Biotech firm Amgen poised to add hundreds of jobs in Holly Springs, sources tell WRAL

Amgen, one of several biotechnology companies that have been expanding operations in Holly Springs, is poised to announce another growth spurt — one that could bring hundreds of more jobs to the southern Wake County town, people familiar with the matter told WRAL News. Details of the plans could be announced as early as Thursday.

Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders is scheduled to make an economic development announcement Thursday at North Carolina Biotechnology Center in Research Triangle Park. The announcement is expected to involve Wake County and the town of Holly Springs, according to an invitation obtained by WRAL News. The invitation, which described the event as a “jobs announcement,” didn’t name the company or include details about the expansion.

At least two people familiar with the matter identified the company as Amgen, which announced plans in 2021 to build a $550 million drug manufacturing plant in Holly Springs and create 355 in the fast-growing town. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the deal.

An Amgen spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

California-based Amgen — whose medicines treat cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory diseases, among others — broke ground on the Holly Springs plant in 2022. Operations there are expected to begin next year. The state awarded the company a grant worth up to $11.6 million for that expansion, provided the company hits hiring and investment targets.

The expansion expected to be announced Thursday could involve additional economic incentives for the company. The announcement is expected to happen shortly after the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Economic Investment Committee is scheduled to hold a special meeting to discuss an incentive package. The committee approves state-funded grants for corporate expansions, and its meetings often precede major corporate expansion announcements.

David Rhoades, a Commerce Department spokesman, declined to identify the company or say whether the jobs announcement and the meeting were connected. He declined to provide details about the project to be considered during the committee meeting.

Holly Springs officials met in closed session Tuesday to discuss an economic development incentives agreement. Details of that agreement weren’t disclosed.

Economic development deals tend to be highly secretive; companies often request anonymity as they weigh expansion plans, negotiate with state and local governments and line up real estate. Information about such deals are often exempt from open records laws.

The Triangle has long been a magnet for life sciences and biotech companies due to its affordability compared with other hubs such as the San Francisco Bay area and the Boston metropolitan area. Holly Springs in particular has lured biotech companies because of its proximity to Research Triangle Park and efforts by local officials to expand infrastructure and make way for shovel-ready sites capable of handling biotech companies.

In April, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies announced plans to add 680 high-paying jobs at its Holly Springs campus — part of a $1.2 billion expansion of what is expected to be one of the biggest biomanufacturing facilities of its kind in North America. The expansion would bring the company’s total investment in Holly Springs to more $3.2 billion, with employment expected to reach 1,400 by 2031, officials said. The project is expected to have an economic impact of $4.76 billion if the company hits hiring goals. Janssen, a Johnson & Johnson company, is expected to occupy space at the Diosynth campus, the company previously said.

Global vaccine maker CSL Seqirus, which finished a $156 million Holly Springs plant in 2022, said in September and October that it had received a combined $155.4 million in grants to help it increase the inventory of a key component of a proprietary bird flu vaccine and to deliver finished doses of the vaccine.

“Holly Springs has been blessed the last several years with the development and growth of the life sciences and biotech sectors,” said Holly Springs Councilman Tim Forrest, who declined to identify the company or provide details about the announcement but spoke broadly about efforts by the town to attract businesses.

In July, the state Local Government Commission approved $368 million in loans and bonds to help three municipalities — Fuquay-Varina and Holly Springs in Wake County and Sanford in Lee County — join forces to increase water supply to the region.

Water and sewage capacity are particularly important to biotechnology companies. Such infrastructure improvements “make it easier for them to come here,” Forrest said, referring to biotechnology companies.

Companies that have relocated to or expanded in the Triangle have cited the region’s strong talent pool, including graduates of major research universities such as North Carolina State, Duke and the University of North Carolina, as well as access to workforce training through the region’s community colleges.

In 2022, Wake Technical Community College opened the Lilly Science and Technology Center in Morrisville. The center received a $1.1 million contribution from drugmaker Eli Lilly & Co. to support biotech and life sciences programs — the biggest single corporate contribution in Wake Tech history. The center is also home to a program through the Wake County Public School System that offers biotechnology education for high school students — an effort to prepare them for college or careers in the industry.