Major North Carolina Marketing Firm to ‘Seriously Reconsider’ 500 Job Expansion Over Anti-LGBT Law

Planned Expansion of 500 Jobs Likely Nixed CEO Says in Letter to Governor

The CEO of a major internet marketing company founded in North Carolina is threatening Governor Pat McCrory that his planned expansion, which would include adding 500 more jobs, may not happen now that the governor has signed HB 2 into law. The highly-controversial and nationally-denounced law voided all local nondiscrimination ordinances, and took away local control over minimum wage and nondiscrimination laws and handed them to state lawmakers. 

“HB2 does not reflect the values of our people, our state or our democratic process,” Red Ventures‘ CEO Ric Elias said in a letter to Gov. McCrory (below). “The speed with which it was passed and lack of constituent input enabled a select group of North Carolina representatives to ignore their responsibility to represent the whole state and, instead, eviscerate the civil rights of North Carolinians.”

Elias refers to an apparent telephone conversation Pat McCrory had with him when he switched his support to the governor’s Democratic challenger, state attorney general Roy Cooper. The CEO writes, “I shared with you then my fear that the state had gone too far in pushing a political agenda that represented the voices of a few, as opposed to acting in the best interest of our constituency. The passing of House Bill 2 is the worst example yet of that imbalance.”

“As a CEO who is committed to expanding our Charlotte presence by 500 people in 2016 and thousands after that, I am forced to seriously reconsider adding more jobs in a state that tolerates discrimination and allows political interests to interfere with doing what is right for all citizens,” Elias continues.

Elias, in an email to the Charlotte Business Journal added, “We’re hopeful HB 2 is repealed because it’s the right thing to do.”

“And if not, our long-term plans for aggressive expansion in North Carolina will change,” he insists. The Journal reports “Red Ventures had expected to grow to 4,750 employees at its Indian Land headquarters and in the University City area of Charlotte. Currently, the company employs 2,200 in the two offices.”

 

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Hat tip: Joe.My.God., Fox 46