- [Narrator] This is a production of PBS Charlotte.

- Just ahead on "Carolina Impact," find out how a global technology company continues to grow its footprint and add jobs here in the Tar Heel State.

Plus, we take you inside an airport program that keeps flights moving.

And meet a principal who turned negative school experiences into triumphs, and now he helps students do the same.

"Carolina Impact" starts right now.

(bright upbeat music) Good evening, thanks so much for joining us.

I'm Amy Burkett.

We've all heard the numbers and it's been going on for years, an average of 157 people moving to the 14-county Charlotte region every single day.

But what are they moving here for?

Quality of life, climate, and most of all, jobs.

"Carolina Impact's" Jason Terzis joins us with the story of one large local company that just announced another round of expansion.

- Well, with the exception of New York City, the Charlotte region added more jobs than any other metro area in the country in 2025, bucking the national trend of slower hiring.

And to give that a little perspective, New York is seven times the size of Charlotte.

The 37,000 plus jobs the labor department said were created in the region were more than 44 states totals.

One of those companies keeping Charlotte working and keeping the jobs coming is Siemens Energy, which recently announced plans to bring an additional 500 jobs to the state.

(exciting music) It's the midday lunch rush.

Office buildings emptying out, thousands spilling onto uptown streets.

An estimated 115,000 to 130,000 people spend their days working in uptown Charlotte.

- We've never had a problem attracting talent.

We have over 150 people who move here daily.

They're not coming here because things are bad.

They're coming here not only for the opportunities, because they want a better life for their family as, as well.

- [Terzis] Roger Johnson should know a thing or two about attracting talent.

Serving as the Director of Mecklenburg County's Office of Economic Development, he's responsible for leading a team that promotes growth and opportunities for businesses through a variety of programs and services.

- The state works directly with the city and the county, and to some degree, the regional alliance to help tell the story of why they should locate here.

The county's at the table for every one of those conversations.

Sometimes it requires incentives, sometimes it does not.

Our staff makes the determination on what it takes to best attract that company and get those investment and jobs here.

- [Terzis] In just over the last year, Mecklenburg County has been involved in 16 major job announcements at the state level.

- There's many more companies that we help that are not included in that number.

All told it's resulted in over 4,000 new jobs in our community, over $425 million in total investment, averaging over $110,000 a year in salary.

So, we're not just recruiting jobs, we're recruiting quality jobs for our community.

- [Terzis] But there's no easier company to recruit to the area than one that's already here.

- So, this market is tremendous.

- [Terzis] Siemens Energy has been in Charlotte since 1969, with a huge manufacturing facility on Westinghouse Boulevard.

Here, they've been making generators and steam turbines, employing some 1,300 people.

- Siemens Energy is very proud to have multiple super strong locations in North Carolina.

Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and Raleigh are all really important locations for us.

I mean, this region is growing from a business standpoint, and it's always been a strong labor pool.

It's got a lot of really high-tech engineering, you know, business level folks that we can bring in to be part of our business, as well as a strong history in manufacturing.

- They've been an integral part of our community for a long period of time.

Most recently, we worked with them to help them locate and expand here and build turbines, which they're gonna make here, sell all over the world, bringing all that money back to our local economy.

- [Terzis] Matt Neal serves as president of North America at Siemens Energy.

A Western North Carolina native himself, Matt grew up in a textile and furniture manufacturing family.

And while the manufacturing game may have changed over the generations, the production sure has not.

- It's a highly educated population with a background in manufacturing.

And when you combine that with just some of the affordability topics, it makes this region attractive for a lot of folks to come in.

It's why Siemens Energy originally invested here, you know, a couple decades ago for this facility to be put here.

And I think that that's just a continuing trend.

- [Terzis] Matt, along with the National Association of Manufacturers' President and CEO, Jay Timmons, recently toured Siemens Energy facility, stopping to talk with employees and checking out the huge robotic machines.

- So, this is the 2026 State of Manufacturing tour.

We do this every year to highlight the great benefits of manufacturing, as well as to talk about policies that help us compete globally and some policies that might hold us back.

And Siemens Energy is just a best-in-class example of what manufacturing can do in positive terms for a community and for job creation and wage growth and just basically improve quality of life for all of the folks around the area.

- [Terzis] Building on the $150 million investment in the Charlotte plant that was announced two years ago, Siemens Energy just committed an additional $421 million to expand operations and production statewide.

- Having the facility here and the established supply chain partners, our ability to expand them and scale them up is a lot easier from an existing location.

In fact, if you look at where Siemens Energy has invested our billion dollars across the US, a lot of it is in existing markets where we have a footprint that allows us to scale supply chain and also workforce.

