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    <div>&#160;</div>
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    <div>&#160;</div>
    <div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="right"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">As
        filed
        with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 29, 2008</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="right"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Registration
        No. 333-__________</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">UNITED
        STATES</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">SECURITIES
        AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Washington,
        D.C.&#160;&#160;20549</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">FORM
        S-8</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">REGISTRATION
        STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">CREE,
        INC.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(Exact
        name of registrant as specified in its charter)</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div>
        <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">

            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="41%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">North
                  Carolina</font></div>
              </td>
              <td valign="top" width="38%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">56-1572719</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="41%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">(State
                  or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)</font></div>
              </td>
              <td valign="top" width="38%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">(I.R.S.
                  Employer Identification No.)</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="41%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;</font></td>
              <td valign="top" width="38%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;</font></td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="41%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">4600
                  Silicon Drive</font></div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Durham,
                  North Carolina</font></div>
              </td>
              <td valign="top" width="38%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
                </div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">27703</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="41%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">(Address
                  of Principal Executive Offices)</font></div>
              </td>
              <td valign="top" width="38%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">(Zip
                  Code)</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>

        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">CREE,
        INC.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">2004
        LONG-TERM INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(AS
        AMENDED)</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(Full
        title of the plan)</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">John
        T.
        Kurtzweil</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Executive
        Vice President &#8211; Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Cree,
        Inc.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">4600
        Silicon Drive</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Durham,
        North Carolina</font>
        27703</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(919)
        313-5300</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(Name,
        address and telephone number, including area code, of agent for
        service)</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Copy
        to:</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Adam
        H.
        Broome, Esq.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Cree,
        Inc.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">4600
        Silicon Drive</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Durham,
        North Carolina</font>
        27703</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div>
        <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">

            <tr>
              <td colspan="5" valign="top" width="88%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
                </div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">CALCULATION
                  OF REGISTRATION FEE</font></div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
                </div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="21%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Title
                  of securities</font></div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">to
                  be registered</font></div>
              </td>
              <td valign="top" width="13%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Amount
                  to be</font></div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">registered</font></div>
              </td>
              <td valign="top" width="21%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Proposed
                  maximum offering</font></div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">price
                  per share</font></div>
              </td>
              <td valign="top" width="18%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Proposed
                  maximum</font></div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">aggregate
                  offering price</font></div>
              </td>
              <td valign="top" width="14%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Amount
                  of</font></div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">registration
                  fee</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="21%" style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
                </div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 9pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left">&#160;</div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 9pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Common
                  Stock,</font></div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 9pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">$0.00125
                  par value</font></div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 9pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left">&#160;</div>
              </td>
              <td valign="top" width="13%" style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
                </div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">3,537,989
                  (1)</font></div>
              </td>
              <td valign="top" width="21%" style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
                </div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">$25.55&#160;(2)</font></div>
              </td>
              <td valign="top" width="18%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
                </div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">$90,395,618.95&#160;(2)</font></div>
              </td>
              <td valign="top" width="14%" style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
                </div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">$3,552.55&#160;(2)</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td align="left" colspan="5" valign="top" width="88%" style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt" align="left">
                </div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt; TEXT-INDENT: -27pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">(1)
                  Includes&#160;(a) 2,000,000 additional shares that are authorized for
                  issuance under the Registrant's 2004 Long-Term Incentive Compensation
                  Plan, as amended, and approved by the Registrant's shareholders
                  at the
                  annual meeting of shareholders held on November 1, 2007 (the "Plan")
                  and
                  (b)&#160;1,537,989 shares carried forward from the Registrant's Amended
                  and Restated Equity Compensation Plan (the "Predecessor Plan"),
                  which were
                  subject to options that expired, were cancelled or otherwise terminated
                  unexercised for any reason since the Predecessor Plan was terminated
                  as to
                  future grants on November 4, 2004.&#160; In addition, pursuant to Rule
                  416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
                  Act"), this Registration Statement also covers such additional
                  shares of
                  Common Stock as may <font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman"><font size="+0" style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">be
                  issued to
                  prevent dilution of the shares of Common Stock covered hereby resulting
                  from stock splits, stock dividends or similar
                  transactions</font>.</font></font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td align="left" colspan="5" valign="top" width="88%" style="PADDING-LEFT: 0pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
                  <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt; TEXT-INDENT: -27pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">(2)
                    Calculated solely for the purpose of this offering pursuant to
                    Rule 457(h)
                    on the basis of the average of the high and low prices of the
                    Common Stock
                    as reported on the&#160;Nasdaq Global Select Market on January 22,
                    2008.</font></div>
                </div>
              </td>
            </tr>

