Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Thermo Fisher Scientific, a world leader in laboratory equipment and services, will expand its operations in Buncombe County. The company will create 104 jobs and invest nearly $5 million during the next three years at its site in Asheville. The announcement was made possible in part by a $208,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
“North Carolina is home to advanced research and science-based manufacturing,” Gov. Perdue said. “Our superb quality of life, business-friendly climate and highly skilled workers continue to attract companies that are achieving success in a competitive marketplace.”
Thermo Fisher Scientific is a leading global provider of analytical instruments, equipment, reagents and consumables, software and services for research, analysis, discovery and diagnostics. The company employs approximately 35,000 people in 40 countries, serving 350,000 customers primarily in the life sciences and health care markets.
Thermo Fisher’s Asheville site, which manufactures cold storage equipment, centrifuges and ovens for medical and research laboratories, is expanding to accommodate new product lines. Salaries for the new jobs will vary by job function, but the overall annual average wage will be $40,811 not including benefits, higher than Buncombe County annual average wage of $32,968.
Thomas Loewald, head of Thermo Fisher’s Laboratory Equipment business, said the decision to expand operations at the site followed an extensive strategic review. “Key factors in our decision to make additional investments in North Carolina included our past success in manufacturing world-class products at the facility, the talented workforce we have been able to attract over the years, and the support from the state of North Carolina in providing resources that enable us to further strengthen our workforce by expanding training and skill development,” Loewald said.
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.
“During these tough economic times, it’s important to make investments to create jobs and the help businesses grow and expand,” said Sen. Martin Nesbitt. “We welcome these new jobs to Buncombe County.
“Our skilled, and knowledge-based workforce continues to be a major reason top companies choose to expand here and create new jobs,” said Rep. Susan Fisher.
North Carolina continues to have a top-ranked business climate. Through Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state will work aggressively to create jobs, train and retrain our workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.
Other partners who helped make this announcement possible include the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges and Buncombe County.
For more information about Thermo Fisher or job opportunities with the company, go to: http://www.thermofisher.com/.