Labor gains: while politics may change the story, North Carolina has a red-hot reputation, with many global and domestic companies viewing the state as a great location for expansions.

• Author: Martin, Cathy
• Position: NC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

It shared top billing with Texas in Site Selection magazine's 2016 Prosperity Cup, which recognizes states based on their business climates. The magazine noted the state's strong reputation, AAA bond rating and record venture-capital funding. Separately, Forbes ranked North Carolina as its second-best state for business in 2015, citing low labor costs and one of the nation's highest migration rates. (Utah ranked first.)

Business North Carolina compiled a list of the largest projects announced or initiated between June 1,2015 and May 31,2016, based on projected job-creation goals. There is no official state list of such expansions, so our sources also included individual companies, state and local economic-development executives and press reports.

The good news comes with potential clouds looming as CEOs of some large U.S. companies have condemned the state's House Bill 2 law, which nullifies a Charlotte ordinance that would have added nondiscrimination protections for LGBT individuals. Two featured projects may not come to fruition: Red Ventures and DB Global Technologies have put their expansion plans "on hold" while legislators and business leaders seek a compromise. E-commerce company PayPal would have made the list had the company not pulled its plans to bring 400 jobs to Charlotte in response to the new law.

We included the state's incentives aimed at attracting companies. The largest grant, S16.8 million, went to insulin-maker Novo Nordisk, which is adding nearly 700 jobs in a SI.85 billion expansion of its Johnston County plant.

Most of the expansions occurred in or near Charlotte, Durham and Raleigh, continuing a long-term trend. A key exception was BSH Home Appliances Corp.'s plans to add 460 jobs in Craven County.

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1 WAL-MART STORES INC., BENTONVILLE ARK.

COUNTY: MECKLENBURG

PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $10 MILLION

NEW JOBS: 1,000 | N.C. INCENTIVES: NONE

The world's largest retailer last summer opened an office in Charlotte that Is part of its global shared services division, providing back-office support including financial and payroll services. As of early June, the company had filled 800 of the new jobs at a five-story building in Lake Pointe Corporate Center. The center will support Wal-Mart's operations in the United States and Canada. The new jobs are a combination of hourly and salaried positions. Wages were not disclosed.

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2 NOVO NORDISK PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC., BAGSVAERO. DENMARK

COUNTY: JOHNSTON

PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $1.85 BILLION

NEW JOBS: 6911 N.C. INCENTIVES: $16.8 MILLION

3 FIDELITY GLDRAL BROKERAGE GROUP INC., BOSTON. MASS.

COUNTIES: DURHAM, WAKE

PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $10 MILLION

NEW JOBS: 6001 N.C. INCENTIVES' $15.5 MILLION

Already employing more than 3,500 in the Triangle, the privately held financial-services giant also considered India for this expansion, which includes mostly technology jobs such as software developers and design engineers. Annual salaries will exceed $100,000. Offering retirement planning, college-savings plans and other financial services, Fidelity's parent company, FMR LLC, had 25 million customers and $5.2 trillion in assets as of Dec. 31.

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4 MOUNTAIRE FARMS INC., MILLSBORO, DEL [TIE]

COUNTY: CHATHAM

PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $100 MILLION

NEW JOBS: 5001 N.C...