        </table>
      </div><br>
      <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
        <div id="FTR">
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          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
          </div>
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
            <hr style="COLOR: black" noshade size="2">
          </div>
        </div>
        <div id="HDR">
          <div id="GLHDR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="right">
          </div>
        </div>
      </div><br>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">PART
        I</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">INFORMATION
        REQUIRED IN THE 10(a) PROSPECTUS</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
        <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB2" style="LETTER-SPACING: 9pt">&#160;&#160;&#160;</font>&#160;&#160;&#160;
          This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is being filed by Cree, Inc. (the
          &#8220;Registrant&#8221;) to register an additional 3,537,989 shares of the Common Stock of
          the Registrant, $0.00125 par value, issuable under the Plan. </font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">As
          permitted by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
&#8220;Commission&#8221;), this Registration Statement omits the information specified in
          Part I of Form S-8 and consists of only those items required by General
          Instruction E to Form S-8.</font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;</font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
          document containing the information specified in Part I will be delivered
          to the
          participants in the Plan as required by Rule 428(b) under the Securities
          Act.
          This document is not being filed with the Commission as part of this
          Registration Statement or a prospectus or prospectus supplement pursuant
          to Rule
          424 under the Securities Act.</font></div>
        <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left">&#160;</div>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">PART
        II</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">INFORMATION
        REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt"></font>&#160;&#160;
Pursuant
        to General
        Instruction E of Form S-8, the prior Registration Statements relating to
        the
        Plan, Registration Nos. 333-122073 and 333-136903 filed with the Commission
        on
        January 14, 2005 and August 25, 2006, remain effective, and the contents
        of such
        Registration Statements are incorporated in this Registration Statement by
        this
        reference.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
        <table bgcolor="white" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="35%">

            <tr bgcolor="white">
              <td width="5%">&#160;<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><font size="2">Item
                3.</font></font><font id="TAB2" style="COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: 27pt">&#160;</font></td>
              <td width="30%">&#160;<font size="2"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Incorporation
                of Documents by
                Reference</font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">.</font></font></td>
            </tr>

        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
        following documents filed with the Commission are hereby incorporated by
        reference in this Registration Statement:</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(a)</font><font id="TAB2" style="COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: 9pt">&#160;</font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
        Registrant&#8217;s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 24,
        2007;</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(b)</font><font id="TAB2" style="COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: 9pt">&#160;</font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
        Registrant&#8217;s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended September 23,
        2007 and December 30, 2007;</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(c)</font><font id="TAB2" style="COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: 9pt">&#160;</font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
        Registrant&#8217;s Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed on June 29, 2007 and the
        Registrant&#8217;s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on August 7, 2007, August 24,
        2007, October 18, 2007, November 7, 2007, January 3, 2008 and January 22,
        2008;</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(d)</font><font id="TAB2" style="COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: 9pt">&#160;</font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
        description of the Registrant&#8217;s Common Stock contained in the Registrant&#8217;s
        Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on January 29, 1993, and any amendments
        or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description; and</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(e)</font><font id="TAB2" style="COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: 9pt">&#160;</font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
        description of the rights attached to the Registrant&#8217;s Common Stock contained in
        the Registrant&#8217;s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on May 30, 2002, and
        any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
        description.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>In
        addition, all documents subsequently
        filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of
        the
        Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, prior to the </font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">filing
        of
        a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have
        been
        sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be
        deemed
        to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be
        a part
        hereof from the date of filing of such documents.&#160;&#160;However, any
        documents or portions thereof, whether specifically listed above or filed
        in the
        future, that are not deemed &#8220;filed&#8221; with the Commission, including without
        limitation any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or 7.01 of Form
        8-K
        or certain exhibits furnished pursuant to Item 9.01 of Form 8-K, shall not
        be
        deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration
        Statement.</font></div><br>
      <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
        <div id="FTR">
          <div id="GLFTR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="left">
          </div>
        </div>
        <div id="PN" style="PAGE-BREAK-AFTER: always">
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">-
            2
            -</font></div>
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
            <hr style="COLOR: black" noshade size="2">
          </div>
        </div>
        <div id="HDR">
          <div id="GLHDR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="right">
          </div>
        </div>
      </div><br>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>Any
        statement in a document
        incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed
        to
        be modified or superseded for the purposes of this Registration Statement
        to the
        extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed
        document which also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference
        herein modifies or supersedes such statement.&#160;&#160;Any statement so
        modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded,
        to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
        <table bgcolor="white" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="35%">

