County Leaders Congratulate One of JoCo’s Largest Employers
Novo Nordisk, which currently employs 1,200 workers in Johnston County, has been recognized as one of North Carolina’s top exporters. State officials presented the bio-manufacturing company with the 2020 Governor’s Export Award at a virtual event hosted Wednesday by the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC). The Denmark-based leader in diabetes therapeutics was among 11 North Carolina exporters recognized, sharing honors for Top Large Business Exporter with specialty textile manufacturer Glen Raven.
“Congratulations to our partners at Novo Nordisk for winning this prestigious award,” said Chad Stewart, chairman of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners. “People around the world are benefiting from the work of this prominent Johnston County employer, and we’re proud to have such a high-quality global company succeeding and expanding in our county.”
Novo Nordisk’s Diabetes Finished Products (DFP) facility in Clayton engages in the formulation, filling, inspection, assembly and packaging of diabetes and obesity medicines. The site opened in 1993. In August 2015, the company announced a $2 billion facility nearby that will produce Diabetes Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (DAPI) for a range of current and future diabetes and obesity medications. That plant will employ 700 bio-manufacturing workers when it opens later this year. Novo Nordisk has also been a key partner in the Johnston County Workforce Development Center, which was developed on land donated to the county by the company for purposes of creating a life sciences talent pipeline for the county.
Chris Johnston, director of the Johnston County Economic Development Office, says Novo Nordisk’s Clayton presence sparks immeasurable financial and non-financial benefits for the region. “Their direct and indirect economic impact is massive,” Johnson says. “But all of Eastern North Carolina benefits from the fact that a marquee life sciences leader operates in the region.” The company is among others that form the foundation of the BioPharma Crescent, a 10,000-employee cluster that includes large biomanufacturing names from Johnston, Edgecombe, Nash, Pitt and Wilson counties.
“Businesses and consumers in every corner of the world rely on goods made in our state,” Governor Roy Cooper told attendees in the award event. “From poultry and specialty textiles to aircraft components and life-saving medicines, North Carolina products enjoy a reputation for quality around the world.”
Additional information about this year’s award may be found here. NC Commerce: 11 Exporters and Two Partners Receive N.C. Governor’s Awards
