"Well ... Mary we have a new study just released from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and it shows North Carolina ranking very well -- in fact ranking in the top 10 states in terms of high tech. And of course we are known for the biggest private research park in the country, and that is the Research Triangle Park, that is the largest in the country, 40,000 full-time workers and almost $3 billion salary.

"And what this means is that North Carolina has for a long time been a leader in high tech. We also, however, are not resting on our laurels. We are actively recruiting more high-tech firms. In fact, we are again among the leaders among states in new high-tech business starts. And these business starts in high-tech are not only occurring around the RTP, they are also occurring in Charlotte, they are occurring in the east around ECU and Greenville, Wilmington, the Triad and the Foothills.

"So high-tech is very important to North Carolina. I think it will continue to be important and we are actively trying to expand that industry."