Veterinary diagnostics company bringing 275 jobs to Wilson

IDEXX Laboratories announced Tuesday that it will build a production facility in Wilson, creating 275 jobs. The company plans to invest $147 million in Wilson, according to a news release from Gov. Roy Cooper’s office.

Billed as a global leader in pet health care innovation, IDEXX produces veterinary software, diagnostics and related products, according to its website.

“We are so excited about getting them here,” said Wilson Economic Development Council Executive Director Jennifer Lantz. “It’s a great company, community-minded. It’s a perfect fit for Wilson.”

IDEXX will be located in the Wilson Corporate Park, across the pond from Purdue Pharma and next door to Refresco, Lantz said.

IDEXX is headquartered in Westbrook, Maine.

“If you’ve ever had a pet or ever had livestock, this company has touched you — you just don’t know their name,” Lantz said. “But your vet knows their name.”

According to the governor’s office, the company will pay an average of $65,873 per year. That’s higher than the current average wage of $52,619 in Wilson County. The annual payroll impact to the community is $18 million, according to state officials.

The total local incentive amount is $4,720,150 over eight years, Lantz told the Times. She said the city and county would share the amount equally. Tax incentives haven’t been approved, she said, but county commissioners will consider a request Aug. 5, followed by the Wilson City Council on Aug. 15.

On Tuesday, the state’s Economic Investment Committee approved a Job Development Investment Grant for the project.

The JDIG agreement could mean up to $3,872,000 in reimbursement to the company over a 12-year period using a formula that takes new tax revenues that would be generated by new jobs and capital investment into account. The project could bring $1 billion to the state’s economy in that 12-year span, according to state officials.

“Our region is seeing great momentum in economic development, and we’re excited to welcome these new jobs to Wilson County,” state Sen. Buck Newton, R-Wilson, said in a prepared statement. “IDEXX’s decision to locate operations in our region shows people around the world that we’re the perfect location for tomorrow’s global industries.”

State Rep. Ken Fontenot, R-Wilson, said it takes cooperation and teamwork to recruit industry.

“Our community is proud to be the clear choice for a company like IDEXX with its reputation for excellence in its industry,” he said. “We look forward to helping the company establish deep roots and success in North Carolina.”

The N.C. Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina partnered with the General Assembly, the N.C. Community College System, N.C. Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, ElectriCities of North Carolina, Wilson County, the city of Wilson and the Wilson Economic Development Council for this project.

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