A five-county region in Eastern North Carolina, home to a large cluster of biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturers, is rapidly expanding.
The region has been deemed the “Biopharma Crescent” and encompasses Johnston, Wilson, Nash, Edgecombe, and Pitt Counties.
Professor John Bethune has lived in Wilson for 25 years and has seen a lot of change as the manufacturers have moved into the area.
“I’ve lived in places where people ask me where I’m from, and I’d rather say the state and not the city, but I am proud to say I live in Wilson, North Carolina,” he said.
It’s a region once known for its farmland and tobacco cultivation.
“If you came to Wilson about 25 years ago, you would probably come from I-95, you’d see farmland, and eventually, you’d reach the first major intersection with a McDonalds,” Bethune said.
Assistant Director of the Wilson Economic Development Council Cindy Ingram said Wilson teamed up with Pitt and Johnston County to increase awareness about the “Biopharma Crescent.”
“We’ve been working together to market our region as a manufacturing region for pharmaceutical and biotech companies,” she said.
This year alone, companies have announced plans to invest at least $6.2 billion in the region, creating over 2,500 jobs in the coming years.
The latest announcement came from Johnson and Johnson, which is planning a $1 billion-dollar factory in Wilson.
“I think it gives us a national and even international impression,” Ingram said. “I think we will see more companies looking at this area.”
Biopharma companies have been attracted to the region because of the relatively lower cost of land, access to international flights, a growing workforce, workforce training, and proximity to a cluster of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in and around Research Triangle Park.
Ingram tells us it’s been a years-long venture for her and her team, and it’s finally paying off quickly.
“This was our dream for the beginning, that people would see this gem just east of Raleigh,” Ingram said.
