Thermo Fisher Scientific opened a center of excellence facility in Mebane, NC. The new 375,000-sq-ft carbon neutral site will be capable of producing at least 40 million laboratory pipette tips per week, helping to ensure that life-saving medicines and therapies continue to be developed and produced in the U.S. for decades to come, according to Erica Hirsch, president, laboratory chemicals.
“As a global leader in life sciences manufacturing, we’re proud to serve as a growth engine for the American economy and provide our customers with a strong and agile supply chain that enables them to advance human health,” said Hirsch. “The opening of our Mebane site is a testament to our larger strategy to strengthen our manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. and support continued innovation and expanded growth in North Carolina, building on the strong foundation we’ve already established in this state.”
The Mebane site has hired 40 people and is expected to add 50 jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and business operations. Thermo Fisher currently employs approximately 7,800 colleagues across 13 sites in NC, including a center of excellence for laboratory equipment in Asheville, three life sciences [and] manufacturing sites in Durham, pharmaceutical manufacturing sites in Greenville and High Point, and a Raleigh distribution center.
The site results from a $192.5 million contract, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), awarded in 2021. In addition to investing $1 billion in R&D in the U.S. annually, Thermo Fisher has more than doubled in size in the U.S. since 2017, now employing more than 50,000 people in the U.S. today, according to the company.
