Manufacturing takes off at PTI.

• Position: Triad

It's no secret Piedmont Triad International Airport has seen its passenger traffic slow. Despite "fly local" cheerleading from business leaders, many travelers routinely bypass the airport on the western edge of Guilford County to drive more than an hour to Raleigh-Durham or Charlotte Douglas international airports for more flights, choices of airlines and sometimes lower fares. PTI's boarding figures show a 5% year-to-date decrease, to 487,652, through the first seven months of 2013. But while passenger traffic isn't climbing, manufacturing there is taking off.

Now hot for Colombia

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. will soon invade its fifth continent. In late t ANA September, it announced a franchise agreement with a Colombian restaurant operator that will put 25 shops there over the next five years. The move furthers the Winston-Salem-based company's global surge, which has seen its number of international franchises jump from 123 to 546--from 31% to 69% of stores--since 2007. Though they accounted for only 7.5% of store revenue last fiscal year, international store generated more than half of store operating income. Krispy Kreme wants 900 international franchises by 2017.

Greensboro-based Honda Aircraft Co. employs 800 at PTI, where it designs and builds its line of light jets. It's putting the final touches on a $20 million customer-service center, and future expansions are expected to add about 400 jobs. Greensboro-based TIMCO Aviation...