Biopharma company to create 401 jobs in Wilson

Biopharma device manufacturer Schott Pharma USA Inc. plans to create 401 jobs as part of a $371 million investment in Wilson County, state officials said Monday.

The announcement came during a meeting of the state Department of Commerce’s Economic Investment Committee. The committee approve approved an incentives package worth up to $6.4 million for the project. That’s in addition to $16.2 million in incentives approved by the city of Wilson and Wilson County, officials said. The project is expected to grow the the state’s economy by an estimated $1.32 billion, state officials said.

Schott Pharma, a unit of Mainz, Germany-based Schott AG, plans to build the new Wilson facility to make syringes for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. On average, more than 25,000 injections per minute are provided to patients worldwide through a product produced by the company, according to the state.

“The impact of this facility will go far beyond local job creation in North Carolina and will relieve stress on the entire pharmaceutical industry supply chain,” Andreas Reisse, the chief executive of Schott Pharma, said in a statement.

Schott Pharma, which has more than 4,700 employees worldwide, plans to create the Wilson jobs by the end of 2030. The average annual wage of the jobs would be $57,868, above the Wilson County average of $52,619. Schott plans to fill management, engineering, maintenance, manufacturing, quality assurance, logistics and administration jobs at the Wilson site.

"Schott’s decision to select our state for this important project shows once again that North Carolina is a global leader for biotechnology and life sciences,” Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement. “From our expertise in biomanufacturing to the proven education and training systems that are critical for workforce development, global companies recognize North Carolina’s clear advantages as a place to do business.”

Schott would make prefillable polymer syringes designed for deep-cold storage and transportation of messenger ribonucleic acid, or mRNA, medications, according to the company. The Wilson site would also have the capability to make glass prefillable syringes for drugs to treat diabetes or obesity.

The project is designed to reduce lead times and slash transportation costs for the company, as well as aid pandemic preparedness, Schott said. The company expects to triple its output of glass and polymer syringes in the U.S. market by 2030. Schott plans to break ground by the end of the year, and it expects the facility to be operational in 2027.

The company also considered locations in South Carolina, state officials said. The company said it chose Wilson due to labor availability, proximity to Research Triangle Park, universities and robust biotech and health care sectors. The Wilson site also offers the possibility of future expansion, the company said. Utility costs and state and local incentives also played a role, commerce officials said.

“North Carolina’s pro-growth and low-tax policies, along with the $40 million investment in the new biologics training facility at Wilson Community College, are paying off for Wilson County and the BioPharma Crescent,” North Carolina Sen. Buck Newton, R-Wilson said in a statement, referring to the five-county region in Eastern North Carolina that is home to a large cluster of biotech manufacturers.

Over the past decade, about 109 new projects and expansions from German companies have created more than 7,000 new jobs in North Carolina, generating over $2 billion in capital investment, according to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. More than 43,000 North Carolinians work in the state for German companies. Forty-five German companies have established their US headquarters in the state.

Siemens Energy last month said it would add 559 jobs and invest almost $150 million in North Carolina over the next five years, WRAL previously reported.

The Siemens expansion — which is expected to grow the state’s economy by $1.63 billion — would establish in Mecklenburg County the company’s first U.S. manufacturing site for large power transformers, a critical component of the nation’s power grid, state officials said. The company will also expand its existing grid technology engineering operations in Wake County.