It's Official: Novartis Picks North Carolina For New Flu Vaccine Production Facility
RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina has won the bidding war to land a multimillion-dollar facility to be built in Holly Springs by drug giant Novartis.
"Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics' decision to locate in North Carolina means more good-paying jobs for hard-working families in North Carolina," Easley said. "It is no coincidence that Ernst & Young recently ranked our state No. 3 in the nation in the number of biotechnology companies for the third consecutive year. Biotech and life science companies know they can find a skilled, dedicated workforce here and North Carolina will continue to make the investments in education and infrastructure to ensure biotech companies continue to grow and succeed in our state."
"Novartis' strategic investment to build a next-generation influenza vaccines manufacturing facility in North Carolina demonstrates our continued commitment to vaccines innovation," said Joerg Reinhardt, CEO, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics. "With its growing capabilities in biomanufacturing, North Carolina provides a strong platform for the continued growth of the Novartis' vaccines business."
Novartis chose North Carolina over Maryland and Georgia, Reinhardt said.
The drug company will build and operate an influenza vaccines manufacturing plant with 350 new jobs and invest at least $267.5 million over the next five years in Wake County.
Maryland officials said Monday that they dropped out of the bidding for the plant.
"It's too expensive," Aris Melissaratos, Maryland's secretary of business and economic development, told The Baltimore Sun on Monday.
The Maryland official said Novartis wanted free land as part of an incentive plan to build the facility. He also said other states were offering five times as much value in incentives as compared to Maryland's offer, The Sun said.
While wages at the Holly Springs plant will vary by job function, the expected average yearly salary for all the new jobs will be $49,900 plus benefits, which is more than the Wake County average of $34,270, not including benefits.
Novartis expects recruiting and interviewing for jobs at the Holly Springs plant will start in 2007
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