North Carolina: Italy's Bracco to Invest $230 Million in First U.S. Plant in Sanford, Lee County, Creating 200 Jobs
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced in Raleigh on October 27 that Bracco, a global leader in diagnostic imaging based in Italy, will create 200 jobs and invest $230 million to open its first U.S. manufacturing location in the Lee County city of Sanford, producing contrast media. The new positions could create a potential annual payroll impact of more than $20.6 million for the region, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
'I am pleased to welcome Bracco and its investment to North Carolina,' said Governor Josh Stein. 'Our longstanding strengths in manufacturing, innovation, and workforce development have created a robust ecosystem that gives companies like Bracco the confidence to invest here.' Fulvio Renoldi Bracco, Vice Chairman and CEO of Bracco Imaging, said: 'For almost 100 years, Bracco has been guided by one purpose: improving people's lives. The United States is our largest market and home to many of the patients we serve. Producing injectable contrast media here in Sanford brings our supply closer to American hospitals and patients and makes it even more resilient. We chose North Carolina for its talent and life sciences ecosystem.'
Founded in 1927, Bracco Imaging is a multinational life sciences company headquartered in Milan, Italy, with production facilities in Europe, Asia and Canada. The new sterile manufacturing plant will support growing demand for injectable contrast media, resulting in shorter delivery times and lower transportation costs. New positions include manufacturing, engineering and technical roles, along with support operations, quality, warehousing and administrative positions.
The project is facilitated in part by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) awarded to Bracco Imaging Operations USA LLC and approved by the state's Economic Investment Committee on October 27. Over the 12-year term of the grant, the project is estimated to grow the state's economy by $1.78 billion, and the agreement authorizes potential reimbursement of up to $2,859,300 over 12 years, paid only after the departments of Commerce and Revenue verify each year that the company has met its job creation and investment targets. Because Bracco chose a site in Lee County, classified as Tier 2 under the state's economic tier system, the agreement also calls for moving as much as $317,700 into the state's Industrial Development Fund Utility Account, which helps rural communities finance infrastructure upgrades.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 磁共振成像（MRI）设备（资料图）。GeorgeWilliams21 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / An MRI scanner (file photo). Photo by GeorgeWilliams21, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
