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STERIS Plans Sanford, North Carolina, Manufacturing Operations

08/07/2026
Healthcare products manufacturer STERIS plc plans to establish operations in Sanford, North Carolina. The $600 million project is expected to create 335 jobs in Lee County.

The investment will include the construction of a 600,000-square-foot facility, located at the Helix Innovation Park at The Brickyard, that will include advanced manufacturing, research and development, laboratory, warehouse, and distribution operations and serve as the company’s Chemistries Manufacturing Center of Excellence.

“After extensive analysis of our existing facilities and Customer demand, we have decided to make a significant investment in the United States to support our long-term global growth,” said Dan Carestio, President and CEO of STERIS. “Creating a formulated chemistries Center of Excellence will allow us to accelerate innovation, expand capacity and optimize our U.S. chemistries manufacturing and distribution network. Our Customers save lives every day, and with this investment we will be well positioned to support their needs for years to come.”

The project will be supported, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) awarded to STERIS Corporation, which was approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $1.8 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs and capital investment, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $3,213,000, spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification each year by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets.

The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars is 325 percent, meaning for every dollar of potential cost to the state, the state receives $4.25 in state revenue. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.

“STERIS’ decision to make its Center of Excellence in Lee County affirms the region’s emergence as a premier hub for advanced manufacturing,” noted North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “Guided by our First in Opportunity strategic plan, North Carolina is strengthening our competitive advantage by investing in workforce development, fostering innovative partnerships that meet industry needs, and creating the conditions for companies like STERIS to succeed and generate strong returns on their investment.”

Because STERIS chose a site in Lee County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 2, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving as much as $357,000 into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities anywhere in the state finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business.

“With a strong mix of manufacturing expertise and innovative thought leadership, North Carolina is an ideal location for STERIS' new Center of Excellence,” added Christian Brown, director of life sciences economic development for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. “This facility will be a valued addition to Lee County and will support both the life sciences and healthcare communities in ensuring they have the chemical cleaning solutions needed to protect patients and advance science.”

In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Rail Division, North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the North Carolina Community College System, Central Carolina Community College, the North Carolina Railroad Company, Norfolk Southern, County of Lee, Sanford Area Growth Alliance, City of Sanford, TriRiver Water, Duke Energy, and Enbridge Gas North Carolina.

“The decision by STERIS to locate in Sanford and Lee County is further proof of our community’s strength as an emerging hub for healthcare and related manufacturing,” said Jimmy Randolph, CEO of the Sanford Area Growth Alliance. “STERIS is the latest company to recognize the value of our skilled workforce, business-friendly environment, high quality of life, and proximity to the Research Triangle, following in the footsteps of Pfizer and recent additions Astellas Gene Therapies and Kyowa Kirin. We thank all of the partners who made this decision possible, and look forward to getting to know STERIS as a community partner and working with them in the years ahead.”

STERIS provides infection prevention products and services that support patient care across the healthcare, pharmaceutical, medical device, and research industries. The company manufactures sterilization systems, surgical products, infection prevention chemistries, and related technologies.

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