The ability to train and hire and get folks up to speed in really high-tech manufacturing, you know, building from a foundation, we feel is a lot lower risk and allows us to go faster.

- [Terzis] The primary focus will be manufacturing the SGT6-5000F, a gas turbine that can deliver the equivalent of 260 megawatts.

They're also expanding generator capacity and will expand to manufacture large power transformers.

- Yeah, so it's getting us back into the new unit business for gas.

So, we're bringing gas turbine manufacturing back here to Charlotte, which we're super proud of, and it's also allowing us to make large power transformers for the US market, of which, you know, a lot of power transformers are imported into the US and we want to be a big part of making them here domestically for the US customers.

- [Terzis] The company didn't specify how many of the new jobs will be located in Mecklenburg County, but it should be a substantial portion of the 500 jobs announced statewide.

- So, the types of jobs that will be created here will be advanced manufacturing jobs.

So, residents will have an opportunity to compete for those particular positions if they so desire.

Primarily, they'll be trained in a skilled, high-tech workforce, that type of training can be received locally through CPCC or UNCC.

- [Terzis] Unlike their $150 million investment two years ago, which was supported by a business investment program grant from the county, Siemens Energy is not requesting any tax incentives for its latest expansion plans.

- I think what's not fully understood is the mechanics of how tax incentives work.

We're not giving away residents' tax dollars, that's in the general fund.

The way it works for us is the company comes here, they make a capital investment, they pay their taxes, and after they pay their taxes, we give them what amounts to a portion of their taxes back.

So in effect, we're using their own dollars to help recruit them here, and the future dollars that they're gonna generate as a result of taxes are what the incentives are paid out of.

That way we make sure that the tax burden is not solely on the residents, and we get to provide career opportunities for our residents.

- [Terzis] Investing in people and a region for more than six decades now, Siemens Energy, a big part of the fabric of the community.

- Okay, so all that expansion isn't happening right here in Charlotte, correct?

- Correct, and Siemens Energy does have a big presence throughout the state.

Siemens has three plants in North Carolina, the main one in Charlotte that we just showed you, Raleigh, and as well as Rural Hall, which is a town just north of Winston-Salem.

In Raleigh, Siemens is expanding grid technology, engineering, and sales, plus research and development.

It's all part of a $1 billion investment by Siemens Energy in manufacturing all across the United States with a big chunk of that here in Carolina.

- A German-based company committed to the Carolinas.

We love seeing it.

- Thanks a lot.

- Absolutely.

Manufacturing.

Gotta love it.

- From fueling our region on the ground to fueling it in the air, Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the country, with thousands of passengers moving through its terminals each and every day.

But behind the scenes, a complex operation keeps those flights moving.

As "Carolina Impact's" Chris Clark shows us, a program called the Aviation Academy gives community members a chance to see how it all works.

- [Clark] When people first hear about the Charlotte Douglas Aviation Academy, many picture something very different.

- I was maybe thinking I would be flying an airplane or something.

- [Clark] The Aviation Academy isn't about learning to fly.

Instead, it's a behind the scenes look at the enormous operation behind Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

- Aviation Academy is a community engagement program focused on bringing in community members who have some interest in aviation and really taking them on a deep dive of what makes the airport work.

- [Clark] Every year, about two dozen community members are selected for the eight-week program.

- I typically travel about 10 days a month, so I'm at the airport all the time, so it was very exciting to get to know what happens behind the scenes.

- [Clark] One night a week, the participants gather for classroom sessions and Q&A discussions with leaders from across the airport.

- And once they demist or deice the planes- - [Clark] From there, they head out on field trips for an up-close look at the people and systems that keep everything moving.

- Running an airport is a team sport.

No one piece is more important because no one piece can work without all of those other pieces.

- [Clark] Participants begin to understand just how complex the operation really is.

- I think American Airlines said it takes the decisions of 37 or 39 different departments to get one single plane in the air.

- [Clark] Nowhere is that complexity more visible than inside the air traffic control system.

- Air traffic control is always something that surprises people because we are incredibly busy.

We have some of the busiest runways in the entire country.

- [Clark] During the eight weeks, participants get a look at many parts of the operation most travelers never see.

- The baggage claim was really cool because you know that is such a closed-off experience.

- Everything that goes into that mechanical-wise, computer-wise, running that thing, it's phenomenal.

- [Clark] The class also gets a chance to see how emergency crews prepare to protect the airport.

The vehicles are huge, purpose-built machines designed to reach any point in the airfield within seconds.

- They're kind of like ATVs, so they're not the traditional design of firetrucks.

