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Governor Cooper Announces Amgen Will Create 355 Jobs at New Biomanufacturing Facility in Wake County
Company intends to invest $550 million in Holly Springs
Raleigh
Aug 3, 2021
Amgen Inc., the pioneering biotechnology company, will build a new biologics manufacturing operation in Holly Springs, creating 355 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company intends to invest $550 million in Wake County.
"World-class companies like Amgen are very selective when they evaluate business locations and they only choose places that provide the best support for their operations,” said Governor Cooper. “Today’s decision proves once again that North Carolina remains a premier location for the most innovative biotech companies in the industry.”
Founded in 1980 in Thousand Oaks, California, Amgen today serves millions of patients around the world suffering from serious illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average, with more than 24,000 employees worldwide, including more than 14,000 in the United States. The company’s new site in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina will bring a biologics drug substance manufacturing plant online to help the company continue to meet the production demands for its life-saving medicines.
“Amgen is investing in a technologically-advanced drug substance plant in North Carolina to support the expected increase in demand for our medicines. Together with the previously announced advanced packaging plant in Ohio, we have committed to investing nearly $1 billion in new manufacturing capacity in the United States,” said Amgen Executive Vice President of Operations Esteban Santos.
“It’s exciting to see the industry where I spent much of my career become such a vital economic engine for our state,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “As the state’s new First in Talent strategic plan makes clear, developing and maintaining a skilled and diverse workforce will lead to more economic growth and great decisions like Amgen’s choice today.”
Although specific wages will vary depending on job role, the aggregate average salary of the new positions is anticipated to reach $119,510, bringing $42.4 million of annual payroll growth to the region. The current average wage in Wake County stands at $63,966.
The Amgen facility in North Carolina will be built to exacting environmental standards, consistent with the company’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality, reduce water use by 40% and waste disposal by 75% by 2027. The facility also will support Amgen’s participation as a founding member of OneTen, a coalition of many of the world’s largest, best-known companies that aims collectively to hire one million Black Americans into well-paying jobs over the next ten years, with a specific focus on those without a four-year college degree
Amgen’s project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, economists in the Department of Commerce estimate the project will grow the state’s economy by $2.5 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $11,612,250, spread over 12 years, based on a required capital investment of $380.5 million. Over those 12 years, new state tax revenues generated by the new jobs will exceed $63.6 million.
State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.
Amgen’s JDIG agreement could also move as much as $3,870,750 into a fund that helps rural communities across the state attract business in the future. When companies select a site located in a Tier 3 county such as Wake, their JDIG agreements move some of the new tax revenue into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. Local communities in more economically challenged areas of the state use grants from the Utility Account to build public infrastructure projects, which can improve a community’s ability to attract companies to their regions.
“Amgen is one of the world’s leading independent biotech companies,” said N.C. Representative Gale Adcock. “It’s great to see Holly Springs and Wake County rise to the top as one of the premier locations for biomanufacturing in the world.”
“Hard work, dedication, and a commitment to make the necessary preparations in our community have paid off in a big way today,” said N.C. Senator Sydney Batch. “Everyone in Holly Springs and Wake County will continue to support Amgen and its new employees as the company works to open its new facility in our region.”
Partnering with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of N.C. on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the North Carolina Community College System, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Duke Energy, Dominion Energy, North Carolina State University, North Carolina Central University, the Capital Area Workforce Development Board, Wake Technical Community College, the Town of Holly Springs, Wake County and Wake County Economic Development, a program of the Raleigh Chamber.
Raleigh is one of the 50 Best Places to Travel in 2021
Travel & Leisure released its list of the 50 best places to travel in 2021. This year’s list features 50 dynamic, of-the-moment destinations — all right here in the United States including Raleigh. Read the article here.
Slow the Spread of COVID-19
To keep the economy open we need to slow the spread of the virus. That's why the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is raising awareness of SlowCOVIDNC, North Carolina’s Exposure Notification app that anonymously notifies users of potential COVID-19 exposure without collecting or sharing personal information.
Get Behind the Mask and Download SlowCOVIDNC. SlowCOVIDNC is the official COVID-19 Exposure Notification app for NC. It is: completely anonymous, operated through Bluetooth, and an easy way to protect your co-workers, your customers, and your community. Learn more here.
Raleigh is No.1 Real Estate Market for 2021
Emerging Trends in Real Estate® 2021 highlights the evolving trends shaping the real estate industry. The report, which includes proprietary data and insights from more than 1,600 leading real estate industry experts, explores how COVID-19 accelerated many existing trends like retail footprint reductions, while it spawned new ones such as an increased focus on social justice and health and wellness, and stopped others in their tracks like the appeal of big cities. Raleigh ranked No.1 in the U.S. learn more here.
