't name possible tenants.

“All of that is rumor mill at this point,” he says. “It’s going to be a very complex project. It’s going to take a while to work through the paces.”

The developers hope to bring a concept plan to the Chapel Hill Town Council in May or June, before the council breaks for summer. A concept plan is a rough outline that lets town officials give developers feedback before a formal application.
 

Read more on this in Saturday's N&O and Sunday's Chapel Hill News. And tell us what you think at editor@nando.com

The NHL All-Star weekend generated an estimated $11.4 million in direct spending in Raleigh and Wake County, according to figures released by the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau this morning.

The figure represents new money coming into the local economy, not money spent by locals during the Jan. 28-Jan 30 festivities.

The bureau also says the weekend produced $49 million in "media value" for the area.

That figure was calculated by Meltwater News, a monitoring and analytics firm based in San Francisco.

Meltwater used readership data from Nielsen to come up with the number.

The All-Star weekend brought an estimated 18,900 visitors from outside of the Triangle to the area and generated 10,551 hotel room nights.
 

Gov. Bev Perdue is scheduled to make an economic development announcement in Tarboro this afternoon.
 
The address for the event is a facility operated by Keihin Carolina System Technology, a manufacturer engine control systems.

Founded in 1997 in Tarboro, the company employs 385, according to its website.

Perdue's announcement is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

Rick Weddle said he was recruited for half a dozen jobs in the past year before accepting a position as a top economic development recruiter for the Orlando region.

The Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission announced last week that it has hired Weddle, poaching one of the Triangle's best-known business recruiters and cheerleaders.

Weddle has been the CEO of the Research Triangle Foundation, which oversees Research Triangle Park, since 2004. While he said he will miss this region, he's eager to tackle a new opportunity.

He spoke by telephone from his home in Cary. Here are some highlights from that interview:

A Chinese manufacturer of silicone products plans to open a new facility in Charlotte and create 125 jobs over the next three years.

Bluestar Silicones plans to consolidate manufacturing operations in other states into a former Virkler Chemical facility in Mecklenburg County, Gov. Bev Perdue's office announced today.

Bluestar makes products for the auto, paper, aerospace, energy and healthcare industries. The company also considered expansion in Rock Hill, S.C.