Officials approve incentives worth up to $79.9M for J&J unit eyeing $2B plant in Wilson

State and local officials in North Carolina on Tuesday approved economic incentives packages worth a combined $79.9 million to lure a subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to Wilson.

Janssen Biotech Inc. is planning to invest at least $1 billion in a factory that would employ at least 420 people by the end of 2031, state commerce officials said Tuesday during a special meeting of the state Department of Commerce’s Economic Investment Committee, which voted to approve an incentives package worth up to $29.9 million. Officials in Wilson also approved an incentives package worth up to $50 million. Johnson & Johnson said Tuesday that its investment is expected to eventually exceed $2 billion in Wilson — twice the investment tied to the state incentives package.

The project — projected to grow the state’s economy by $2.3 billion, according to commerce officials — is the latest biopharma company to target growth in the booming eastern North Carolina city. At least 1,300 planned pharmaceutical jobs have been announced in Wilson in the past six months. Wilson beat out a site in Frederick, Maryland, for the project, North Carolina officials said.

The jobs would pay an average of about $109,000, officials said. That’s a little more than twice the county average, according to Department of Commerce data. The plant is expected to grow to at least 420 employees between 2027 and 2031, according to state officials. Construction is expected to begin in the first half of 2025.

The incentives package includes a jobs grant worth up to $13.7 million, which would be paid out over 12 years if the company meets hiring and investment targets. To receive the full amount, Johnson & Johnson would also be required to retain 259 existing jobs in the state, in addition to the jobs that would be created in Wilson.

Janssen — which is focused on the development of vaccines and treatments for cardiovascular, neurological, oncological and other conditions — is building the biologics plant as the pharmaceutical industry shifts to developing more complex, large-molecule medicines. Such manufacturing requires specialized production processes and capital-intensive facilities, as well as highly skilled workers, state officials said.

The plant is expected to expand production of Johnson & Johnson’s biologic medicines oncology, immunology and neuroscience, advancing the company’s strategy of developing dozens of novel therapies, the company said. “A strong, global supply chain is crucial, and we purposefully invest to ensure our transformational medicines reliably and efficiently reach patients around the world,” said Dapo Ajayi, Johnson & Johnson’s vice president of innovative medicine supply chain, said in a statement. “We are investing in capacity and new technologies to enhance our industry leading capabilities and ensure a resilient supply chain for the future.”

Other state incentives being offered include $1.5 million from the One North Carolina Fund and $13 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation, as well as training through the community college system and the state Division of Workforce Solutions valued at a combined $1.75 million, commerce officials said.

A spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson didn’t respond to a request for comment. Johnson & Johnson, one of the world's largest and most diversified health care products companies, has more than 130,000 employees worldwide in research and development, manufacturing and sales units.

City and county officials in Wilson also approved an incentives package worth about $50 million for the Janssen project, which has gone by the economic development code name “Project Harbor.” The Wilson incentives would be paid out over 13 years, assuming the company meets hiring and investment targets. Half would be paid by the city of Wilson. The other half would be paid by Wilson County, a county notice said.

Wilson has been a magnet for pharmaceutical companies in recent years, touting its location midway between New York and Florida, growing labor pool, access to workforce training and proximity to a cluster of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in and near Research Triangle Park. In the past six months, several biopharma companies have announced plans to bring almost 1,400 to Wilson.

“It’s been a phenomenal year, and several years of hard work,” Wilson Mayor Pro Tempore James Johnson said in an interview, referring to the work of state lawmakers, county and local officials and economic developers — particularly efforts to boost biotech workforce development in the county. “This has been all encompassing — by all parties in the state,” Johnson said.

Last week, a U.S. subsidiary of British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser Group said it would build a $145.6 million Wilson factory that could create 289 jobs. The subsidiary, RB Health Manufacturing, is expected to make Mucinex cold medicine at the factory, which is expected to be built by the end of 2028.

Biopharma device manufacturer Schott Pharma USA Inc. said in March it plans to create about 400 jobs by 2030 as part of a $371 million investment in Wilson County. The company plans to build a factory to make prefillable polymer syringes for pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

And veterinary medical device firm Idexx Laboratories said in July it would build a $147 million plant and hire 275 people in Wilson County.

“Life sciences leaders continue to select North Carolina because our world-class workforce will help the company successfully produce innovative medicines that will make a profound impact on our state and patients around the world,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement.