Johnson & Johnson has announced plans to add 500 jobs in North Carolina by building a second production plant in the state. The new facility, which will focus on manufacturing drug products for oncology and neurological diseases, is part of the company’s $55 billion commitment to U.S. manufacturing and research and development announced earlier this year.
According to North Carolina Governor Josh Stein’s office, the investment represents another multibillion-dollar commitment to Wilson, a city located about 40 miles east of Raleigh. The announcement follows J&J’s earlier move to begin construction on a biologics manufacturing facility in Wilson, where the company previously committed $2 billion for a pharmaceutical campus expected to create 420 jobs.
J&J disclosed details about its latest facility while also announcing it had reached a drug pricing agreement with the Trump administration. In line with similar commitments from other major pharmaceutical companies, J&J agreed to manufacture medicines in the United States as part of efforts to secure tariff relief.
“Our goal is that, at the completion of our $55 billion investment plan, essentially all the advanced medicines that are used in the U.S. will be manufactured here in the U.S. And I think that’s great. It’s great for the country, it’s great to create jobs and it’s great to create more resiliency in our supply chain,” said Joaquin Duato, CEO of Johnson & Johnson.
The first project in Wilson was unveiled by J&J in October 2024. Since breaking ground last year on its biologics facility there, hiring has increased as construction progresses. Including construction-related positions, J&J estimates around 5,000 jobs will be created statewide through these projects.
In addition to its work in Wilson, J&J is expanding operations at Holly Springs—about 60 miles west—where it secured a dedicated space at Fujifilm’s biopharmaceutical site last August and pledged $2 billion over ten years for expansion expected to add 120 jobs.
Other major pharmaceutical firms are also investing heavily in North Carolina manufacturing facilities as they seek to avoid potential tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump. For example, Amgen announced plans last year for a $1 billion plant in Holly Springs projected to generate 370 jobs after previously investing $550 million elsewhere in the state; Merck and Roche have also expanded their presence through reshoring activities.
https://www.biospace.com/article/with-pharma-throwing-billions-at-us-manufacturing-where-is-the-cash-going-/ Major pharmaceutical companies are investing billions into domestic manufacturing infrastructure as part of strategies responding both to government policy incentives and industry demand for local production capacity.
