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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

ABEC Expands Wilson, North Carolina, Operations

08/26/2022
ABEC Inc., a global leader providing engineered process solutions and services for biotech manufacturing, will establish another ISO-7 cleanroom at its plant in Wilson, North Carolina. The $11 million project is expected to create 251 jobs.

The company will expand current capacity, increasing single-use disposable container manufacturing capacity for its Custom Single Run biomanufacturing solutions.

“ABEC’s expansion in Wilson, NC supports the long-term growth of the biopharmaceutical industry,” said Scott Pickering, ABEC CEO and Chairman. “The 50,000 square foot facility will include state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, attracting bioprocess expertise and technical talent to join the ABEC team.”

The project will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. Over 12 years, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $455 million. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $2,008,000, spread over 12 years.

Payments for all JDIGs only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. 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.

"Biomanufacturers that must operate at the highest levels of precision and quality choose North Carolina time and time again,” added Governor Roy Cooper. “Biotech is a statewide industry, and ABEC will find the technical expertise and outstanding workforce they need in Wilson County.”

ABEC, with headquarters in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1974 and serves customers representing the majority of the world’s pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Many of today’s leading therapies are manufactured by processes and equipment engineered, manufactured, installed and serviced by ABEC.

"North Carolina’s deliberate focus to develop a workforce for the biotechnology industry continues to pay off in choices like ABEC’s decision today,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “As our First in Talent strategic plan makes clear, we will continue to invest in education and specialized training programs that make our state the number one place to do business in the country.”

In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), other key partners in this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Wilson County, the City of Wilson and the Wilson Economic Development Council.

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