HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. (WNCN) – Not far from Holly Springs Business Park, in a wooded area, is the home of the largest end-to-end biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in North America.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced Thursday Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies will invest up to $2 billion into the facility.
The facility plans to develop, produce, package and ship medicines around the world.
The company is promising to create more than 700 jobs for scientists, quality control workers, and supply chain experts.
“Well, one of the things that I think helped in this process is that North Carolina has made investments for years now through its educational system to support the companies like Fujifilm Diosynth,” explained Dr. Scott Ralls, President of Wake Technical Community College.
The announcement came as Wake Tech is set to launch its biotechnology degree program to go with its biopharmaceutical program.
The school will also open its new biotechnology building at the Research Triangle Park campus soon.
“That planning will pay off for folks because the gold at the end of the rainbow is a job,” Ralls said.
About 20 miles from Holly Springs, more than 1,000 jobs could be coming to Durham after being picked for Google Cloud’s new engineering hub.
“I think it is going to get folks excited, and on one level it speaks well to the many strengths of our community,” said John Quinterno, visiting professor at Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy.
Quinterno said the move could have unintended consequences.
“Does this create a lot of upward pressure on housing prices? Does it leave folks to what to start or continue gentrifying neighborhoods in Durham?” he asked.