Press Releases

Amgen Inc., the pioneering biotechnology company, will build a new biologics manufacturing operation in Holly Springs, creating 355 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company intends to invest $550 million in Wake County. "World-class companies like Amgen are very selective when they evaluate business locations and they only choose places that provide the best support for their operations,” said Governor Cooper. “Today’s decision proves once again that North Carolina remains a premier location for the most innovative biotech companies in the industry.”

Steffes, LLC, a steel fabrication company, will create 130 new jobs in Cleveland County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $20.9 million to locate a new manufacturing facility in the City of Shelby. “We are excited to welcome Steffes to North Carolina,” said Governor Cooper. “We know that when companies are ready to expand, they choose our state because of our ready workforce, exceptional quality of life and robust infrastructure.” 

The North Carolina Main Street and Rural Planning Center (NC MSRPC) has selected the City of Whiteville as the latest “North Carolina Main Street Community,” a designation earned by municipalities after meeting rigorous national downtown development criteria. The designation became effective July 1, 2021.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) increased in 99 of North Carolina’s counties in June and decreased in one. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 9.4 percent while Orange County had the lowest at 3.7 percent. All fifteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate increases. Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount had the highest rate at 7.1 percent while Durham-Chapel Hill had the lowest at 4.1 percent. The June not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 4.9 percent.

Global aluminum beverage packaging company Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) will create 220 new jobs in Cabarrus County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $383.8 million to join Red Bull and Rauch’s beverage manufacturing hub in Concord. "We believed throughout this recruitment that Ball would be the third piece of this historic economic development package and we are delighted it has been confirmed," said Governor Roy Cooper. "We’re excited that there will be even more available good paying jobs in the Cabarrus County area."

Smart Wires Inc., a global power technology company working to advance the delivery of affordable, clean electricity around the world has selected Durham and the Research Triangle region as the site for its global headquarters, creating 250 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $21.5 million over five years to establish a corporate headquarters and research and development facility in North Carolina.

POLYWOOD, a manufacturer of outdoor furniture made from recycled plastics, will expand its operations in Person County to create 300 jobs over five years, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $61.6 million to build additional capacity at its manufacturing and distribution center in Roxboro.

Glen Raven, Inc., a leading provider of innovative performance textiles with widely recognized brands including Sunbrella® and Dickson®, will create 205 new jobs as it expands its Custom Fabrics operations in Warren County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest up to $82 million in Norlina.

The state’s seasonally adjusted June unemployment rate was 4.6 percent, decreasing 0.2 of a percentage point from May’s revised rate. The national rate increased 0.1 of a percentage point to 5.9 percent. North Carolina’s June 2021 unemployment rate decreased 4.2 percentage points from a year ago. The number of people employed increased 12,600 over the month to 4,769,929 and increased 365,146 over the year. The number of people unemployed decreased 8,422 over the month to 231,636 and decreased 192,329 over the year.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce today released the Economic Development Strategic Plan for the State of North Carolina. The plan, titled First in Talent, recognizes that investing in North Carolina’s workforce is the key to building a more prosperous and resilient economy for all North Carolinians. The comprehensive economic development plan is a four-year plan that identifies three key goals critical to the state’s economic development strategy: