The North Carolina Military Business Center, based at Fayetteville Technical Community College, the Offices of United States Senator Richard Burr and United States Senator Thom Tillis, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation are hosting the Southeastern Opportunities in Aerospace Regional Summit on Dec. 7-9.
The free event will be primarily virtual due to COVID and the desire to make the event accessible to more businesses across the state.
SOARS will have a keynote and two sessions each day, with a different focus on each of the days.
Day one, which will focus on economic and workforce development, will feature Secretary J. Eric Boyette, North Carolina Department of Transportation, and Chief Deputy Secretary Jordan Whichard, North Carolina Department of Commerce.
On day two, business development is the focus, featuring Brigadier General David J. Sanford, Commander of Defense Supply Center Richmond and Defense Logistics Agency Aviation.
On the third and final day of the event, the focus will be on technology, featuring Brigadier General Robert L. Barrie, Jr., US Army Program Executive Officer, Aviation.
“These keynote speakers will provide the “big picture” on future aerospace opportunities with the Department of Defense, and the capacity of industry in North Carolina and the southeast to meet the requirements of military and civilian aviation and aerospace industry prime contractors,” the NCMBC press release said. “SOARS virtual sessions will provide detailed information on military requirements, business opportunities, emerging technologies and workforce programs in North Carolina to meet industry demand. A live, on-site panel and flight demonstration will showcase industrial capacity and emerging technologies in unmanned aerial systems (UAS).”
To register, visit
.
At center, Chancellor Darrell T. Allison and Juanette Council, Ed.D., vice chancellor for student affairs, cut the ribbon to celebrate the grand reopening of Fayetteville State University's newly renovated Spaulding Building, joined by campus leaders
FCEDC has officially moved its staff and operations to 611 W. Russell St. The 35,800- square-foot center was previously home to Homemakers Furniture and Interiors. Renovations began in the fall of 2025 and are expected to be completed in the next six to eight months. Currently, FCEDC staff are working within an open 7,500-square-foot floor plan as initial improvements progress.
Inset: Systel’s first corporate headquarters was a small rental house turned office on Fort Bragg Road in Fayetteville in 1981. Large photo: The company’s new corporate headquarters reflects years of growth into a multi-million dollar company that pr
