Highland tech.

• Position: WESTERN REGION

A New York digital-media company paid $65 million for an Asheville one--considered the biggest tech deal ever in a region better known for brewing beer than writing code--and there's a movement afoot to make sure the sale of DoctorDirectory.com to Everyday Health isn't a one-time success story. "If we had one or two more DoctorDirectories, there would be a lot more people looking at Asheville," says Josh Dorfman, director of entrepreneurship development for the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County. Dorfman, who was hired last spring, leads the local chamber of commerce's Venture Asheville initiative. "We're trying to help startups hire faster, hire better to combat what's often perceived as a talent gap." The four-county metropolitan statistical area has the lowest unemployment rate of any MSA in the state --4.1% in October. Everyday Health produces digital content related to health care, including sites such as WhatToExpect.com and mobile apps such as My Calorie Counter...