The terrain isn't flat when they're going out onto the tarmac.

- [Clark] The class is also taken inside the massive hangars where aircraft are serviced and prepared for their next flight.

- The American Airline facility, I thought that was cool.

- [Clark] Standing beneath the wings and engines of aircraft that cross the country each day can quickly change how people see air travel.

- You've got a tiny window in a big plane and you're taking off and you're landing, and it's a very small space, but then when you see how large the aircraft is.

- [Clark] Seeing the aircraft up close is one thing.

Understanding what it takes to operate them safely is another.

Inside the simulator bay, participants get a glimpse into the constant training required before pilots ever push the throttles forward.

- I couldn't believe how much they cost and then how much training actually takes place in them.

- Only complaint, I really wanted to land the plane.

- [Clark] For many participants, moments like this reveal aviation isn't just about flying.

It's about the thousands of careers working behind the scenes to make every departure possible.

- There was an opportunity for you to be in aviation and not necessarily be on the plane.

- [Clark] For Ben Dusek, who works in workforce development, the experience also highlighted how aviation jobs ripple far beyond the runways.

- We have a large population center just south of the Mecklenburg County line that there is a workforce of talent that can come up and serve the Charlotte Douglas Airport.

- [Clark] Charlotte Douglas now handles roughly 1,800 flights a day, moving more than 118,000 passengers across nearly 6,000 acres of terminals, taxiways, and runways.

Its reach extends far beyond aviation, generating an estimated $40 billion in economic impact and supporting more than 185,000 jobs across the region.

- I walked away and am walking away with a whole bunch of technical, economic, you know, the footprint.

I mean, just so many nuggets.

- [Clark] Yet even after touring restricted areas and standing beside massive aircraft, some of the biggest surprises come from the everyday details most travelers never notice.

- I think the thing that surprised me the most was how much revenue they make off of parking.

I believe it was $120-125 million last year alone.

- The one that got me was how much they spend on window washing.

Like, you see all the windows and they're always clean, but you never think about, like, what is the cost to clean those windows?

- [Clark] Airport officials say that work alone costs about half a million dollars each year, helping explain just how much coordination and funding is required to keep the system moving.

- The thing that people get wrong most often is how the airport is funded.

There are no local tax dollars that go to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

- [Clark] After eight weeks behind the scenes, many participants say they no longer see Charlotte Douglas the same way.

- I'll be kind of on the lookout for certain things and be like, "Oh, I see what they're doing there."

- You will walk away thinking, "I never knew that."

- I was surprised that, you know, there are dogs that you can pet in the airport because who goes to the airport like, "Hey, I wanna pet a dog."

Like, and we have dogs available for you to play with.

- [Clark] That shift in perspective is exactly what the program is designed to create.

- They think they already know all about the airport, and how it works, and we give them the context.

- [Clark] Participants leave with more than new knowledge.

They leave seeing a familiar place completely different, not simply as a gateway to somewhere else, but as a complex city of its own, helping move people, ideas, and opportunity across the Carolinas and beyond.

For "Carolina Impact," I'm Chris Clark.

- Thank you, Chris.

Airport leaders say the Aviation Academy is designed to build stronger connections with the community by opening the doors to people from education, business, and aviation circles.

They hope those participants will help tell the story of how the airport works.

We go from learning about the airport to learning how setbacks can actually change lives for the better.

In this week's Guiding Stars, a principal who knows firsthand the power of both encouragement and doubt.

From a student who was once told he didn't belong to a leader making sure every child feels like they do belong.

"Carolina Impact's" Sarah Woldum and videographer John Branscum introduce us to Dr.

Travares Hicks, Principal of Julius Chambers High School.

- We've all had moments in our education journey where we felt misunderstood or underestimated, and for our Guiding Star today, that happened to him when he was a senior in high school.

Today, I want you to meet Dr.

Hicks, the principal of Julius Chambers High School, and we're gonna learn about how that negative experience actually impacted him to become the incredible educator he is today.

(exiting upbeat music) I wanna know about the different words that you have for the different buildings.

- We had every hallway adopt a character trait that they want to stand by.

And the whole idea is to recognize a student every month who exemplifies this trait.

- [Woldum] Recognizing a student's inherent character is personal for Dr.

Hicks.

- When I was in third grade, I won an award called Turnaround Student of the Year.

I was a behavior issue.

- [Woldum] After acting out in class, his teacher promised to guide him instead of punish him.

- She said, "I'm going to help you.

I'm not calling the principal.

I'm going to help you."

Started making nothing but straight A's.

And I made A's and B's throughout my academic career from 6th to 12th grade, and it was because of that one teacher.

