Beach benefits.

• Position: SPONSORED SECTION: COASTAL CAROLINA

Sunsets aren't the only things enjoyed by coastal businesses. Customers, workers and startup support are there, too.

Long before tourists started scheduling warm-weather getaways there, the North Carolina coast was where generations of Tar Heels made their livings--shipping, fishing and building boats. Although those vocations have dwindled--now concentrated around a few ports--the coast remains attractive to business. It's home to manufacturers and entrepreneurs who enjoy proximity to customers, support, workers and an enviable quality of life.

One such company recently dropped anchor near Swansboro, a small, historic fishing village. "When we went in search of a strategic location for our second manufacturing facility, Onslow County and North Carolina welcomed us with open arms," says Josh Armstrong, CEO of Port Angeles, Wash.-based Armstrong Marine Inc. "We decided to locate in the heart of the fleet concentration area and are excited to be able to better service U.S. markets, as well as export to foreign markets." Being on the coast puts the aluminum boat manufacturer close to potential customers at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville and the U.S. Coast Guard base in Elizabeth City. The company plans to create 200 jobs and invest more than $8.4 million in a factory.

UNC Wilmington opened its Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in fall 2013. It supports small businesses and startups through networking and co-working space. It helped organize an independent venture-capital fund that will invest in startups linked to the center, says Jim Roberts, its executive director. So far CIE has helped 19, including Next Glass, an app that recommends wines and beers for restaurant diners, and H.u.go, an "Angie's List for education apps" that helps teachers choose the best ones for their students. A UNCW graduate student created the latter.

Thirty miles north of Kitty Hawk, where powered flight was born, Elizabeth City-based College of The Albemarle is training aviation mechanics using top-of-the line production machinery. Built next to Currituck County Regional Airport, the 37,000-square-foot, $7.1 million Regional Aviation and Technical Training Center in Barco is a joint project between the college and county. It offers aviation systems technology, architectural technology, computer-integrated machining and...