http://66.225.205.104/ipo_weekone.mp3
You might be a bit puzzled at the title we have chosen for this ongoing series. "IPO Charlottewhat does THAT mean?" Well, it wasn't easy coming up with a title. We bounced a number of ideas aroundthings like "Growing Pains," "Raising Charlotte," "Charlotte Rising," and too many more to list. None of them captured exactly what we are trying to accomplish. Then it hitCharlotte is emerging as a major player in the U.S. Just like a business, the city has to build a solid foundation before it can take the big stage. Charlotte has done just that. Business is booming. Growth is solid and looks sustainable. The rest of the world has noticed the strong performance, and they want in on a good thing. That's when the time is right for a company to launch and Initial Public Offering, or IPO. We feel Charlotte is at that same point. Ready to take our shot against the biggest and best of the world. Just like the market, there will be ups and downs as we grapple with the huge challenges rapid growth brings. The need for housing, infrastructure, health care, quality education, cultural and social offeringsit all needs to be addressed if the city wants to grow in a smart and sensible way. We plan to look at all of these issues over the course of the next several weeks. We also hope to illustrate how our city's personality is changing as the population swells.