- [Woldum] But another teacher almost derailed everything he had worked for.

- My senior year of high school, I was in Honors English 5.

First day of class, and I said, "Hey, I belong in this class.

Are you the teacher?"

And at the time, I had long, long dreads, way longer than what I have now.

Of course, I looked maybe like a kid who probably wouldn't be in an honors class to that teacher.

And she said, "No, you don't belong in this class."

She was looking down at her roster.

In that moment, I felt extremely small.

- [Woldum] Yet once again, another adult steered him back on track.

- I went to my guidance counselor and I told him, I said, "Hey, I want to change this class."

He said, "Well, there's one or two things you can do.

You can run from it or you can muster up the energy and courage to go in there and prove the teacher wrong."

I was the only Black male in the class at the time, and I had to figure out a way to prove myself right, not proving the teacher wrong.

I persevered and I ended up making a 99 in that class, and I really did that from just self-motivation and wanting to to prove myself that I belong.

- [Woldum] That experience fueled Dr.

Hicks' determination, guiding him ultimately into leadership at Julius Chambers High School.

Today, he's transforming lives and reinforcing the message that every child belongs.

And belonging doesn't mean lowering the bar.

He leads with what he calls the three Rs, relatability, relationships, and rigor.

- Once you're able to build that relatability, you're able to build that natural relationship because kids now see, "Wow, he knows.

He did enough homework to know that I'm interested in this certain thing."

And then naturally, that allows me to increase the rigor.

You know, that I'm not setting out to make your life difficult.

When I challenge you, I'm trying to help you become a better version of yourself.

- [Woldum] His relatability inspired junior class president, Eric Cortez, to nominate Dr.

Hicks as a Guiding Star.

- My favorite thing is that he's just very personal.

You're always gonna wave at him.

He'll always give you a fist bump.

He's always interested in what you're doing, what's going on.

- [Woldum] The two teamed up and created what they call talk-back sessions, safe spaces for students to share what's on their minds with Dr.

Hicks.

- And he just basically answers any questions that they have, takes any ideas.

- [Woldum] One of those new ideas, advisory.

- We carved out 30 minutes, and that 30 minutes is to provide kids intentional opportunities to build connectiveness with their teachers.

Our kids need opportunities to explore certain careers.

They need opportunities to explore different avenues.

And they also need opportunities to have club time.

- [Woldum] Dr.

Hicks also launched a young men's mentoring group, led in partnership with the UNC chapter of his own fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi.

- Any kid who wanted to just learn a little bit more about themselves, learn a little bit more about manhood and what it takes to matriculate to the next level as a man and be successful.

- [Woldum] These initiatives are creating real, lasting change throughout the school.

- Focus, engagement, knowing how to regulate your emotions.

The kids feel more connected to the teachers.

And I say that with data.

Our discipline is down tremendously.

- [Woldum] And the best part for Dr.

Hicks?

- It's the kids who remind me a lot of the community that I grew up in, and I necessarily didn't see someone in leadership that I could relate to when I was in high school.

So for me, it's being able to show the kids that, "Hey, look, I was once like you."

- [Woldum] It's clear Dr.

Hicks has come a long way since his own senior year with his own educational experiences that have shaped the leader he is today.

One that emphasizes the importance of making sure every child feels they belong.

And he's living proof that with hard work, a bit of grit and courage, anything is possible.

- We are all made unique, but you can be great regardless of how you look or where you come from.

And that's what gives me the motivation to do this job each and every day.

- We just spent an amazing morning talking to Dr.

Hicks here at Julius Chambers High School and learning about all the amazing things he's doing here.

But we wanna hear from you.

So, if you know of someone in the educational world who's making an impact, please email us your nominations.

We wanna hear about cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers, teachers, administrators.

Please email your nominations to guidingstars@wtvi.org.

- What an incredible story.

Thanks so much for sharing it with us, Sarah.

In a full circle moment, Dr.

Hicks once set out to study law, and now he leads a high school named after Civil Rights Attorney Julius Chambers.

Well, for our final story tonight, we turn to the power of creativity and the people working behind the scenes to make it possible.

Pursuing a creative passion doesn't always come with a steady paycheck, and finding affordable studio space to create is also a challenge.

One local business has found a way to help with the latter.

"Carolina Impact's" Dara Khaalid and videographer Russ Hunsinger take us inside Activation Studios to learn more.

(upbeat ragtime music) - [Khaalid] Step inside Activation Studios and prepare for your eyes to go on a visual journey they likely won't forget.

From rusty undersea creatures that almost look too scary to touch, to an old school phone covered in graffiti.

- It's about overwhelming the senses.

