MEBANE, N.C. —
Thermo Fisher Scientific welcomed community leaders and North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein to their brand-new manufacturing facility in Mebane. The company shared it is hiring new employees and the Mebane site is set to produce millions of scientific research products that will be exported around the world.
The governor said the expansion of Thermo Fisher Scientific within North Carolina aims to strengthen the supply chain and increase biotech investment.
"Biotechnology now makes up one of the state's largest economic sectors, ranging from biologics and health informatics to crop genetics and gene therapy," the governor said.
Thursday's ribbon-cutting officially opened the 375,000-square-foot facility that hosts offices, a manufacturing floor and a shipping area. It's set to start production in the coming weeks, making 40 million precision pipette tips per week — a key component for biomedical scientific research.
"A single rack of pipette tips produced here might touch the hands of researchers in Nairobi, Boston or Sao Paolo, each one using them to advance science," said Erica Hirsch, president of laboratory chemicals and lab plastic essentials at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
She said the company has customers in North Carolina, the United States and internationally, and this site is a central location for them to produce and export.
The governor said building this facility is possible thanks to a $192.5 million contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Stein said the growing biotech industry within the state generates $88.3 billion for North Carolina's economy and another $12 billion in pharmaceutical exports.
There is so much more happening in biotech in North Carolina.
"The opening of this facility is a testament to the strengthening of our supply chain, especially in light of vulnerabilities and disruptions that we all experienced during the pandemic," Stein said.
Thermo Fisher is just one of dozens of biotech companies mentioned by the governor for investing in North Carolina's growth potential.
"We have some of the best workforce in the country, which makes us a really attractive place for businesses to come," Stein said. "Really excited about Thermo Fisher because they are helping to grow what is very much of a burgeoning biotech sector in North Carolina. We're one of the leading biotech states in the country, and this is just going to add to our reputation."
The company already employs 7,800 people across the state, and this latest opening only expands its employee base. In Mebane, Thermo Fisher is looking to scale up their production and hire more people from local colleges and universities.
"We'll have a lot of openings from an operator and automation engineer perspective," Hirsch said. "We're super excited to have this site underway and to not just break ground, but to open it up for customers in the future."
The governor claimed that North Carolina was named the No. 1 state for business in the country four times in recent years, including 2025, and looks forward to attracting more manufacturing here.