clipped from www.charlotteobserver.com

The Charlotte region is emerging from the recession, but its standards of growth, living and doing business are shifting, business owners, city officials and economists said Wednesday.

The leaders met over breakfast at Duke Energy uptown to talk about the economy and hear the results of a fourth-quarter survey of 166 businesses from across the community. That survey, a joint effort of the city and Charlotte Chamber, found that businesses expect a slight rebound this year and perceive Charlotte as a stable, cost-effective place to work.

About six out of 10 respondents said they feel positively about Charlotte's business climate, down from eight of 10 in 2008. But about half said they expect sales and revenue to grow more than 10 percent this year, and just 16 percent expect declines.