- [Khaalid] The mastermind behind curating pieces from local artists inside the three-story 1950s building is co-founder and operations manager, Matt Alvis.

Matt doesn't keep any of these creations a secret.

The entire building becomes an art gallery that the public can walk through and even purchase items from in a monthly event called Final Fridays.

- It's a meet and greet opportunity, open house, and it's a really good way to stay in shape.

- [Khaalid] Stay in shape is right, because there are three floors to explore, each one with their own unique style.

But you have to take this staircase.

Thankfully, though, there are vibrant murals to keep you amused along the way.

Let's head down to the bottom floor to show you what's there.

- This is our music practice recording space.

Various bands come in during the week.

- [Khaalid] This spot is called Moss Haven.

And on Final Fridays, it flips into a music venue where artists perform live, touching audiences with original lyrics.

♪ So show me, baby, that ♪ - [Khaalid] Heading back up to the second and third floors is where you'll see all of the artwork.

But what you may not know is that these floors also serve as studio space for the artists who created it.

- The studios have four artists per room.

- [Khaalid] Back in 2024, when Matt and his friend Logan Phillips created the business, they were very intentional about making the spaces affordable for artists, so they only have to pay $100 a month in rent.

- The most meaningful part to me is when some of the artists here land larger contracts, like murals, pushes them one step closer to having it as their full-time job.

- [Khaalid] But in order to keep the rent low, there's a catch.

- Activation Studio's mission is to find places that are marked for renovation, demolition, temporarily unavailable.

- [Khaalid] Which means... - Sometimes these pop-ups last for three weeks.

We take over a building and then we're out of there.

- [Khaalid] Matt and Logan negotiate lower prices from building owners and use that discount to keep the artists' monthly rent affordable.

The only caveat is, when the building owner says it's time to go, it's time to go, keeping Activation Studios constantly on the move.

Despite the possibility of only having a few months left in the current building, artist Lindsay Medler, whose whimsical studio is on the third floor, doesn't seem to mind the risk because of the reward.

- Activation Studios has helped my career by putting me on the map.

It sets you up for the possibilities of commissions and clients.

- [Khaalid] Lindsay's made her little nook her own, creating a space where she can paint and beautifully arrange pieces made for her company, I'm Here For Plants.

- My mom got me in art classes when I was four.

- [Khaalid] Lindsay tells me her mom always encouraged her to follow her passion.

(somber music) But after losing her mom to breast cancer in 2019, the pain kept her from painting.

- When I lost her, I was gifted an immaculate amount of plants.

When I received those plants, I started to have a hobby again.

And through those plants, I learned how to self-care.

- [Khaalid] Which ultimately led her back to her true love of painting and starting a business to honor her mom.

- And I just told myself that I was not going to tell myself no anymore, being an artist.

And that she always told me yes.

So, I was gonna say yes.

And stepped out into community two years ago, and got here.

- [Khaalid] Being here at Activation Studios has allowed her to share a building with other talented creators, like Super Daft Bros.

- There's a giant button up here that kinda just lets it explode with color.

- [Khaalid] Color, bright flashing lights, and futuristic creations that make you say wow.

- I want people to get up close to it, touch it, feel it, interact with it.

- [Khaalid] Ian McCormick is one half of the business he started with his college friend, William Balcom.

(exciting digital music) The duo have been creating light-up pieces across Charlotte for years, and officially established their company in 2023 after being commissioned by the Charlotte Hornets for a nine-foot sculpture you may have stopped by to take a picture with at the Spectrum Center, just like I did.

- When it was on display, it had 36 of these light-up hexagons showing moments throughout the Hornet's history.

- [Khaalid] Whether they're using Activation Studios to make art that looks like it comes from the future, or from a magical forest, these artists find peace knowing they have an affordable place to create what they love, despite not knowing where the next stop on the journey will be.

For "Carolina Impact," I'm Dara Khaalid.

- Thank you, Dara.

You saw Activation Studios is very mobile, but one place you're guaranteed to catch their folks is Charlotte Shout, which happens April 3rd through the 19th of this year.

Well, do you have a fun story idea like this one you'd like to share with us?

We'd love to hear about it.

Shoot the details over to stories@wtvi.org.

Before we leave this evening, I'd like to thank the group from Health Sciences Academy in Monroe.

This middle school group had so many wonderful questions and they're such bright, young people.

I look forward to seeing all the great things they do in the future.

Well, that's all the time we have this evening.

Thanks so much for joining us.

We always appreciate your time.

And I look forward to seeing you again next time.

Goodnight, my friends.

(bright upbeat music) - [Narrator] A production of PBS Charlotte.