A Polo match.

• Position: Triad

High Point must be a good fit for Ralph Lauren Corp. In mid-June the New York-based apparel and branding company announced it would expand operations there, where it already employs more than 1,400 at three distribution centers and other offices. It will invest $142 million and create 500 jobs--paying an average annual wage of $31,000, less than Guilford County's average of $40,196--within five years of the expansion, which is scheduled to begin later this year. Upon completion, Ralph Lauren, known mostly for its Polo brand, will have invested $267.7 million in the city.

The company announced its first High Point operation, a distribution center, in 1991, and this is the second major local development it has announced in the past two years. In November 2010, it said it would create 400 new jobs and invest $21 million to buy a building and turn it into a distribution and logistics center for its home goods, bedding, apparel and other products. That renovation is still under way. The latest--upgrading apparel-fulfillment and--distribution centers--was announced after High Point officials approved $2 million in incentives and Guilford County chipped in $1.2 million. The state will give the company up to $500,000 from the One North Carolina Fund for the expansion and a Job Development Investment Grant that could be worth $2.5 million if it meets employment and investment targets.

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WORKING CAPITAL | TRIAD Employed: 744,751 YTD change: 5,777 Index: 98.4 Source: Division of Employment Security, May. Figures are not seasonally...