State Grant Helps Biotech Company Expand in Greensboro
RALEIGH – Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Piedmont Pharmaceuticals LLC, a manufacturer of pharmaceutical products, will expand its operations in Guilford County. The company plans to create 14 jobs and invest $279,000 over the next three years in Greensboro. The project was made possible in part by an $88,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
“My top priority is creating jobs,” said Gov. Perdue. “Our highly-skilled workforce and strong business climate have allowed the biotech industry to thrive in North Carolina. It’s no surprise that our state has one of the fastest growing biotech clusters in the nation.”
Piedmont Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Greensboro, is a privately-held pharmaceutical development company that focuses on animal health products. The company’s expertise is in parasitology and drug delivery technologies. Piedmont Pharmaceuticals currently employs 12 people at its Greensboro laboratory.
Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $108,429, plus benefits. The Guilford County average annual wage is $40,196.
“North Carolina was selected for Piedmont’s next expansion since it has a talented pool of experienced life science professionals and a variety of organizations, including the N.C. Biotechnology Center and N.C. Department of Commerce, who were very supportive when Piedmont was in the start up phase,” said Roland Johnson, CEO of Piedmont Pharmaceuticals.
The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches.
“Today’s job announcement is great news for Guilford County,” said Sen. Don Vaughn of Greensboro. North Carolina’s investments in workforce development, infrastructure and education mean Piedmont Pharmaceuticals can find the skilled, trained workers they need to thrive.”
North Carolina continues to have a top-ranked business climate. Through Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state works aggressively to create jobs, train and retrain its workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.
Through use of the One NC Fund, more than 60,000 jobs and $11 billion in investment have been created since 2001. Other partners that helped with this project include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, N.C. Biotechnology Center, Guilford County, City of Greensboro and the Greensboro Economic Development Alliance.
For more information about Piedmont Pharmaceuticals, including job opportunities, go to http://www.piedmontpharma.com/.
Source: http://www.piedmontpharma.com/News/News.asp?type=1&subtype=null&id=32