News

More new jobs coming to Wilson

Friday, March 14, 2008
Category: City

Raleigh - Gov. Mike Easley today announced that global medical technology company BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) will build a new plant in Wilson County and expand three facilities in Durham County. BD will add 274 new jobs during the next five years (182 in Durham and 92 in Wilson) and invest $134.7 million. The projects were made possible in part by a Job Development Investment Grant.
 
“BD’s presence is another example of why North Carolina has been consistently ranked among the top three states in biotechnology and life sciences,” Easley said. “This announcement shows that our efforts in education and job training keep North Carolina a nationally recognized leader in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.”
 
BD manufactures and sells medical devices and instrument systems. The company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, industry and the general public. It is focused on improving drug therapy, enhancing the diagnosis of infectious diseases and advancing drug discovery.
 
The New Jersey-based company currently has three facilities in Durham County, where it employs 578 workers, including 70 at a BD Diagnostics-TriPath facility. BD acquired TriPath Imaging in 2006. BD also operates a former TriPath facility in Burlington that employs more than 100 workers.
 
While individual wages will vary by job duties for the 274 new jobs, the average pay for the newly created positions, not including benefits, is expected to exceed $46,000 a year for the Wilson jobs and almost $54,000 a year for the Durham jobs.
 
“Worldwide demand for BD’s products is continuing to grow and we are expanding to meet that demand,” said Johnathan Macy, BD senior vice president for integrated supply chain. “We could not be more pleased to be expanding in North Carolina. The spirit of public-private partnership here, combined with the skilled workforce and infrastructures we depend on, have allowed us to deepen our commitment to a region that over 700 BD associates already call home.”
 
“It takes cooperation between state and local agencies to make these kinds of announcements possible and I am proud of how people worked together to bring these jobs to Wilson County,” said state Sen. A.B. Swindell (D-Nash, Wilson).
 
“BD’s presence is one of the reasons the Triangle area is known around the world as a leader in medical technology and life sciences. This expansion enhances that reputation,” said Rep. Mickey Michaux (D-Durham).
 
“We have focused on education and technology to make sure we provide the kind of workforce that companies such as BD are looking for. Firms looking to expand clearly recognize this,” said Rep. Joe Tolson (D-Edgecombe, Wilson).
 
Other partners that assisted with this announcement include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community College System, Wilson County and the City of Wilson.
 
The state’s Economic Investment Committee voted today to award a Job Development Investment Grant to the company to facilitate this project. This is the first JDIG awarded in 2008 and the 71st since the program began in 2003. Under terms of the nine-year agreement, the N.C. Department of Commerce estimates the project will:
 
  • Generate a cumulative gross product value of $446.11 million.
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  • Produce a positive, cumulative net state revenue impact of about $1.3 million.
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  • Contribute up to $779,000 to the state’s Industrial Development Fund for infrastructure improvements in economically distressed areas of North Carolina. This contribution is required of grant recipients located in the state’s most prosperous counties, such as Durham.
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    For each year in which the company meets the required performance targets, the state will provide a grant equal to 60 percent of the state personal income withholding taxes derived from the creation of new jobs. Should the company create the jobs called for under the agreement and sustain them for nine years, the agreement could yield as much as $3.39 million in maximum benefits for BD.
     
    Job Development Investment Grants are awarded only to new and expanding businesses and industrial projects whose benefits exceed the costs to the state and which would not be undertaken in North Carolina without the grant. To date, 60 percent of all JDIGs have been awarded to North Carolina companies. Since the first grant was awarded in 2003, the program has been responsible for creating more than 27,000 jobs and $4 billion in investment in North Carolina.
     
    For more information about BD, including employment opportunities, visit www.bd.com