            <tr bgcolor="white">
              <td width="5%">&#160;<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><font size="2">Item
                5.</font></font><font id="TAB2" style="COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: 27pt">&#160;</font></td>
              <td width="30%">&#160;<font size="2"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Interests
                of Named Experts and
                Counsel.</font></font></td>
            </tr>

        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>The
        validity of the securities being
        registered by this Registration Statement will be passed upon for the Registrant
        by Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell &amp; Jernigan, L.L.P., Raleigh,
        North Carolina.&#160;&#160;As of the date of this Registration Statement,
        certain current individual attorneys with Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett,
        Mitchell &amp; Jernigan, L.L.P. beneficially own an aggregate of&#160;3,450
        shares of the Registrant&#8217;s Common Stock.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
        <table bgcolor="white" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="35%">

            <tr bgcolor="white">
              <td width="5%">&#160;<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><font size="2">Item
                8.</font></font><font id="TAB2" style="COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: 27pt">&#160;</font></td>
              <td width="30%">&#160;<font size="2"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Exhibits.</font></font></td>
            </tr>

        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
        <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">

            <tr>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="11%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: black 2px solid">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Exhibit
                  No.</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="69%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: black 2px solid">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Description</font></font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td align="justify" valign="top" width="11%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt"></font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">5.1</font></div>
              </td>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="69%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Opinion
                  of Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell &amp; Jernigan,
                  L.L.P.</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td align="justify" valign="top" width="11%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt"></font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">23.1</font></div>
              </td>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="69%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Consent
                  of Ernst &amp; Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting
                  Firm</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td align="justify" valign="top" width="11%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt"></font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">23.2</font></div>
              </td>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="69%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Consent
                  of Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell &amp; Jernigan, L.L.P.
                  (Contained in Exhibit 5.1)</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td align="justify" valign="top" width="11%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt"></font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">24.1</font></div>
              </td>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="69%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Power
                  of Attorney (Contained on signature
                  page)</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>

        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
        <table bgcolor="white" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="35%">

            <tr bgcolor="white">
              <td width="5%">&#160;<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><font size="2">Item
                9.</font></font><font id="TAB2" style="COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: 27pt">&#160;</font></td>
              <td width="30%">&#160;<font size="2"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Undertakings.</font></font></td>
            </tr>

