GREENVILLE — Nipro Medical Corporation, a leader in the global health care and medical device industry, has selected Pitt County for its first North American manufacturing center of excellence, creating 232 jobs, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday. The company will invest more than $397.8 million to build a campus and U.S. headquarters in Greenville.
“I’m excited to welcome another advanced manufacturing company to eastern North Carolina,” Cooper said in his announcement. "Not only will Nipro join a Greenville community of health care leaders, it will grow eastern North Carolina’s life sciences prowess with the help of the skilled, dedicated and diverse workforce they need to succeed."
Founded in Japan, Nipro stands as a Tier 1 manufacturer renowned for its high-quality medical devices and health care solutions, the announcement said. The facility in Pitt County marks Nipro's first venture into producing advanced medical devices directly in the U.S. market and highlights the company’s commitment to innovation, growth and environmental sustainability.
The North Carolina facility is set to produce state-of-the-art medical devices that support patients with diabetes, chronic kidney disease and other renal health issues, reflecting Nipro's commitment to enhancing the quality of patient care through innovative medical technologies, the announcement said.
The campus in Greenville, located north of town near U.S. 264 Bypass, will hold a medical training center for health care providers and a customer service center. It will increase the company’s global capacity to continue expanding its footprint and offer high-end medical devices in a 550,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing facility for the North American market.
“We are thrilled to start manufacturing our cutting-edge medical devices in the U.S., which will support local health care professionals and patients with a stable supply chain and reduced transportation costs," said Tsuyoshi Yamazaki, senior managing director of global business at Nipro. “Our close proximity to customers will allow us to better respond to their needs and provide them with timely and effective solutions. Our new facility in Greenville is a major milestone in our sustainability journey, reflecting our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint.”
The N.C. Department of Commerce led the state’s support for the company during its site evaluation and decision-making process.
“Japan is the largest foreign investor in our state, and announcements like this only strengthen our partnership,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “With the largest manufacturing workforce in the southeastern United States and a strategic plan that focuses on talent, we are committed to supporting the training and development systems needed to ensure we have the skilled workforce that global innovators like Nipro depend on.”
Akira Shimizu, CEO of Nipro Medical Corp., said the new facility marks a major milestone in the company's commitment to the U.S. market, allowing Nipro to deliver high-quality medical devices that enhance patient outcomes and quality of life across the country.
New positions being created by the company will range from engineers and production workers to administrative and management roles. Although wages will vary depending on the position, the average salary for the new positions will be $56,147, which exceeds the current average wage in Pitt County of $50,937. These new jobs could create a potential annual payroll impact of more than $13 million for the region.
Nipro’s project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $797 million.
Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs and the capital investment, the grant agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $2,484,000, spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the state departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets.
The project's projected return on investment of public dollars is 160 percent, meaning for every dollar of potential cost, the state receives $2.60 in state revenue.
“We welcome Nipro to Greenville and look forward to the economic prosperity it will bring,” said N.C. Sen. Kandie Smith, D-5th District. “Pitt County is a thriving business region, and the jobs and investment the project promises will continue to benefit not only our county but the entire state of North Carolina.”
Smith represents Pitt and Edgecombe counties.
North Carolina has focused on recruiting Japanese business, and Japan now ranks as the number one source of foreign direct investment to the state. In April, Cooper welcome Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on an official state visit to North Carolina. Cooper also led a state delegation to Tokyo in October 2023 for an economic development conference, and Charlotte will hold the same summit this October.
Along with the N.C. Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the N.C. General Assembly, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality, the N.C. Department of Transportation, East Carolina University in Greenville, the N.C. Community College System, Pitt Community College in Winterville, the N.C. Biotechnology Center, Pitt County, Pitt County Economic Development, Greenville Eastern North Carolina Alliance, Greenville Utilities Commission and the city of Greenville.
The event follows one in April when officials joined Boviet Solar to announce the company is bringing 900 jobs and a $300 million investment in a facility in nearby Indigreen Corporate Park.
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