Lilly to spend nearly $1B on new plant in North Carolina
CONCORD, N.C. (WISH) — Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. on Friday announced plans to invest at least $939 million in a new pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in a Charlotte, North Carolina, suburb.
The plant, which will make injectable products and devices, hopes to employ 589 people, according to a virtual news conference announcing the effort.
A news release from Lilly said, “Lilly selected Concord because of the manufacturing technology experience of the local labor force; its proximity to universities with strong science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs; and its access to major transportation infrastructure.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said in a Facebook post, “This is great news for Cabarrus County and North Carolina. Lilly’s decision will bring nearly 600 more good jobs to our state from one of our most important industries.”
The average salary will be $70,555, Cooper’s office told The Charlotte Observer, which is above the current average wage in Cabarrus County of $43,687. Eli Lilly received a state Jobs Development Investment Grant award of over $12.1 million over 12 years, Cooper’s office said. Local officials on Feb. 10 will consider performance-based property-tax grants on roughly $920 million of Lilly’s investment. Lilly says the project is contingent on those grants being approved.
The 589 jobs will range from technicians, quality professionals and production operators, among others, according to North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Machelle Sanders.
The Lilly site is near Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The investment is Lilly’s second in North Carolina since 2020, when Lilly announced a $470 million investment in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park.