Area Development
Proto Labs, Inc., will invest $25 million to expand its production facility in Cary, North Carolina. The company will create 170 new jobs over the next five years in Wake County.

Based in Maple Plain, Minnesota, Proto Labs, Inc. is a leading online and technology-enabled manufacturer of custom parts for prototyping and short-run production. The Cary location will house the company’s expanded additive manufacturing operation. Proto Labs has 106 employees in Wake County.

“Since the launch of 3D printing at Proto Labs, we’ve increased our capabilities here in the U.S. and we’ve also introduced our additive manufacturing services in Europe,” explained Rob Connelly, Proto Labs’ VP of Additive Manufacturing. “Our state-of-the-art facility in North Carolina will be a critical driver in advancing 3D printing in the U.S. and globally for many years to come.”

The project was made possible in part by a performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund of up to $150,000. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance through local government to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state.

Proto Labs is one of those 21st century companies that is helping North Carolina stay on the cutting edge of technology and innovation,” said Governor Pat McCrory. “By more than doubling its workforce, the company is demonstrating that nothing compares to North Carolina when it comes to being a great place for innovative ideas.”

In addition to the N.C. Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of N.C., other partners that helped with this project include: North Carolina Department of Transportation, North Carolina Community College System, NCWorks, Capital Area Workforce Board, Cary Chamber of Commerce, Cary Economic Development and the Town of Cary.