Wake Forest Developing 200 Acres for Mixed-use Tech Park
Despite the challenges currently presented by COVID-19 to land developments of all sizes and to the future of modern work habits, Wake Forest's plans for a nearly 200-acre, tech-centric site remain active. The Wake Forest tech park, located off of Capital Boulevard/U.S. 1, represents one of the key initiatives to advance economic development in the area. Pre-COVID market research conducted on the property indicated potential phase one development of up to 180,000 square feet of office space, 372,000 square feet of retail space, and 720 housing units of various varieties through 2023 alone. Learn more here.
Raleigh-Durham No.5 in the nation for Life Sciences
CBRE | Raleigh, a commercial real estate services company, released a research report in October 2020 that named the Raleigh-Durham area as number five in the nation for the life sciences. The Triangle has long established itself as a leader in life sciences with its Research Triangle Park campus, the largest research park in the United States. RTP is home to 450-plus life science companies, 10 million square feet of laboratory inventory, and 50,000 employees in a variety of research and development organizations. Learn more about this ranking and Raleigh's Life Science Industry here.
Raleigh is among the Top College Towns in the U.S.
North Carolina is home to one of the nation’s top college towns, a new study finds. Raleigh ranks No. 6 in a study of social activities and other offerings that make cities attractive to students pursuing higher education, according to results published Tuesday from WalletHub. Read more about this ranking in the News & Observer.
NC State Faculty Members Elected to AAAS
Ten NC State faculty members have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.
This is the largest class of AAAS fellows elected from NC State since the university was founded in 1887. AAAS has been awarding fellowships since 1874. Learn more here.
GRCVB Named Best CVB/DMO in the Southeast
Northstar Meetings Group and its principal brands, Meetings & Conventions and Successful Meetings, announced the recipients of the Fourth Annual Stella Awards; Greater Raleigh Conventions Visitors Bureau (GRCVB) was awarded the Gold Award in the Best CVB/DMO (Regional) Southeast category. The voting-based awards honor travel organizations from around the world that consistently deliver quality service and innovation to meeting and event professionals.
Happiest Employees 2020
These are the Top 100 highest-rated companies with the Happiest Employees, according to anonymous employee feedback on Comparably.com. Raleigh-based Pendo is recognized in the Top five for mid-sized companies in the U.S.
2020’s Safest Cities in America
No one can avoid all danger, however, and we take on a certain level of risk based on where we choose to live. Some cities are simply better at protecting their residents from harm. To determine where Americans can feel most secure — in more than one sense — WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 42 key indicators of safety. Our data set ranges from COVID-19 cases in the past seven days per 100,000 residents and assaults per capita to the unemployment rate and road quality. Raleigh ranked in the top 10, see the ranking here.
Forbes 30 under 30 recognizes Raleigh Native
Nicholas Donahue, Trent Hedge, Austin Kahn, and Matthew Rastovac cofounded Atmos, a start to finish homebuilding platform to simplify home ownership and design. Nicholas Donahue is a North Carolina State University engineering school dropout who moved out to San Francisco to follow his passion and create this startup. Now he’s exporting high paid software developers and those in the finance field to his home state. The platform tool shortens the build process and has attracted $6 million in venture funding from Khosla Ventures and Y combinator among others at a $25 million valuation. Forbes recently recognized them for its Forbes 30 under 30: Consumer Technology.
Americas Best Cities
The City of Oaks checks all the boxes for a bright, ambitious city of the new south: Raleigh is part of North Carolina’s Research Triangle, one of the country’s largest and most successful research parks—think high-tech and biotech research and advanced textile development. See why Raleigh was ranked the No. 25 Best City in the U.S. here.
Raleigh named No. 3 Tech Town in the U.S.
High-tech jobs keep growing in Raleigh, salaries average nearly $94,000 and the cost of living locally is 4% less than the national average: Add those facts together and the end result in North Carolina’s capital ranks as the No. 3 “Tech Town” in the US.So says tech trade group CompTIA in its annual survey.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Raleigh remains a hot spot for tech-relaced jobs with more than 44,000 postings between August 2019 and July 2020.
Apply to the Mortgage, Utility, and Rent Relief Program
If your organization has experienced extraordinary business disruption and not been able to open due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the new Mortgage, Utility, and Rent Relief (MURR) Program may be able to offer assistance with some of your fixed costs. To qualify to receive these relief funds, your organization must meet certain eligibility criteria. They are accepting applications for this assistance on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more about this program on the NC Department of Commerce Website.
First Flight’s Hangar6 Prototyping Center
First Flight Venture Center (First Flight) is thrilled to have won the $2.6 million FY20 Venture Challenge grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), benefiting Hangar6, a one-of-a-kind prototyping facility in RTP and enabling next level support for NC entrepreneurs.