        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
        <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(a)&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;
          The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:</font></div>
        <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
        <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(1)&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;
          To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
          post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:</font></div>
        <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
        <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 81pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(i)&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;To
          include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act
          of
          1933;</font></div>
        <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
        <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 81pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(ii)&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;
          To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective
          date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
          thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental
          change
          in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding
          the
          foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if
          the
          total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was
          registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated
          maximum
          offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the
          Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in
          volume
          and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate
          offering
          price set forth in the &#8220;Calculation of Registration Fee&#8221; table in the effective
          Registration Statement;</font></div>
        <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
        <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 81pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(iii)&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;
          To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution
          not
          previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change
          to
          such information in the Registration Statement.</font><br></div>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 81pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 81pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-STYLE: italic">Provided,
        however, that</font>
        paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required
        to
        be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained
        in
        reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant
        to
        Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are
        incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(2)<font id="TAB2" style="LETTER-SPACING: 9pt">&#160;&#160;&#160;</font>&#160;&#160;&#160;
        That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act
        of
        1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
        registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
        offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
        bona
        fide offering thereof.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
      <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
        <div id="FTR">
          <div id="GLFTR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="left">
          </div>
        </div>
        <div id="PN" style="PAGE-BREAK-AFTER: always">
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">-
            3
            -</font></div>
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
            <hr style="COLOR: black" noshade size="2">
          </div>
        </div>
        <div id="HDR">
          <div id="GLHDR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="right">
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(3)<font id="TAB2" style="LETTER-SPACING: 9pt">&#160;&#160;&#160;</font>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;To
        remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the
        securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
        offering.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(4)<font id="TAB2" style="LETTER-SPACING: 9pt">&#160;&#160;&#160;</font>&#160;&#160;&#160;
        That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of
        1933
        to any purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of
        a
        registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration
        statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance
        on
        Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration
        statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. <font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-STYLE: italic">Provided, however</font>, that no
        statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of
        the
        registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated
        by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of
        the
        registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of
        sale
        prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made
        in the
        registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement
        or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first
        use.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(5)&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;
        That, for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the
        Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the
        securities, the undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering
        of
        securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this Registration
        Statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities
        to
        the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by
        means
        of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be
        a
        seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities
        to such purchaser:</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 81pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(i)&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;
        Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating
        to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 81pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(ii)&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;
        Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf
        of
        the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned
        Registrant;</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 81pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(iii)&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;
        The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering
        containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its
        securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant;
        and</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
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        Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned
        Registrant to the purchaser.</font></div>
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        The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining
        any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant&#8217;s
        annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities
        Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the Registration
        Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to
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        securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
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        Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
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        1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
        Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant
        has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission
        such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
        is,
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        such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred
        or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in
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        successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
        director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities
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        matter
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            4
            -</font></div>
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        <div id="HDR">
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        to the requirements of the
        Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has
        reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing
        on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed
        on its
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        State of North Carolina, on this&#160;29th day of January, 2008.</font></div>
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                  INC.</font></font></div>
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            <tr>
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              <td valign="top" width="4%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;</font></td>
              <td valign="top" width="2%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;</font></td>
              <td valign="top" width="40%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;</font></td>
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            <tr>
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              <td valign="top" width="4%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;</font></td>
              <td valign="top" width="2%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;</font></td>
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                  M.
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              <td valign="top" width="4%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;</font></td>
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        ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that
        each individual whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Charles
        M. Swoboda and John T. Kurtzweil, and each of them, his true and lawful
        attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power of substitution and resubstitution,
        for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign
        any
        and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration
        Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all documents
        in
        connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting
        unto
        said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform
        each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about
        the
        premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in
        person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and
        agents, or their substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
        hereof.</font></div>
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        signed
        by the following persons in the capacities and on the date
        indicated.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
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            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="28%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: black 2px solid">
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            <tr>
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              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td align="justify" valign="top" width="36%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 4px">&#160;</td>
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            <tr>
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                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
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Charles
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              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
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                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left">&#160;</div>
              </td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td valign="bottom" width="19%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ffffff solid">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
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            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="28%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: black 2px solid">
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John
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                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left">&#160;</div>
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              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
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                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
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                  29, 2008</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="28%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: black 2px solid">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
              </td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
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                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
              </td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td valign="bottom" width="19%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
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                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">January
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              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="28%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: black 2px solid">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
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              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td align="justify" valign="bottom" width="36%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
              </td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td valign="bottom" width="19%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
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                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">January
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              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="28%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: black 2px solid">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
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John
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                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
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              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
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                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
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                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">John
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              <td valign="top" width="19%">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;<font size="2">January
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            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="28%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: black 2px solid">
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Franco
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              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td align="justify" valign="bottom" width="36%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
              </td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td valign="bottom" width="19%">
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="28%">
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              </td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td align="justify" valign="top" width="36%">&#160;<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Director</font></td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td valign="top" width="19%">
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              <td valign="top" width="28%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: black 2px solid">
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                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font size="2">/s/&#160;
<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Dolph
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              </td>
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              <td align="left" valign="top" width="28%">
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              </td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td align="justify" valign="top" width="36%">&#160;<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Director</font></td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td valign="top" width="19%">
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            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="28%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: black 2px solid">
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                  <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font size="2">/s/&#160;
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                    A. Wagner</font></div>
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              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td align="justify" valign="bottom" width="36%">
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              </td>
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            <tr>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="28%">
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                  A. Wagner</font></div>
              </td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td align="justify" valign="top" width="36%">&#160;<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Director</font></td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td valign="top" width="19%">
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              <td valign="top" width="28%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: black 2px solid">
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                  <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font size="2">/s/&#160;
Thomas
                    H. Werner</font></div>
                </div>
              </td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td align="justify" valign="bottom" width="36%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
              </td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td valign="bottom" width="19%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
              </td>
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            <tr>
              <td valign="top" width="28%">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Thomas
                  H. Werner</font></div>
              </td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td align="justify" valign="bottom" width="36%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman"><font size="3">&#160;</font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Director</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td width="1%">&#160;</td>
              <td valign="bottom" width="19%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">January
                  29, 2008</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>

