Blue-chip U.S. companies lead the state’s biggest job-creating projects

North Carolina notched another impressive series of economic development triumphs over the past 12 months, according to Business North Carolina’s annual report on the largest job-creation announcements.

That was before Amazon disclosed its plan in early June to invest $10 billion in a data center campus in rural Richmond County, marking the largest initial investment pledge in state history. Amazon says at least 500 jobs may be created at that project. We didn’t include it this year’s list, which is based on developments announced between June 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025. However, the Seattle-based e-commerce and logistics giant is already in the ranking because of a big fulfillment center planned near Wilmington.

This year’s list has more of a domestic tone, with U.S. operators making up seven of the 10 biggest job-creating projects, versus only two last year. But foreign investment continues to flow into North Carolina as companies in Canada, Europe and Asia announced new and expanded facilities. Five North Carolina-based companies are also on the list.

Energy-related businesses led much of the activity, egged on by the push toward electric vehicles and an unquenchable thirst for power. North Carolina remained a go-to choice for global life sciences companies, especially for large biomanufacturing operations, and the state is luring more aerospace and aviation-related enterprises. 

Project details are distilled from state reports, press releases and local media coverage.  Some projects inevitably fail to hit their anticipated jobs and investment targets, while others will surpass their initial goals. For example, Toyota initially pledged 1,700 jobs and $1.3 billion in capital expense at its new battery manufacturing plant in Randolph County in 2021. Production launched in April with 1,400 workers and an investment of $14 billion, and staffing could reach 5,000 by 2030.

FRC East is said to be North Carolina’s largest industrial employer east of I-95. But the military aviation maintenance depot has outgrown its longtime coastal campus in Havelock. In June, officials gathered at the Global TransPark in Kinston to break ground on a 750,000-square-foot hangar complex that will house work on the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ C/KC-130 Hercules and Super Hercules refueling, cargo and tactical passenger planes. The new facility could boost the TransPark’s appeal to defense contractors and help solidify eastern North Carolina’s military bases as the Pentagon streamlines maintenance operations.

5. Johnson & Johnson
New Brunswick, New Jersey
NEW JOBS: 420
COUNTY: Wilson
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $2 billion
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $15.2 million

Johnson & Johnson, maker of Tylenol and hundreds of other health and consumer products, aims to boost its global supply chains in a major way in North Carolina. Its 500,000-square-foot plant is focused on biologic medicines in oncology, immunology. neuroscience and other areas, as directed by subsidiary Janssen Biotech. It’s the first of a round of $55 billion in U.S. capital investment expected over the next four years. The Wilson workforce will include analysts, engineers, microbiologists, scientists and management personnel, with an annual average compensation of $109,000. That’s more than twice Wilson County’s average.    

6. Genentech
South San Francisco, California
NEW JOBS: 400
COUNTY: Wake
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $700 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $9.85 million

Founded in 1976, Genentech has been part of Switzerland’s Roche Group since 2009. The biotech pioneer will build a 700,000-square-foot fill-finish operation in Holly Springs. The company develops oncology, neuroscience and ophthalmology therapies, and its drugs include Avastin, Herceptin, Rituxan and Tamiflu. Genentech’s first eastern U.S. plant joins Fujifilm Diosynth, CSL Seqirus and Amgen in establishing significant manufacturing sites in Holly Springs in recent years.          

7. Amgen
Thousand Oaks, California
NEW JOBS: 370
COUNTY: Wake
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $1.02 billion
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $4.9 million

Barely three years after unveiling plans for its first North Carolina production site, Amgen is doubling down on its investment in Holly Springs. Founded in 1980, the company develops treatments for cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses. At Amgen’s late-January groundbreaking, state Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger said. “It’s not every day a company decides to expand its operations before the initial facility is fully operational.”

8. MetOx International
Houston
NEW JOBS: 333
COUNTY: Chatham
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $193.8 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $3.2 million

Pioneered in University of Houston materials labs, MetOx’s superconducting technology enables high-power transmission at lower voltages and greater efficiency. Established in 1998, the company and its energy solutions could be key in meeting the intensive electrical demands of AI-driven applications and hyperscale data centers. Houston billionaire John Arnold’s Centaurus Capital and climate-focused New System Ventures are among the private company’s backers.

9. Prolec-GE Waukesha
Waukesha, Wisconsin
NEW JOBS: 330
COUNTY: Wayne
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $140 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $4.7 million

Prolec GE Waukesha will double its Goldsboro facility’s production of medium power transformers. The company designs, sells and supports transformers for electric utilities,  which are striving to meet surging demand for power. The company is a joint venture between Mexico’s Xignux and GE Vernova, an energy equipment business based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

10. (TIE) Pratt & Whitney
East Hartford, Connecticut
NEW JOBS: 325
COUNTY: Buncombe
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $285 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $4.1 million

Opened in 2022, Pratt & Whitney’s 1.2 million-square-foot
plant at Asheville’s Biltmore Farms manufactures turbine airfoils, a key component of jet engines. The company is part of Virginia-based RTX, formerly Raytheon Technologies. Its current expansion, announced in January, was welcome news for the region’s hurricane-battered economy. Pratt & Whitney met its initial pledges for jobs and investment three years ahead of schedule, and estimates its workforce will reach 1,200 by 2029.