First Flight established Hangar6 as a valuable innovation hub for entrepreneurs and startup businesses needing unique prototyping services. Since opening its doors in 2018, Hangar6 has offered a subscription-based membership program for Triangle entrepreneurs to design, build, and model product prototypes.
Learn more about First Flight Venture Center here.
Raleigh and Durham Listed in New Vogue Article
Once upon a time, weekend trips or journeys to far-flung locales were on everyone's wishlists. But with international borders closed and many metropolitan destinations under stringent lockdowns, Airbnb found that its users were searching for domestic escapes with close proximity to nature. In a new article, Vogue magazine breaks down the top 5 trending locations on Airbnb. Raleigh and Durham are listed as one of the top 5 locations. See the rest of the article here.
Fastest 5G Network in the World Just Launched in Raleigh
Verizon customers in NC get access to the unprecedented performance of 5G Ultra Wideband with game-changing speeds and access to 5G Nationwide. This marks a huge leap forward in this new era of technology-led disruption and innovation.
"This is exciting news for Raleigh. We value our partnership with Verizon and the innovation that 5G Ultra Wideband service will bring to our city," said Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin. "But I’m particularly pleased that, as Verizon’s deployment progresses, this service will be available in some of our most vulnerable communities.”
Verizon customers in Raleigh should expect to see 5G Ultra Wideband service around the following areas: Triangle Town Center, outside Duke Raleigh Hospital, and Crabtree Valley Mall. To see the complete 5G Ultra Wideband coverage area in the city go to: verizon.com/coverage-map. Read more about the announcement here.
Bandwidth Acquires Voxbone
RALEIGH, NC and LONDON, UK -- Oct 12, 2020 -- Bandwidth (NASDAQ: BAND), a leading enterprise cloud communications company announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Voxbone, an international enterprise cloud communications leader, for an enterprise value of €446 million EUR, representing a multiple of approximately six times anticipated Voxbone 2020 revenue. Voxbone has been majority-owned by Vitruvian Partners, a leading growth- and technology-focused investment firm headquartered in London, UK, since 2015. Voxbone is a leading European-based communications platform and IP voice network. Since 2005, their mission has been to simplify global communications for businesses by providing compliant, quality coverage that can be integrated with any contact center, conferencing platform or voice application.
"We are bringing together leading domestic and international enterprise cloud communications platforms to supercharge global cloud communications for our customers. Bandwidth’s deep US presence and Voxbone’s world-wide platform across 60+ countries will serve enterprises in countries representing 93% of global GDP. Today’s announcement accelerates our international strategy by several years. Our current and future customers will benefit from using a unified software platform, network and team to serve people around the world,” said David Morken, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Bandwidth. "Voxbone’s platform is trusted by approximately 900 enterprises, including brands like Uber, Zoom, 8x8 and Skype. We’re thrilled to welcome this pioneering team to Bandwidth and congratulate them on their tremendous growth."
Combination to Supercharge Cloud Communications
Through this combination, Bandwidth will play an even greater role in leading the transformation of enterprise cloud communications, enabling companies around the world to develop, launch, and hyper-scale applications and customer experiences using rich voice and text.
Enterprises everywhere in 2020 are prioritizing voice, video, and text communications in their digital transformations. At the center of this challenge is a critical need for a single worldwide cloud communications platform and network. With the addition of Voxbone’s intuitive user experience, software platform, and voice network spanning 60+ countries, Bandwidth will provide global enterprises with a unified answer to the question of how to develop and deliver communications applications and experiences around the world. This creates a tremendous opportunity for Bandwidth, as IDC projects worldwide spending on communications as a service to be $17.7 billion by 20241.
Upon close, Bandwidth will power 11 out of 12 of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant Leaders for UCaaS, CCaaS, and Meeting Solutions enterprises.
Learn more on Bandwidth’s website.
Kane Realty Corporation Reveals Plans for Mixed-Use Revitalization Project in North Hills’ Main District
Residential Tower, Two Office Buildings and New Retail Space Coming to North Hills in 2023, Construction to Begin Early 2021
RALEIGH, N.C., OCT. 7, 2020 – As the Triangle area continues to experience rapid growth and development, Kane Realty Corporation is excited to unveil its latest investment – the revitalization of North Hills’ Main District. Once completed, the redevelopment will include a 12-story high-rise residential building, 346,000 square feet of office space and 100,000 square feet of ground floor retail.
Master planned by Ci Design of Baltimore, Md., the new development will feature ample outdoor gathering spaces, including an active public plaza with a concierge center and outdoor event space. The project will also expand North Hills’ existing parking deck, including multiple new vertical circulation points, while maintaining North Hills’ signature street grid, which will allow cars, pedestrians, bikes and scooters to easily access the entirety of North Hills quickly and safely. North Hills has always been a place where people live, work and play – and this new project will elevate that experience.
