Medical diagnostics firm to create 153 jobs in Henderson

Mako Medical Laboratories LLC will invest $15.4 million to build a new testing facility with warehousing space, officials said. The facility will serve as the company’s main distribution point for all consumables and supplies needed in 10 other states.

Mako serves medical and health care facilities across the United States, providing blood, urine and DNA testing services as well as handling clinical trials for drugs in development. The company already employs 169 people in North Carolina.

Two months ago, Chief Executive Chad Price said Tuesday, the fast-growing company was ready to expand in another state until Henderson came forward with an offer.

"We traveled the entire country, and we met with a lot of people," Price said. "I've never seen a group of people come together, with the county, the state, the city, the Commerce Department – everybody came together. It was truly impressive."

The efforts included the Salvation Army, which owns the building Mako plans to turn into its new operation. The organization is still using the building for some of its holiday programs, but it agreed to sell the building and continue operating out of the back while crews begin work on the rest of the building.

"Let this be a testimony to anybody who's thinking about moving here – the big companies like Amazon," Price said. "We looked at everything. We looked at transportation. We looked at access to the main roads. We looked at the school systems. We met with the community college boards. We met with the Community College System. This state has so much to offer."

The average salary for the new jobs, which will include scientists, chemists, lab technicians and logistics personnel, will be $51,987, officials said. Vance County's average wage is $32,768.

Price said the jobs could be transformational for Henderson, where most of the jobs created in recent years have been low-paying service jobs in food services and retail. Mako is also committed to hiring military veterans whenever possible, he said.

Gov. Roy Cooper said rural North Carolina isn't the usual destination for life sciences jobs, but he said the Mako expansion proves it can be – with help from community colleges to train the workers.

"This is a new kind of job, and we have to be ready for it, particularly in our rural areas, because they're ready to come," Cooper said. "They just need the workforce, and we were able to show them that they had it here. And we're going to keep working on this for the rest of the state."

Brittany Coleman and Amber Lockett, were at Vance-Granville Community College when they heard the news of Mako's expansion plans.

"Coming to Henderson, it's great," Coleman said. "I guess it gives people, you know, a better chance to open up their horizons about what they want to do, and there's more for them to do."

Mako has qualified for a Job Development Investment Grant, which was approved Tuesday by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. Over the course of the 12-year term of the grant, the project will add an estimated $226 million to the state’s economy, making the company eligible for rebates of employee withholding taxes of up to $3.16 million. Mako must meet annual job creation and investment targets to obtain the money.

Mako officials said they plan to work through the holidays and hope to have the new lab up and running in January.