10. (TIE) AVL Manufacturing
Hamilton, Ontario Canada
NEW JOBS: 325
COUNTY: Mecklenburg
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $56 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $100,000

Canada’s AVL Manufacturing makes customized enclosures for standby power generators used as backup systems for large data centers, as well as industrial buyers in the automotive, construction and emergency management sectors. Unveiled in May, AVL’s plans call for 232,310 square feet of industrial space in southwest Charlotte. It’s the companies first U.S. plant. President Vince Dicristofaro said, “Charlotte’s spirit of collaboration and its talented workforce made it the clear choice for our American-based home.”

12. American Titanium Metal
Fayetteville
NEW JOBS: 304
COUNTY: Cumberland
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $896 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $8 million

The “First in Flight” state boasts 450 aerospace- and aviation-related businesses, including manufacturers relying on high-grade titanium. American Titanium Metal, a startup that officials have labeled “Project Aero,” has said it plans to eventually invest as much as $1.6 billion in a 500,000-square-foot  titanium production operation near the intersection of I-295 and U.S. 401. It’s an effort to reduce U.S. reliance on China as a mineral source. Average wages are expected to reach $123,476. Harrison County, West Virginia, also vied for the project.

13. Motorsport IP Acquisition Company
Charlotte 
NEW JOBS: 300
COUNTY: Cabarrus
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $140 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $0

Motorsport IP Acquisition Company will build a design and testing facility on 10 acres at Hendrick Motorsports’ campus in Concord that will provide engines for Cadillac Formula One (F1) vehicles. The racing team, which is a partnership between General Motors and the TWG Global investment firm, plans to be ready to race by 2028. In 2026, GM’s Cadillac division is entering Formula One, the open-wheel racing events considered the pinnacle of motorsports. Concord City Council is supporting the venture with a performance-based incentive grant of $750,000.

14. Reckitt Benckiser Group
Berkshire, U.K.
NEW JOBS: 289
COUNTY: Wilson
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $145.6 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES:  $4.6 million

Mucinex is America’s No. 1 doctor-recommended cold and flu medication, and Reckitt  intends to produce it at a 309,000-square-foot building in Wilson previously owned by Swiss pharma company Sandoz Group. A Reckitt affiliate reportedly paid nearly $18.9 million for the structure, which sits on about 29 acres. The plant will be U.K.-based Reckitt’s largest in the U.S. Founded in 1840, the company’s consumer brands include Lysol and Clearasil.

15. Daimler Truck Financial Services USA
Redford Township, Michigan, and Fort Worth, Texas
NEW JOBS: 276
COUNTY: Mecklenburg
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $7.8 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $4.2 million

Daimler Truck Financial will relocate its headquarters to Charlotte, consolidating administrative, HR and financial operations from Michigan and Texas. The 50-year-old German company provides financing, insurance and leasing solutions for Daimler Truck North America, which manufactures trucks under the Freightliner and Western Star brands, as well as Thomas Built Buses. DTFS plans to occupy 60,000 square feet of office space at Ballantyne Corporate Place. Daimler employs more than 6,500 people at Gaston and Rowan county plants.

16. IDEXX Laboratories
Westbrook, Maine
NEW JOBS: 275
COUNTY: Wilson
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $147 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $3.9 million

IDEXX provides veterinary diagnostic and software solutions, operating in 175 countries and employing 11,000. The company will establish a production facility in Wilson to produce veterinary diagnostics products. Shortly after announcing the project last summer, IDEXX reportedly paid nearly $2 million for 50 acres of available land off Wilson’s International Boulevard. Annual wages at the plant will average $65,873, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce.

17. SBA Group
Vilnius, Lithuania
NEW JOBS: 250
COUNTY: Davie
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $70 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $1.42 million

Recently established furniture maker SBA Home announced plans in late 2024 to build its first North American plant in Mocksville. The company is a unit of SBA Grupe UAB, a Lithuanian conglomerate. SBA Home CEO Jurgita Radzevičė cited the state’s talent pool, infrastructure and logistics as factors in the company’s selection. “We are excited to launch our journey in the United States, starting in North Carolina — a state renowned for its dynamic business environment and exceptional opportunities for globally growing companies,” Radzevičė says.

18. (TIE) NIPRO Corporation
Osaka, Japan
NEW JOBS: 232COUNTY: Pitt
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $398 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $2.5 million

Japan’s Nipro makes medical devices and healthcare solutions. Its 550,000-square-foot facility in Greenville, the company’s first U.S. manufacturing presence, will produce advanced technologies that support patients affected by diabetes, chronic kidney disease and other renal health issues. The 130-acre campus will house customer service operations and a training center for healthcare providers. The company anticipates the plant to open in 2026.

