Welcome to Raleigh, NC
Known as the “City of Oaks” for its many beautiful oak trees, Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina and the state’s 2nd largest city (behind Charlotte). It is the hub of the area’s Research Triangle, an 11-county region anchored by the three major research universities of Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University.
Population and Growth in the Raleigh Area
Most of Raleigh is located within Wake County, with a very small portion extending into Durham County. The towns of Wake Forest, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Wendell, Zebulon, Cary, Morrisville, Garner, Clayton, and Rolesville are some of Raleigh’s primary nearby suburbs.
While the population of Raleigh proper clocks in at just under half a million people, the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan area boasts a population over 2.1 million.
According to the US Census Bureau, the population of the area has increased by approximately 6% in just the last five years.
A Great Place to Do Business
Raleigh was recently ranked #2 for “Best Places for Business and Careers” by Forbes Magazine, just behind Seattle, WA (and was #1 as recently as 2015!). Raleigh is part of NC’s Research Triangle, one of the country’s largest and most successful research parks, and a major center in the United States for high-tech and biotech research.
As a result, the city’s diverse industrial base includes financial services, electrical, medical, electronic and telecommunications equipment, clothing and apparel, food processing, paper products, and pharmaceuticals. Large corporations based in Raleigh include Golden Corral, Martin Marietta Materials, Red Hat, Waste Industries, BB&T Insurance Services, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Carquest, First Citizens BancShares, and Lulu.
College and Professional Sports
No discussion about Raleigh area sports would be complete without mentioning the Carolina-Duke basketball rivalry. It is considered one of the most intense rivalries in all of US sports. A ticket to one of two men’s basketball games played between them each season is one of the most expensive in all of sports as well. North Carolina State University and Wake Forest Univesity also have highly regarded athletic programs, especially in sports such as basketball, baseball, and football.
The Carolina Hurricanes, based in Raleigh, NC, and part of the National Hockey League, won the Stanley Cup Final in 2006 and reached the playoffs in the most recent season. Raleigh residents are also known to frequent Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets games in nearby Charlotte, NC.
Southern Hospitality
Apart from the great weather, favorable business climate, and the wonderful things to do, the best part about Raleigh is undoubtedly its people. North Carolinians are known to gracious, kind, and hospitable, and Raleigh residents are no different. Even newcomers to Raleigh soon find themselves taking on some of the traditional southern charm that embodies the area.
QC Commercial – Raleigh, NC Industrial Painting Contractor
QC Commercial, LLC is a commercial painting company and industrial painting contractor based in Raleigh, NC. We provide painting services in North Carolina and throughout the southeast region of the US. Our steady growth in the industrial painting industry is achieved by emphasizing safety, environmental awareness, attention to detail while in the field and in the office, continuous improvement in process and product knowledge, pre-project planning using our comprehensive submittal processes, and proactive approach to hazardous material programs. Our commitment to Total Quality Management (TQM) continues to drive our quality and reliability up while keeping our costs down.