“One of the key highlights of this project is that we have the unique opportunity to develop on an urban infill site, replacing underutilized parking areas with vertical density – meaning a more efficient and thoughtful use of space,” said Kallie Walker, senior development manager for Kane Realty Corporation. “This is precisely how successful smart cities are growing today, and we are excited about what this means for the future of North Hills and all of Raleigh."
This project also includes the addition of Raleigh’s first Restoration Hardware gallery – RH Raleigh. The Gallery at North Hills will feature a glass-encased rooftop restaurant and barista and wine bar that open onto a beautifully landscaped park. Commanding three levels and nearly 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, this one-of-a-kind experience will blur the lines between residential and retail, indoors and outdoors, home and hospitality – with full floors dedicated to RH Interiors, Modern and Outdoor.
The 287-unit residential project, designed by Cline Design Associates of Raleigh, will feature a mix of studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments for rent. Designed with health and safety in mind, amenities will include a first-of-its-kind coworking lounge, as well as multiple outdoor spaces including an eighth-floor amenity deck with firepits and sunset views; a second-floor pool deck overlooking a new, active public plaza; and an indoor/outdoor fitness center. In addition to an ideal location within the hustle and bustle of North Hills, residents will enjoy an exclusive, comprehensive Resident Relations Program offering on-demand wellness services, pet care and other concierge-style services.
The redevelopment project also consists of two office projects including One North Hills, a 10-story, 266,000-square-foot office tower overlooking the I-440 Beltline, designed by Duda|Paine of Durham, and NHX, a five-story, 80,800-square-foot office building, designed by Ci Design. Both office projects will be surrounded by retail space at the street level and feature a vibrant and immersive urban experience. One North Hills will be Raleigh’s first post-COVID designed office tower, featuring touchless entry and controlled access points, enhanced air filtration throughout the building, a 6,000-square-foot terrace created for working and gathering outdoors, touchless elevators designed to reduced cab capacity, ground-floor meeting spaces that limit guest access to office floors and optimum cleaning standards. One North Hills will also feature destination-worthy office space, a modern lobby extending up to an unforgettable second-level outdoor terrace complemented by comfortable lounge areas, as well as conference and locker room amenity areas. NHX will feature creative office space, a hip vibe, flexible layout options, a walk bridge connection and a rooftop terrace overlooking the new public plaza.
"We are excited for the North Hills Main District project and what it will bring to the North Hills community as a whole, but we also recognize the complex logistics that accompany construction of this scale,” said Sean Hill, senior construction manager for Kane Realty Corporation. “There are extensive planning efforts underway between Kane Realty, the City of Raleigh and our tenants to make sure we mitigate any of these impacts and disturbances to the best of our ability. We look forward to sharing our comprehensive plan with our tenants and the surrounding community once it has been finalized."
Construction is set to begin in early 2021. First deliveries are scheduled for early 2023, with openings beginning summer 2023. Additional partners on the North Hills Main District project include J.P. Morgan, Brasfield & Gorrie, McAdams and Stewart. Click here for additional photos and a fly-thru video of the project.
For more information, contact Hannah Smith, Marketing Manager, Kane Realty Corporation.
Doing Business in North America
The Doing Business North America (DBNA) project annually provides objective measures of the scale and scope of business regulations in 130 cities across 92 states, provinces, and federal districts of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. It uses 111 data indicators spread over six categories to score and rank cities in regard to how easy it is to set up, operate, and shut down a business.
See why Raleigh ranked No.1 here.
Airbnb partners with Raleigh to launch City Portal
Raleigh is among 15 pilot cities where Airbnb is launching its new City Portal. Billed as a “first-of-its-kind solution,” the platform is built exclusively for governments and tourism organizations and includes tools and locally-specific data to better understand the short-term rental market.
“The way we live and travel continues to change, with people dispersing to more places,” said Brian Chesky, CEO, and co-founder of Airbnb. The Airbnb City Portal will make it easier for cities of all sizes to work with us and benefit from our community.”
Added said Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin: “Raleigh takes pride in leading with data-informed decision making. We are very excited to have access to this database, which will provide insights that can inform Raleigh’s short-term rental policies. We look forward to using this information to expand the opportunities available to our residents. This pilot is one more example of Raleigh’s leadership and commitment to serving as a beta-testing city.”
Learn more here.
UNC & Duke ranked for Entrepreneurship
The latest 2020 rankings for the university programs that produce the most entrepreneurs that go on to garner venture funding are now available. Duke nabbed the No. 20 spot with 484 founders and $11 billion capital raised. Among its offerings: the Program for Entrepreneurs (P4E), a program at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business that helps students start new ventures, supported by experiential entrepreneurship education.
UNC Chapel Hill, meanwhile, accounted for 320 founders and $4.6 billion capital raised. It says it fosters innovation through the Entrepreneurship Center, under the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.
See the full ranking here.