Eli Lilly Selects Concord, North Carolina for $1 Billion Investment
Eli Lilly and Company, a global health care leader, announced plans to build a new manufacturing site in Concord, North Carolina. The company will invest $1 billion toward the development of a new facility that will create nearly 600 jobs and utilize the latest technology to manufacture parenteral (injectable) products and devices.
“Lilly’s choice brings more good jobs to North Carolina from one of our most important industries,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “North Carolina has become one the premier hubs for biotechnology in the world, thanks to our exceptional workforce and commitment to education.”
Lilly’s new site in Concord builds upon the company’s existing North Carolina footprint, including a $470 million pharmaceutical manufacturing plant it announced in 2020 in the state’s Research Triangle Park. The company selected Concord, located just outside of Charlotte, for its strong local labor force and manufacturing technology experience.
“Lilly is entering an exciting period of growth and we are committed to delivering innovative medicines to patients around the world,” said Edgardo Hernandez, senior vice president and president, Lilly Manufacturing Operations. “Expanding our manufacturing footprint in North Carolina enables us to continue to produce today’s medicines while providing additional capacity to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. We are pleased to again partner with North Carolina to bring jobs to American workers and provide more medicines that patients need to address health challenges.”
Lilly is one of many pharmaceutical companies establishing a manufacturing presence in North Carolina, bringing jobs into the state and hiring directly from its high-quality and trained workforce. The Charlotte metropolitan area is home to over 75 pharmaceutical manufacturing companies that employ more than 3,000 people. Pharmaceutical manufacturing jobs grew by more than 300 percent between 2012 and 2021 in the Charlotte region.
“Having a global leader like Lilly grow its operations in North Carolina is a testament to our world-class universities, highly-skilled workforce and business environment that allow pharmaceutical manufacturers to thrive here,” said EDPNC CEO Christopher Chung. “We are proud that a mission-driven company with a commitment to discovering life-changing medicines and giving back to their local communities has chosen North Carolina to expand their global manufacturing footprint.”
Lilly’s new investment will allow the company to strengthen its relationships with local governments and universities, as well as diversify its growing presence in the state. The new jobs require highly skilled workers, including scientists, engineers and manufacturing personnel. Lilly plans to tap into North Carolina’s existing workforce as well as the state’s universities with strong science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs. The average salary at the facility will be $70,555, which is more than 60 percent higher than the overall annual wage of $43,687 in Cabarrus County, N.C. in 2021. In addition to the jobs once the plant opens, an estimated 500 additional positions will be required while the facility is under construction.
Partnering with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Cabarrus County, the City of Concord and the Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation.
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About Economic Development Partnership of N.C.
The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) is focused on recruiting new businesses to the state, supporting the needs of existing businesses, connecting exporters to global customers, helping small business owners get their start, and attracting tourists and visitors from all over the world. In pursuit of sustainable job-creation and investment in North Carolina, the EDPNC works closely with public- and private-sector partners at the state, regional and local levels. As a nonprofit public-private partnership, the EDPNC operates under contract with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, while receiving additional financial support from the private sector. Governed by an 18-member board of business and industry leaders representative of the entire state, the EDPNC proudly serves as North Carolina’s statewide economic development organization, committed to serving all those looking to invest in, visit or do business with North Carolina.
