The Greenville Eastern North Carolina (ENC) Alliance, Pitt County, and City of Greenville are thrilled to welcome Nipro Medical Corporation, a leading global healthcare and medical device manufacturer, to Pitt County, bringing $397.8 million in new capital investment and 232 new jobs. The company, owned by Nipro Corporation in Japan, has selected Greenville-Pitt County for its first North American manufacturing center of excellence.
“I’m excited to welcome another advanced manufacturing company to eastern North Carolina,” said Governor Roy Cooper. "Not only will Nipro join a Greenville community of health care leaders, it will grow eastern North Carolina’s life sciences prowess with the help of the skilled, dedicated and diverse workforce they need to succeed."
Nipro is purchasing the 130-acre Pitt County-owned industrial site at 1911 Old Creek Road in Greenville.
“We are thrilled to start manufacturing our cutting-edge medical devices in the U.S., which will support local healthcare professionals and patients with a stable supply chain and reduced transportation costs," said Tsuyoshi Yamazaki, Senior Managing Director of Global Business at Nipro. “Our close proximity to customers will allow us to better respond to their needs and provide them with timely and effective solutions. Our new facility in Greenville is a major milestone in our sustainability journey, reflecting our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint.”
The North Carolina facility is set to produce state-of-the-art dialyzers and precision needles for insulin and GLP-1 therapies as the company is committed to enhancing the quality of patient care through innovative medical technologies.
“This new facility marks a major milestone in Nipro's commitment to the U.S. market, allowing us to deliver high-quality medical devices that enhance patient outcomes and quality of life,” said Akira Shimizu, CEO of Nipro Medical Corporation.
North Carolina has focused on recruiting Japanese business, and Japan now ranks as the number one source of foreign direct investment (FDI) to the state.
“It has been an incredible two-year partnership that has brought this project to fruition,” said Josh Lewis, president and CEO of the Greenville ENC Alliance. “This announcement is a testament to the power of collaboration within our community and the Greenville ENC Alliance is proud to be the partner that brings everyone together. We are excited about the future of Nipro in our community, the lifesaving products that they will produce, and the many families that will benefit from their operation.”
The new campus in Greenville will host a medical training center for healthcare providers, customer service center, and increase the company’s global capacity to continue expanding its footprint and offering high-end medical devices in a 550,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing facility for the North American market.
“What I have found most rewarding during the two-year journey with Nipro is the company’s desire to put people first in their reasoning for what they build, develop, and grow,” shared Uconda Dunn, vice president of business development for the Greenville ENC Alliance, who served as project manager since the company’s first visit to Greenville-Pitt County in 2022. “Our community is fortunate to have been chosen as the site to advance Nipro in the U.S. market and our citizens will reap the benefits in many ways.”
New positions being created by the company will range from engineers and production workers to administrative and management roles. Although wages will vary depending on the position, the average salary for the new positions will be $56,147, which exceeds the current average wage in Pitt County of $50,937. These new jobs could create a potential payroll impact of more than $13 million for the region each year.
"I am so proud of what this community has accomplished. The impact of Nipro's U.S. investment will echo in this region for decades to come,” said Drake Brinkley, Chairman of the Greenville ENC Alliance Board of Directors and Ward and Smith, P.A. Commercial Real Estate Attorney. “On behalf of the Greenville ENC Alliance board of directors, we are grateful for the community collaboration that facilitated this plan. There is much to be thankful for and to celebrate."
Construction will begin on Nipro’s Pitt County facility by the end of 2024 and the plant is expected to be operational in 2026.
“On behalf of Pitt County and the Board of Commissioners, we are honored to be the chosen location for Nipro’s first U.S. medical equipment manufacturing facility,” said Mark Smith, Chair of the Pitt County Board of Commissioners. “This announcement demonstrates that Pitt County and North Carolina continue to be leading locations for life sciences manufacturing, and we welcome Nipro as our newest corporate citizen.”
“We are thrilled that Nipro Medical Corporation has selected Greenville to expand operations. The impact of this expansion on our community will be profound, and I am proud to know that for years to come the innovative medical devices helping people across the country will be produced in Greenville,” said Greenville Mayor P.J. Connelly.
Key partners in the project include the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Department of Transportation, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Air Quality, East Carolina University, North Carolina Community College System, Pitt Community College, North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Pitt County, Pitt County Economic Development, Greenville ENC Alliance, Greenville Utilities Commission, and City of Greenville.
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Media Relations Contact:
Maria Satira Director of Marketing and Communications Greenville Eastern North Carolina Alliance satira@encalliance.com 252-414-2875
