AbbVie To Build A New $1.4 Billion Manufacturing Campus In Durham

DURHAM, N.C. — Global biopharmaceutical company AbbVie Inc. will create 734 jobs in a new pharmaceutical manufacturing operation in Durham County, Gov. Josh Stein announced Wednesday.

The company plans to invest $1.4 billion to build a 185-acre manufacturing and research campus in the city of Durham, marking its first major investment in North Carolina.

“We welcome AbbVie’s major investment to North Carolina,” Stein said. “When you combine our world-renowned research and innovation with a strong, thriving life sciences hub, North Carolina quickly becomes the premier location for biopharmaceutical companies to do business.”

Headquartered in Illinois, AbbVie is one of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies with products and services in immunology, neuroscience, oncology and aesthetics. Company officials said the Durham project is part of a broader $100 billion commitment to U.S. research, development and manufacturing investments over the next decade.

Robert A. Michael, AbbVie chairman and chief executive officer, said the Durham campus represents the company’s largest capital investment to date.

“By establishing this campus, we are strengthening our ability to support future medical breakthroughs while also creating new jobs and a long-term partnership with Durham and the state of North Carolina,” Michael said.

Company officials said the 185-acre site will integrate advanced manufacturing and laboratory technologies with artificial intelligence to support production of medicines across multiple therapeutic areas.

Positions at the facility are expected to include engineers, lab technicians, manufacturing operators and scientists. While salaries will vary, the average annual wage is projected at $118,041, above Durham County’s average wage of $102,817, according to state officials.

The project is expected to generate more than $86 million in annual payroll impact for the region.

The investment will be supported in part by a Job Development Investment Grant approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. The agreement allows for potential reimbursements of up to $19.3 million over 12 years, contingent on job creation and investment targets being met.

State officials said the project is projected to generate an $8 billion economic impact over the 12-year term of the grant. The state estimates a return of $2.89 in revenue for every $1 in potential grant cost.

Because the project is located in Durham County, classified as a Tier 3 county under the state’s economic development system, AbbVie’s agreement also includes up to $6.4 million directed to the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account, which supports infrastructure in rural communities.

State and local officials credited a range of partners with supporting the project, including the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Durham County, the City of Durham, Duke Energy, the North Carolina Community College System, and several universities and research institutions in the region.