Our annual list of the top 125 private businesses in the state also provided Business North Carolina's cover story in September as Editor David Mildenberg caught up with Rick Hendrick to talk not only selling cars but NASCAR. Hendrick reports that both are going strong and he expects both to last long after he's gone. We also had feature stories on two stories important to the state's overall economy, one being the growth of the clinical research industry and the other on the state of venture capital money to help businesses grow. Trend stories dealt with how a Charlotte influencer makes money promoting restaurants; a look at downtown Raleigh's rebound; how life sciences has found a home in Transylvania; and some breaking news on what Natron Energy's decision could mean for Rocky Mount, an eastern North Carolina town that has struggled with high unemployment. Ray Gronberg wrote about how Tar Heel lawmakers have given millions to a group with an eye toward Olympic glory in either training centers or the Games
