Italian diagnostic imaging company Bracco Imaging plans to open its first U.S. factory in Lee County — a $230 million project that is expected to create 200 more jobs in the fast-growing city of Sanford, officials said Tuesday.
The multinational life sciences company, which is based in Milan, makes imaging diagnostic products, contrast agents, medical devices and other products for healthcare providers. The new Sanford plant is expected to support the growing demand for injectable contrast media. The company has other production facilities in Europe, Asia and Canada. Adding one in the U.S. was a logical next step, company officials said.
“The United States is our largest market and home to many of the patients we serve,” Fulvio Renoldi Bracco, Bracco Imaging’s chief executive, said in a statement. “Producing injectable contrast media here in Sanford brings our supply closer to American hospitals and patients and makes it even more resilient.”
He said the company chose North Carolina because of its talent pool and large concentration of life sciences companies. “As a family-owned company, we invest for the long term, and we look forward to growing with the Sanford community for decades to come,” he said.
Bracco Imaging is expected to create manufacturing, engineering, and technical jobs, along with support operations, quality, warehousing, and administrative positions. The jobs would pay an annual average wage of $103,000, which is about 72% above the county average for private-sector jobs, according to local officials. The new jobs could create a potential annual payroll impact of more than $20.6 million for the region
State officials on Tuesday approved an incentives package that includes a jobs grant worth up to $2.9 million paid out over 12 years, provided the company meets hiring and investment targets. The factory is projected to grow the state’s economy by $1.78 billion if fully realized.
Lee County and Sanford officials offered incentives packages worth up to about $7 million, officials said in public notices.
“Bracco’s decision to choose Lee County reflects the strength of our region’s life-sciences sector and the momentum we continue to build,” North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley said in a statement. He pointed to the state’s efforts to boost workforce training programs and encourage innovation as part of a broader strategy to help companies grow and deliver long-term economic value for the state.
Several companies have targeted Sanford for expansion, citing its proximity to a smattering of life sciences companies, a strong talent pool and access to major road networks, airports and other means of transport.
In August, medical-device maker Steris said it would invest at least $600 million in a new factory in Sanford. That project is expected to create 335 jobs over a four-year period. The state approved an incentives package for that project that includes up to $3.2 million in tax breaks.
Japanese pharmaceutical company Kyowa Kirin last year broke ground on its first North American manufacturing facility, which is expected to become fully operational in 2027. Astellas Pharma in 2022 opened a gene-therapy plant in Sanford, where it said it would create 200 jobs.
Pfizer Inc. has also employed hundreds at a gene-therapy plant in the county, but the company is undergoing a broader, multibillion-dollar cost-cutting plan.
“The life sciences industry is booming in North Carolina, and Sanford is excited to be at the forefront of its growth innovation,” state Rep. John Sauls, R-Lee, said in a statement Tuesday.
Local officials have said at least three other companies are considering opening new plants or expanding operations in Sanford — projects that could create a combined 370 jobs and bring millions more in investment.