        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
      <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
        <div id="FTR">
          <div id="GLFTR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="left">
          </div>
        </div>
        <div id="PN" style="PAGE-BREAK-AFTER: always">
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">-
            5
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          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
            <hr style="COLOR: black" noshade size="2">
          </div>
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        <div id="HDR">
          <div id="GLHDR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="right">
          </div>
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      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">EXHIBIT
        INDEX</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">
        <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">

            <tr>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="11%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: black 2px solid">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Exhibit
                  No.</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="69%" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: black 2px solid">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Description</font></font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td align="justify" valign="top" width="11%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt"></font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">5.1</font></div>
              </td>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="69%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Opinion
                  of Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell &amp; Jernigan,
                  L.L.P.</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td align="justify" valign="top" width="11%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt"></font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">23.1</font></div>
              </td>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="69%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Consent
                  of Ernst &amp; Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting
                  Firm</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td align="justify" valign="top" width="11%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt"></font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">23.2</font></div>
              </td>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="69%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Consent
                  of Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell &amp; Jernigan, L.L.P.
                  (Contained in Exhibit 5.1)</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
              <td align="justify" valign="top" width="11%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt"></font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">24.1</font></div>
              </td>
              <td align="left" valign="top" width="69%">
                <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.25; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Power
                  of Attorney (Contained on signature
                  page)</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>

