Wilson County lands two huge manufacturers

In neighboring Wilson County, the big swings are resulting in big hits, with a tremendous amount of growth under way. Part of those results have included a 600-home subdivision, low-rent apartments and the new baseball stadium which brought with it tons of multi-use development downtown.

But the county’s pharmaceuticals portfolio is booming as well, with the Rocky Mount-based Golden LEAF Foundation joining in to ensure an available workforce is ready to fill the large number of jobs heading to the region.

On Tuesday, Johnson & Johnson announced it would establish a $2 billion biologics manufacturing facility in Wilson County that would employ 420 workers earning an average of at least $108,800.

The current average salary in the county is $52,619.

Then on Thursday, Golden LEAF Foundation’s Board of Directors awarded $13 million to Wilson Community College for training equipment that will be used to support the Johnson & Johnson location in Wilson County.

The state has appropriated $30 million for the training center. Johnson & Johnson will make a capital investment of more than $1 billion.

“The Golden LEAF Board was proud to provide funding for the training center operated by Wilson Community College,” said Golden LEAF President and Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton. “The center will provide the knowledge and skills needed to work for Johnson & Johnson and other employers in the region. This announcement is a major win for eastern North Carolina.”

In announcing the major economic boon to the area, Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday that Johnson & Johnson is uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of health care solutions to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow and profoundly impact health for humanity.

“We welcome this tremendous investment by Johnson & Johnson as they expand their global manufacturing footprint,” Cooper said in prepared remarks. “Life sciences leaders continue to select North Carolina because our world-class workforce will help the company successfully produce innovative medicines that will make a profound impact on our state and patients around the world.”

The Johnson & Johnson announcement was fast on the heels of word that Wilson County had found an employer to move in to the closed pharmaceutical plant near the Wilson Corporate Park just off Interstate 95.

On Sept 24, Reckitt, a global leader in health, hygiene and nutrition, announced it would establish a major production plant in Wilson County to produce the over-the-counter medicine Mucinex.

Reckitt said it would create 289 jobs paying an average of $80,200 annually.

While Johnson & Johnson will build a new facility, the Reckitt facility will be located at the former site of Sandoz Novartis, which closed last year. Reckitt said it would invest nearly $150 million in Wilson County and that its plant will be operational by 2028.

Golden LEAF’s 15-member Board of Directors is appointed by the governor, the N.C. Senate president pro tempore and the N.C. House speaker.

Since 1999, Golden LEAF has funded 2,300 projects totaling $1.3 billion supporting the mission of advancing economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities.

The nonprofit organization receives a portion of North Carolina’s funding from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers. For 25 years, Golden LEAF has worked to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural and tobacco-dependent communities through leadership in grantmaking, collaboration, innovation and stewardship as an independent and perpetual foundation.

For more information about the foundation and its programs, visit its website at GoldenLEAF.org.