Steris has announced a $600 million investment to develop a new manufacturing and distribution campus in North Carolina dedicated to healthcare and pharmaceutical chemicals.
The medical equipment and services company said it will consolidate its current chemical operations in St. Louis, Missouri and Plymouth, Minnesota into the new 600,000-square-foot facility. The site will be situated near the Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle region and will focus on producing chemicals used in infection prevention and contamination control.
According to the company, the new campus is expected to begin operations within two to three years. Distribution activities are slated to start prior to the commencement of manufacturing operations, reflecting a staged approach to bringing the site online.
Steris projects the North Carolina facility will generate approximately 335 jobs. Those roles are expected to span manufacturing, research and development, and distribution functions.
The company said it selected North Carolina after evaluating multiple potential locations, citing the region's access to technical talent and specialized skills as an important factor in the decision. State and local economic development programs in North Carolina, Lee County and the city of Sanford are providing support for the investment.
The announcement frames the project as both a relocation and an expansion of Steris's chemical footprint in the United States. The firm intends to transfer its existing chemical operations to the new campus once construction is completed.
Timeline and staging
- Company expects site to begin operations in two to three years.
- Distribution operations are planned to commence before manufacturing is fully underway.
Location and workforce
- Facility size: 600,000 square feet near the Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle.
- Projected employment: about 335 jobs in manufacturing, R&D and distribution.
Local support
State and local economic development programs in North Carolina, Lee County and the city of Sanford are identified as contributors to the project, and the company pointed to the region's technical talent and specialized skills as reasons for selecting the site.