Press Releases

Cardinal Foods LLC, a Burgaw agribusiness company that provides products and services across the eastern U.S., will create 48 new jobs as it launches a $15.5 million expansion at its Pender County operations, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The project doubles the company’s current 48-person workforce. “The significant expansion of Cardinal Foods is good for farmers and workers in Pender and other eastern North Carolina counties. Companies that expand here in this way highlight our state’s ability to compete in the global economy,” said Governor Cooper.

Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced that Machelle Sanders, current Secretary of the NC Department of Administration, will now serve as Secretary of the Department of Commerce. Sanders will replace Tony Copeland who stepped down at the end of January.

Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced 13 winners of the 2020 Governor’s Export Awards, ranging from a small wooden-boat builder in southeast North Carolina to one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturers in the world.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq; GILD), a leading biopharmaceutical company developing innovative medicines, has selected North Carolina’s Research Triangle region as the location for a major business services and information technology hub, creating 275 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest up to $5 million in Wake County.

Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) increased in 55 of North Carolina’s counties in December, decreased in 28, and remained unchanged in 17. Scotland County had the highest unemployment rate at 10.2 percent while Watauga County had the lowest at 4.3 percent. Four of the state’s metro areas experienced rate increases, seven decreased, and four remained unchanged. Among the metro areas, Fayetteville had the highest rate at 8.2 percent while Durham-Chapel Hill and Raleigh each had the lowest at 5.2 percent. The December not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 6.0 percent.

Twenty-nine innovative companies across North Carolina have received grants to foster job creation and promote research and technological development in response to the pandemic, the Department of Commerce announced today. The One North Carolina Small Business Program awarded a total of $1.5 million to the selected technology-oriented businesses.

The state’s seasonally adjusted December unemployment rate was 6.2 percent, remaining unchanged from November’s revised rate. The national rate remained unchanged at 6.7 percent. North Carolina’s December 2020 unemployment rate increased 2.6 percentage points from a year ago. The number of people employed increased 27,571 over the month to 4,702,115 and decreased 215,063 over the year. The number of people unemployed decreased 630 over the month to 310,675 and increased 124,552 over the year.

PennyMac Financial Services, Inc., a California-based specialty financial services firm, will create more than 300 jobs in Wake County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $4.3 million into PennyMac Loan Services, LLC, its mortgage lending subsidiary, to establish a mortgage fulfillment production center in Cary. “Growing companies like PennyMac Financial want to expand in North Carolina even during a pandemic because of our strong talent pipeline, steady business climate and our exceptional quality of life,” said Governor Cooper.

Most North Carolina small businesses remain open but have seen revenues decline in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to results from a new survey of North Carolina small businesses released today by the Department of Commerce.  The report also shows more than half of the respondents to the survey have taken advantage of financial assistance programs and that such programs remain crucial, including the need to better connect businesses to the programs that remain available.

Governor Roy Cooper announced today that Adverum Biotechnologies, Inc., a California-based gene therapy company targeting unmet medical needs in ocular and rare diseases, will invest $82.8 million for a new gene therapy manufacturing facility in Durham County. This investment will create more than 200 new jobs. “Our state’s dynamic workforce continues to propel life-changing innovation and keeps North Carolina at the forefront of biomanufacturing through life sciences companies like Adverum,” said Governor Cooper.