Gov. Bev Perdue announced that Hospira, a leading provider of injectable medicines and infusion technologies, will modernize and expand the capabilities of its operations in Nash County. The company plans to create 200 additional jobs and make new capital investments for the construction, improvement, upfitting and equipping of existing and new facilities. The capital investment will be at least $85 million over the next three years and could grow to be up to $270 million over the next ten years. The project was made possible in part by a $645,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund. The state grant will be based on the company investing $85 million over the first three years of the project.
“My first priority is creating jobs,” said Gov. Perdue. “Hospira knows our highly-skilled workforce and strong business climate have helped the company thrive in North Carolina. It’s always great news when existing companies choose to invest new resources in our state. This announcement gives another shot in the arm to the North Carolina economy. ”
Hospira is the world’s largest generic injectable pharmaceutical manufacturer. The company's products are used by hospitals, outpatient clinics and other healthcare sites, such as clinics and home-health facilities. The company currently has about 2,400 employees at its Rocky Mount facility.
Salaries will vary by job function, with new positions including technical, supervisory, production and support roles. The average annual wage for the new jobs will be $51,780, plus benefits. The Nash County average annual wage is $34,112.
"Hospira is proud to be able to bring new jobs to the Rocky Mount community with the support of the state of North Carolina and other community partners," said Marty Nealey, vice president, Rocky Mount Operations, Hospira. "Our new facility expansion and technology investments underscore the importance of the Rocky Mount facility in supplying life-saving, lower-cost medicines for our patients, customers and health care providers in the global marketplace. We are very thankful for the professional skilled Hospira employees in Eastern North Carolina who are making a difference in patient care."
The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches. The economic development agreement from Nash County and the City of Rocky Mount has a value of up to $12.5 million over the next ten years.
“This is great news for Nash County” said Rep. Angela Bryant of Rocky Mount. Hosprira’s expansion is a testament to their success in Rocky Mount and their ability to thrive here.”
North Carolina continues to have a top-ranked business climate. Through Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state works aggressively to create jobs, train and retrain its workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.
Through use of the One NC Fund, more than 60,000 jobs and $11 billion in investment have been created since 2001. Other partners that helped with this project include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, Nash County, City of Rocky Mount and the Carolinas Gateway Partnership.
For more information about Hospira, including job opportunities, go to www.hospira.com.