Get employees back in office WSOC TV [Video]

CHARLOTTE — Developers like people in offices. Northwood Office President John Barton left no doubt of that sentiment during an hour-long panel discussion Nov. 20 focused on development and growth in Charlotte.

He did so by making the business case for return to office, including what he recounted as scores of conversations with corporate leaders who have reached similar conclusions about the importance of teamwork and close collaboration.

Referring to recruiting and retaining companies here, Barton ran down Charlotte’s list of attributes: a pro-business environment with low taxes and an uncluttered regulatory environment.

His intensity rose as he pondered labor trends — a theme he returned to several times during the course of the conversation.

“Getting people back in the office, so that when people move here, they feel confident that they can hire a workforce that will show up and create a good culture,” Barton said. “Unfortunately, Charlotte is …