Some of the biggest business stories of 2015 showed areas of Wilmington’s economy bouncing back or changing in promising ways.

The film industry made the top spot on the list of 10 top stories chosen by the Greater Wilmington Business Journal. Although incentives that helped fuel the film industry in the region were replaced by a much smaller pool of grant money for this fiscal year and next, local officials saw some potential for coming attractions when the state’s new budget included more funding.

Additionally, the area’s housing market numbers broke records nearly every month. Live Oak Bancshares became Wilmington’s only publicly traded company; rail cars rolled off the track at a new manufacturer’s headquarters; and new leaders took the helm of the area’s largest institutions of higher education. More changes made headlines during the year and continued to affect the Wilmington area’s economy as 2015 began winding to a close.

Here is a look back at the business news of 2015:

No. 1 - Film industry's outlook improves

No. 2 - Home sale numbers remain strong, healthy

No. 3 - Live Oak Bank Bancshares goes public

No. 4 - Vertex Railcar rolls out first cars this year

No. 5 - New faces in higher ed

No. 6 - Sutton in the spotlight

No. 7 - Mayfaire, other shopping centers change hands

No. 8 - Port of Wilmington activity breaks records

No. 9 - Convention Cener hotel closer to becoming reality

No. 10 - New economic development leader for Brunswick