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[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "forms-8.htm", "description": "FORM S-8 JAN 29 2008", "secsgml_size_bytes": 87878}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "CREE INC", "cik": "0000895419", "assigned-sic": "3674", "irs-number": "561572719", "state-of-incorporation": "NC", "fiscal-year-end": "0629"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-148927", "film-number": "08558972"}, "business-address": {"street1": "4600 SILICON DR", "city": "DURHAM", "state": "NC", "zip": "27703", "phone": "9193135300"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "4600 SILICON DR", "city": "DURHAM", "state": "NC", "zip": "27703-8475"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "CREE RESEARCH INC /NC/", "date-changed": "19940224"}}
forms-8.htm
As
        filed
        with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 29, 2008
Registration
        No. 333-__________
UNITED
        STATES
SECURITIES
        AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
        D.C.  20549
FORM
        S-8
REGISTRATION
        STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
CREE,
        INC.
(Exact
        name of registrant as specified in its charter)
North
                  Carolina
56-1572719
(State
                  or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S.
                  Employer Identification No.)
4600
                  Silicon Drive
Durham,
                  North Carolina
27703
(Address
                  of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip
                  Code)
CREE,
        INC.
2004
        LONG-TERM INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN
(AS
        AMENDED)
(Full
        title of the plan)
John
        T.
        Kurtzweil
Executive
        Vice President – Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Cree,
        Inc.
4600
        Silicon Drive
Durham,
        North Carolina
27703
(919)
        313-5300
(Name,
        address and telephone number, including area code, of agent for
        service)
Copy
        to:
Adam
        H.
        Broome, Esq.
Cree,
        Inc.
4600
        Silicon Drive
Durham,
        North Carolina
27703
CALCULATION
                  OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title
                  of securities
to
                  be registered
Amount
                  to be
registered
Proposed
                  maximum offering
price
                  per share
Proposed
                  maximum
aggregate
                  offering price
Amount
                  of
registration
                  fee
Common
                  Stock,
$0.00125
                  par value
3,537,989
                  (1)
$25.55 (2)
$90,395,618.95 (2)
$3,552.55 (2)
(1)
                  Includes (a) 2,000,000 additional shares that are authorized for
                  issuance under the Registrant's 2004 Long-Term Incentive Compensation
                  Plan, as amended, and approved by the Registrant's shareholders
                  at the
                  annual meeting of shareholders held on November 1, 2007 (the "Plan")
                  and
                  (b) 1,537,989 shares carried forward from the Registrant's Amended
                  and Restated Equity Compensation Plan (the "Predecessor Plan"),
                  which were
                  subject to options that expired, were cancelled or otherwise terminated
                  unexercised for any reason since the Predecessor Plan was terminated
                  as to
                  future grants on November 4, 2004.  In addition, pursuant to Rule
                  416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
                  Act"), this Registration Statement also covers such additional
                  shares of
                  Common Stock as may
be
                  issued to
                  prevent dilution of the shares of Common Stock covered hereby resulting
                  from stock splits, stock dividends or similar
                  transactions
.
(2)
                    Calculated solely for the purpose of this offering pursuant to
                    Rule 457(h)
                    on the basis of the average of the high and low prices of the
                    Common Stock
                    as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on January 22,
                    2008.
PART
        I
INFORMATION
        REQUIRED IN THE 10(a) PROSPECTUS
This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is being filed by Cree, Inc. (the
          "Registrant") to register an additional 3,537,989 shares of the Common Stock of
          the Registrant, $0.00125 par value, issuable under the Plan.
As
          permitted by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission"), this Registration Statement omits the information specified in
          Part I of Form S-8 and consists of only those items required by General
          Instruction E to Form S-8.
The
          document containing the information specified in Part I will be delivered
          to the
          participants in the Plan as required by Rule 428(b) under the Securities
          Act.
          This document is not being filed with the Commission as part of this
          Registration Statement or a prospectus or prospectus supplement pursuant
          to Rule
          424 under the Securities Act.
PART
        II
INFORMATION
        REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Pursuant
        to General
        Instruction E of Form S-8, the prior Registration Statements relating to
        the
        Plan, Registration Nos. 333-122073 and 333-136903 filed with the Commission
        on
        January 14, 2005 and August 25, 2006, remain effective, and the contents
        of such
        Registration Statements are incorporated in this Registration Statement by
        this
        reference.
Item
                3.
Incorporation
                of Documents by
                Reference
.
The
        following documents filed with the Commission are hereby incorporated by
        reference in this Registration Statement:
(a)
The
        Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 24,
        2007;
(b)
The
        Registrant's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended September 23,
        2007 and December 30, 2007;
(c)
The
        Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed on June 29, 2007 and the
        Registrant's Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on August 7, 2007, August 24,
        2007, October 18, 2007, November 7, 2007, January 3, 2008 and January 22,
        2008;
(d)
The
        description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained in the Registrant's
        Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on January 29, 1993, and any amendments
        or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description; and
(e)
The
        description of the rights attached to the Registrant's Common Stock contained in
        the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on May 30, 2002, and
        any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
        description.
In
        addition, all documents subsequently
        filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of
        the
        Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, prior to the
filing
        of
        a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have
        been
        sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be
        deemed
        to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be
        a part
        hereof from the date of filing of such documents.  However, any
        documents or portions thereof, whether specifically listed above or filed
        in the
        future, that are not deemed "filed" with the Commission, including without
        limitation any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or 7.01 of Form
        8-K
        or certain exhibits furnished pursuant to Item 9.01 of Form 8-K, shall not
        be
        deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration
        Statement.
-
            2
            -
Any
        statement in a document
        incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed
        to
        be modified or superseded for the purposes of this Registration Statement
        to the
        extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed
        document which also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference
        herein modifies or supersedes such statement.  Any statement so
        modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded,
        to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.
Item
                5.
Interests
                of Named Experts and
                Counsel.
The
        validity of the securities being
        registered by this Registration Statement will be passed upon for the Registrant
        by Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan, L.L.P., Raleigh,
        North Carolina.  As of the date of this Registration Statement,
        certain current individual attorneys with Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett,
        Mitchell & Jernigan, L.L.P. beneficially own an aggregate of 3,450
        shares of the Registrant's Common Stock.
Item
                8.
Exhibits.
Exhibit
                  No.
Description
5.1
Opinion
                  of Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan,
                  L.L.P.
23.1
Consent
                  of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting
                  Firm
23.2
Consent
                  of Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan, L.L.P.
                  (Contained in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1
Power
                  of Attorney (Contained on signature
                  page)
Item
                9.
Undertakings.
(a)           
          The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1)            
          To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