18. (TIE) INdo Count Global
Kolhapur, India
NEW JOBS: 232
COUNTY: Guilford
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $14.4 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $0

Kernersville’s Piedmont Commerce Center will be home to Indo Count Global’s newest manufacturing facility. Founded in 1988, the Indian-owned public company makes bed linens, pillowcases, comforters and quilts marketed through brands that include Atlas, Pure Earth and Boutique Living. “Indo Count’s commitment to quality and innovation aligns perfectly with the Triad’s legacy in textile manufacturing,” N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley says.

20. Pennsylvania Transformer Technologies
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
NEW JOBS: 217
COUNTY: Hoke
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $102.5 millionN.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $800,000

Pennsylvania Transformer has manufactured power transformers in Hoke County since 1992. The company provides equipment to utilities and other industrial buyers. Its expansion plans call for an additional 300,000 square feet of space across two new facilities in Raeford. Along with significant infrastructure upgrades from the N.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority and the N.C. Railroad Company, Pennsylvania Transformer will receive a performance-based grant of $800,000 from the One North Carolina program.

21. (TIE) Pelsan Tekstil
Istanbul, Turkey
NEW JOBS: 216
COUNTY: Wayne
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $86 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $2.1 million

A global maker of breathable films for hygiene, insulation and medical textile products, Pelsan considered 72 locations in six states for its first U.S. production outpost. Wayne County’s “strategic advantages, business-friendly environment and the welcoming spirit of its people” led the company to Goldsboro’s ParkEast Industrial Park, according to Pelsan Tekstil CEO Ali Sisman. Pelsan is part of Turkey’s Hassan Group, a company founded
in 1939.

21. (TIE) RXO
Charlotte
NEW JOBS: 216
COUNTY: Mecklenburg
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $13.7 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $1.64 million

The Charlotte-based company is North America’s third-largest provider of brokered freight transportation and logistics. Its expansion adds more than 150,000 square feet of space to its Ballantyne operations and grows its 647-person local workforce. RXO last year bought Coyote Logistics from UPS for $1 billion. Charlotte’s competitive real estate costs, along with the state incentives and nearly $400,000 from local governments, helped prompt the company to remain in North Carolina.

23. Morinaga American Foods
Irvine, California
NEW JOBS: 204
COUNTY: Orange
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $136 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $100,000

Less than a decade after arriving in North Carolina, the U.S. unit of Japan’s oldest confectioner is expanding its operations in Mebane. Demand for Morinaga’s Hi-Chew candies has led to the need for more production space and workers. Since 2018, U.S. sales of Hi-Chew have grown 20% annually, reaching $235 million in 2023. Morinaga is doubling its Mebane footprint to 200,000 square feet at its 21-acre property.

24. IONNA
Durham
NEW JOBS: 203
COUNTY: Durham
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $10.05 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $3.1 million

A developer of electric vehicle charging stations, Ionna is a joint venture among eight major automakers. The company’s headquarters facility near Research Triangle Park will include a research lab for software and hardware solutions. The ultimate objective is to create a network of more than 30,000 EV charging points. Founded in early 2024, Ionna also considered Austin, Texas, for the operation.

25. (TIE) Siemens
Munich
NEW JOBS: 200
COUNTY: Wake
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $36 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES:  $0

The eastern Wake County town of Wendell has been home to Siemens’ U.S. medium-voltage business since the 1980s. The German company bases its Electrification and Automation operations there, adding hundreds of jobs in recent years. The latest expansion includes immersive customer demonstration spaces, as well as manufacturing areas. The move is the latest in a $500 million wave of investments Siemens is making in the U.S., including a 500-job advanced manufacturing and rail services center in Lexington announced in 2023.

25. (TIE) Veetee Food Group
Kent, United Kingdom
NEW JOBS: 200
COUNTY: Johnston
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $$35.7 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $1 million

Selma’s Eastfield Crossing, a mixed-use development at I-95 and U.S. 70, will be VeeTee Foods’ first U.S. location. Founded in 1987, the private British company processes and packages Asian-style rice varieties such as Basmati and Pilau for sale at supermarket chains such as Wegman’s, Harris Teeter and Publix. “Eastfield Crossing provides the ideal site, putting our growing company in close proximity to U.S. consumers, a great workforce and supportive local leaders,” says Moni Varma, chair of Veetee Foods, upon announcing the Johnston County investment.

25. (TIE) PartnerHero North America
Boise, Idaho
NEW JOBS: 200
COUNTY: Guilford
PROJECTED INVESTMENT: $7 million
N.C. CASH INCENTIVES: $0

Business process outsourcer PartnerHero provides quality assurance support for clients in the food, e-commerce and healthcare industries. Its Greensboro location is one of six global offices. “As we looked at locations across the country, it was clear that Greensboro could offer a winning combination of a thriving tech cluster, respected educational institutions and a welcoming community,” says Steve Chrabaszewski, chief operating officer.