Case Studies

May 2010: American Red Cross announces new call center in Charlotte, N.C.

• 61,500 sf facility will bring 440 new jobs to the Charlotte region.
• Very competitive process; one of three call centers consolidated from 26 centers across the U.S.
• North Carolina providing job training assistance for new employees.
• Labor availability, labor cost, real estate conditions, and economic incentive climate considered chief reasons for move to Charlotte.

April 2010:  Greiner Bio-One North America Inc announces an expansion of its existing Monroe, N.C. facility

• Austrian-based company manufactures and distributes medical sampling devices and laboratory analysis technology.
• Company expanding its manufacturing facility to double its size, adding new equipment and a distribution center.
• Company plans to invest $25 million and add 85 new jobs over the next five years.
•  Recent expansion is second since opening 10 years ago.

April 2010:  Linet Americas announces North American headquarters opens in Charlotte, N.C.

• Czech-based hospital bed manufacturer opens headquarters, sales, marketing and technical service operations center.
• Company adding 50 new jobs over the next three years.
• Region's strong healthcare platform and excellent infrastructure provide access to customers and a cost effective location for doing business.

January 2010:  Harmony Labs Inc. expanding headquarters in Kannapolis, N.C.

• Pharmaceutical and cosmetics manufacturer adding 40 new jobs
• Expansion will consolidate laboratory and raw materials operations under one roof; currently operates roughly 200,000 sf of manufacturing space at three locations in Kannapolis and Landis, N.C.
• Company expects sales to double over the next five years.
• Harmony Labs offers contract development and manufacturing for topical dermatology-related products including lotions, gels, ointments, balms and serums

January 2010:  Monsanto Co. joins the North Carolina Research Campus

• Multinational company is establishing research facility focused on taste and nutritional composition of vegetables, and enhanced nutrition in crops such as soybeans
• Monsanto embarking on five-year collaboration with Dole to develop vegetable varieties with consumer-focused attributes such as flavor, texture, aroma and nutrition
• North Carolina Research Campus is the brainchild of David Murdoch, owner of Dole Foods; $1 billion, 350-acre research campus fosters discoveries in nutrition and human health

December 2009: Providencia starts construction on first U.S. facility in Statesville, N.C.

• Brazilian-based non-woven fabrics manufacturer Companhia Providencia Industria e Comercio's products are used in the production of personal hygiene items, medical and surgical supplies and other consumer goods.
• Company investing $80 million in new facility and has purchased additional 43 acres for future expansions.
• Decision to locate in Statesville due largely to the site's railroad access and proximity to the interstate.
• Announcement is the largest in Statesville since 1995;  plant will eventually employ 90 residents.

August 2009:  Biotage Inc. moving its U.S. headquarters to Charlotte, N.C., from Charlottesville, VA.

• Swedish-based maker of pharmaceutical instruments consolidated its offices into 15,000 sf facility in Mecklenburg County
• Move will create 21 new jobs for residents; operations include general administration, marketing and sales, and lab work for applications development, light manufacturing and distribution.
• Company cites Charlotte's central location, strong labor pool, access to a large international airport and lower living costs, as well as the state's vibrant bioscience community, as reasons for the site selection decision.
• Biotage was founded in the U.S. in 2003 , but later acquired by Biotage AB based in Stockholm, Sweden.

October 2009:  U.S. Department of Agriculture's USDA Human Nutrition Center joining North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC)

• Signing of Agricultural Appropriations Bill cleared the way to construct a $1 million Human Nutrition Center at the NCRC, which is a $1.5 billion biopolis in Kannapolis, NC
• USDA Human Nutrition Center will collaborate with university researchers on campus to study nutrition and agriculture at the molecular level.
• Facility planning will hire as many as 150 employees.