Brunswick wants a dowry.

• Position: EASTERN REGION

Brunswick County's twin 1,100-acre megasites are becoming perennial bridesmaids. They were passed over by German tire-maker Continental in 2011, then by Peoria, III.-based Caterpillar in 2012. Mid-Atlantic Industrial Rail Park and International Logistics Park of North Carolina again got their hopes dashed in August, when divided Republicans in the General Assembly decided against creating a $20 million closing fund for corporate recruitment. The county wanted some of that money to lure an industrial project that might create about 1,000 jobs. Rumors in the General Assembly say the company is Continental again, but Jim Bradshaw, executive director of the Brunswick County Economic Development Commission, declines to name any businesses in contact with his group. Incentives stir political passions, and that's what Bradshaw would like to take out of the equation. The county lost the tire-maker in 2011 when state lawmakers clashed over a proposed $45 million package. Bradshaw would prefer a committee that helps distribute closing costs without General Assembly interference, which is what Georgia and South Carolina have. Not coincidentally, Brunswick lost Caterpillar to Athens...