Site Selection Magazine has released its September issue with an article highlighting the Cape Fear region.

The article, written by Senior Editor Gary Daughters for the national publication, has been anticipated by members of the local development campaign Choose Cape Fear, since Daughters came to the region for a visit during the Wells Fargo Championship in May.

Site Selection Magazine is a development publication geared toward site selectors, CEOs and other people making decisions about where companies are located.

The marketing campaign, Choose Cape Fear, brought together economic developers and organizations from a four-county area to call attention to the region during the international golf tournament. Their mission has since continued beyond the golf tournament.

Natalie English, president and CEO of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, said the article has been an expected piece since Daughters's visit and she is both excited and pleased to see the positive outcome.

"We think our strategy worked perfectly … The golf tournament wasn't mentioned in the article, and it's exactly what we would have wanted because our campaign isn't about the golf tournament, it was about using the golf tournament as a springboard," English said.

Titled “Behind the Cape,” the article sheds light on an expanding regional economy and includes demographics for New Hanover, Pender, Columbus and Brunswick counties.

"We believe that he was able to truly catch the energy of our region and the transformation that's happening in the region,” English said.

She added, "We saw our key messages ... the key points that we have -- infrastructure, education, workforce, health care -- all of that was woven into his article."

English said the regional campaign “literally stole the article from the state.”

“It was supposed to be focused on the entire state of North Carolina but when Gary Daughters left the region, he fought for a single Cape Fear region article because he had so much content to work with,” she said.

The article features comments from Sean Ahlum, director of tekMountain and director of business development for CastleBranch, New Hanover County Commissioner Rob Zapple, President of Live Oak Bancshares Neil Underwood and Corning Plant Manager Michele Holbrook.

Area business highlighted include Corning, tekMountain, CastleBranch, Live Oak Bank and Untappd, among others, as well as the Port of Wilmington, the University of North Carolina Wilmington and New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

The full article can be found on pages 168-172 of the September issue of Site Selection Magazine.