          post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(i)            To
          include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act
          of
          1933;
(ii)          
          To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective
          date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
          thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental
          change
          in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding
          the
          foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if
          the
          total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was
          registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated
          maximum
          offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the
          Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in
          volume
          and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate
          offering
          price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective
          Registration Statement;
(iii)          
          To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution
          not
          previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change
          to
          such information in the Registration Statement.
Provided,
        however, that
paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required
        to
        be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained
        in
        reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant
        to
        Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are
        incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.
(2)
That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act
        of
        1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
        registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
        offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
        bona
        fide offering thereof.
-
            3
            -
(3)
To
        remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the
        securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
        offering.
(4)
That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of
        1933
        to any purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of
        a
        registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration
        statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance
        on
        Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration
        statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness.
Provided, however
, that no
        statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of
        the
        registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated
        by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of
        the
        registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of
        sale
        prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made
        in the
        registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement
        or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first
        use.
(5)             
        That, for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the
        Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the
        securities, the undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering
        of
        securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this Registration
        Statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities
        to
        the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by
        means
        of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be
        a
        seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities
        to such purchaser:
(i)            
        Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating
        to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii)          
        Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf
        of
        the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned
        Registrant;
(iii)          
        The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering
        containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its
        securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant;
        and
(iv)          
        Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned
        Registrant to the purchaser.
(b)           
        The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining
        any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant's
        annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities
        Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the Registration
        Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to
        the
        securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
        shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c)           
        Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
        of
        1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
        Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant
        has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission
        such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
        is,
        therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
        such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred
        or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in
        the
        successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
        director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities
        being
        registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the
        matter
        has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
        jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
        policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication
        of
        such issue.
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            4
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant
        to the requirements of the
        Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has
        reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing
        on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed
        on its
        behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Durham,
        State of North Carolina, on this 29th day of January, 2008.
CREE,
                  INC.
By:
/s/ Charles
                  M.
                  Swoboda
Charles
                  M. Swoboda
Chairman,
                  Chief Executive Officer and
                  President
KNOW
        ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that
        each individual whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Charles
        M. Swoboda and John T. Kurtzweil, and each of them, his true and lawful
        attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power of substitution and resubstitution,
        for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign
        any
        and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration
        Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all documents
        in
        connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting
        unto
        said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform
        each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about
        the
        premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in
        person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and
        agents, or their substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
        hereof.
Pursuant
        to the requirements of the
        Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been
        signed
        by the following persons in the capacities and on the date
        indicated.
Name
Title
Date
/s/ 
Charles
                  M. Swoboda
Charles
                  M. Swoboda
Chairman,
                Chief Executive Officer and
President
                  (Principal Executive Officer)
January
                  29, 2008
/s/ 
John
                  T. Kurtzweil
John
                  T. Kurtzweil
Executive
                Vice President – Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
(Principal
                  Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
January
                  29, 2008
James
                  E. Dykes
Director
January
                  __, 2008
/s/
Clyde
                  R. Hosein
Clyde
                  R. Hosein
Director
January
                  28, 2008
/s/ 
John
                  W. Palmour
John
                  W. Palmour, Ph.D.
Director
January
                  29, 2008
/s/ 
Franco
                    Plastina
Franco
                  Plastina
Director
January
                  29, 2008
/s/
Dolph
                  W. von Arx
Dolph
                  W. von Arx
Director
January
                  29, 2008
/s/ 
Harvey
                    A. Wagner
Harvey
                  A. Wagner
Director
January
                  28, 2008
/s/ 
Thomas
                    H. Werner
Thomas
                  H. Werner
Director
January
                  29, 2008
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            5
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EXHIBIT
        INDEX
Exhibit
                  No.
Description
5.1
Opinion
                  of Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan,
                  L.L.P.
23.1
Consent
                  of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting
                  Firm
23.2
Consent
                  of Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan, L.L.P.
                  (Contained in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1
Power
                  of Attorney (Contained on signature
                  page)
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            6
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