How Pfizer Rocky Mount is developing opportunities for Nash County

As a multinational pharmaceutical company, Pfizer employs more than 79,000 people worldwide. The company has also received global recognition for their part in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, working to develop and manufacture the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and the COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid. A reputable, trusted name in the pharmaceutical industry, Pfizer decided to call Nash County home when the company acquired the Rocky Mount site in 2015.

Although the Pfizer Rocky Mount Facility has been in operation for seven years, the site has had a previous tenant. “The actual site has been here for well over 50 years, since 1968,” said Kara Price, Director of Integrated Manufacturing at Pfizer Rocky Mount. “Abbot Laboratories owned it before it was acquired by Hospira in the early 2000s.” Now, Pfizer is the largest employer within Nash County, employing 2,700 people, with 50 percent of the staff being from Nash County itself.

Still, Pfizer has plenty of room to grow in the county. "We currently have 250 acres in Nash County, so as we continue to look at our operations, we have plenty of room to expand as we continue to evaluate strategies for the site," said Price. The talent is also an incredible asset for Pfizer. Describing the workforce of Nash County, Price said, “People are hardworking, they have been a key talent pool for many of our roles. We’ve filled many critical roles that are necessary for our operations, like electricians and utility specialists, from the local area.”

With the Rocky Mount facility, Pfizer is looking to bring even more jobs to the area while focusing on furthering the company's mission. "I think we are in an area where we can build and be a major source of employment for the area, but we’re not crowded like in areas such as Research Triangle," said Price. The company is also invested in helping to develop a workforce pipeline, starting with Nash County's students. "At Pfizer, we love helping to build that pipeline of talent and interest in STEM programs early. We sponsored students in Twin County Brick City Engineering Challenge and the Twin County STEM Design Challenge and Invention Convention to help them get interested in STEM," she said.

Additionally, the company is working on other initiatives to create opportunities within Nash County. "In April of this year, we held a large job fair at our site, in partnership with North Carolina Wesleyan University, to bring in local talent for key positions at our plant. We hired 100 people on the spot and countless others who have come later," said Price. The company is also looking to develop relationships with different colleges and universities in the area. Price said, "One of our key programs is our internship program. Every year, we offer opportunities to interns within colleges and universities in the area to give them projects in line with their major that are significant contributions to the work we do here."

Pfizer also works hard to engage with the community as a whole. Price described the company’s employee resource groups, which are affinity groups at the site that partner with the community for initiatives like clothing drives and Toys for Tots. Additionally, Pfizer stepped up for the community throughout the pandemic. "At the very onset of the COVID-19 vaccine, not only did we provide opportunities for our employees to get vaccinated, but we also opened it up to vaccinate their family members, serving the community at a time where the distribution of the vaccine was low because we were still ramping production up as a country,” said Price.

Developing a strong relationship with the community is very important for Pfizer because of the workforce within Nash County. "It's a great talent pool for us locally, and there are opportunities here, and if we build the capabilities, it furthers our core mission. Our core mission at Pfizer is to create breakthroughs that change patient lives," said Price. With room to expand and their relationships in the area, Pfizer will be able to do just that. "When you’re able to provide people an income, that can be generationally changing. You give them access to good benefits and good income so people can thrive in their lives. I believe [Pfizer has] given this opportunity to people in the community and beyond in a multi-faceted way to enable them to reach their full potential within the

workforce," added Price.