Hundreds of new manufacturing jobs are coming to Wilson, Gov. John Stein announced Friday, as Johnson & Johnson has decided to build a multibillion-dollar expansion on their existing operations in town.
The pharmaceutical giant has been heavily investing in North Carolina recently, spending billions on its Wilson factory as well as a Holly Springs plant the company first announced in 2023, and then announced an expansion for in August.
The new factory will produce cancer drugs and more once it’s up and running. Stein gave no timeline for when the plant might open but said that it’s just the latest in a string of economic development victories for the state in the biopharmaceutical field.
“I appreciate Johnson & Johnson’s confidence that North Carolina is an ideal place to expand their business and create more good-paying jobs,” Stein said. “Life sciences leaders continue to select North Carolina because our skilled workforce and commitment to specialized training deliver the talent companies need to help patients in the United States and around the world.”
The state will pay $12 million toward a new program at Wilson Community College to help the company train up new workers to fill the job openings. The proposal has bipartisan support in the state legislature, earning praise from Sen. Buck Newton (R-Wilson) and Rep. Dante Pittman (D-Wilson).
“North Carolina’s low tax environment and our investment in the BEST Center at the Wilson Community College continues to attract new, high paying jobs to the region,” Newton said in a news release.
“Johnson & Johnson’s continued investment in Wilson County is creating new pathways for our people to access high-value careers in the life sciences,” Pittman said. “This growth further underscores the need for workforce training initiatives.”
Wilson County had a 4.9% unemployment rate in Septemeber, the most recent available data shows, well above the 3.8% state average.
