299 replies to this topic

[DanRNC]

In a thread a couple of months ago I mentioned that there were a few major biotech companies looking to set up major operations in the Triangle. The TBJ is reporting that Roche is looking at building a $750 million
Tamiflu plant in the area. I know of many more companies in the pipeline but will let more official sources eventually report on these-although it is kind of mentioned in the end of the article.

  Article

[urbanesq]

we're fast becoming a legitimate bio-tech-nopolis, aren't we?
this is exciting news.

[Eastwestrob]

urbanesq, on Nov 14 2005, 10:27 AM, said:

we're fast becoming a legitimate bio-tech-nopolis, aren't we?
this is exciting news.

This would be a major for the Triangle

[DanRNC]

I would say we are already there. I truly think this area can be numero uno as far as life sciences/pharma in the next 5-10 years. We currently have a $300 million Merck vaccine plant being built in Durham and a $190 million expansion to GSK in Zebulon. Add another $750 million plant and thats about $1.2 billion in life science investment in a 2-3 year period with just these 3 companies alone. I think Biolex in Pittsboro is also investing another $100 million in expansion.

[DanRNC]

One thing I should add as to why this area will see a steady increase of these operations is the training and education of the workforce here. A massive state of the art 90,000 sq. ft. biomanufacturing/tech training facility will be open soon at NCSU (Centennial Campus) and a smaller 30,000 sq. ft. one will be located at NCCU. Both Durham Tech and Wake Tech have similar-type programs though not as extensive/intensive. Add to this a steady stream of undergraduates with science degrees from UNC, Duke, NCSU, Meredith, NCCU, etc. and you have a highly trained workforce already available. The problem many of these other areas have/will have that are looking to jump on the biotech bandwagon is they don't have the workforce to staff the jobs.

Edited by DanRNC, 14 November 2005 - 11:03 AM.

[avery]

If they do locate in Holly Springs, look for this area to explode and the sprawl to continue.  Oh, the traffic.....

[DanRNC]

Is 55 the only way to get into Holly Springs? I don't see more than a couple of hundred people working in this plant so I don't know if that area will grow any more than it is now.

[orulz]

And (by the way) Holly Springs is already exploding - the difference is that it's all residential growth. They have next to nothing in the way of retail, commercial, or industrial. The town wants to diversify the economy, develop a sense of place, and make a quaint little downtown (their from-scratch downtown plan is pretty similar to Morrisville's). The Holly Springs market is already covered pretty well by the retail centers on NC55 in Fuquay-Varina and Apex, so they might even get away without any Super Wal-Marts or Home Depots.

[Leads2Starts]

avery, on Nov 14 2005, 02:37 PM, said:

If they do locate in Holly Springs, look for this area to explode and the sprawl to continue.  Oh, the traffic.....

The info I read indicated over a billion dollars in research from this Roche Tamiflu plant, which equates to around 32,000 jobs.  They obviously won't all be in Holly Springs, and most won't even be jobs working FOR Roche,  but don't make the mistake of thinking that this won't make that town blow up.  They've (Wake County) already misteriously halted the landfill decision about 8-10 days after Roche started talks with Holly Springs officials.

[DanRNC]

I don't think the Holly Springs location is a done deal yet. I think RTP is still in the mix as well as Morrisville possibly. It will most likely be in Wake rather than Durham County.

[waynehead]

Did you just say 32,000 jobs?  That would turn Holly Springs into another Cary.

[Leads2Starts]

waynehead, on Nov 28 2005, 11:49 PM, said:

Did you just say 32,000 jobs?  That would turn Holly Springs into another Cary.

Sure would.  Again, those jobs wouldn't all be in HS.  Lot's of them wouldn't even be in NC.  But, there's no doubt that HS would start to look a lot like Cary.  Good news for residents' property value, I guess.  They are also entertaining a proposal to turn the current proposed landfill site into a Southpointe-like shopping mall.

[DanRNC]

I don't think the jobs will even closely approach 32,000. I would say maybe 500-1000 at most at this facility.  The large capital expenditures would be for automation/facilities for production/research.  Bayer has a giant production facility in Clayton off 70 but not much development has sprung up around it.

[Leads2Starts]

DanRNC, on Nov 29 2005, 10:40 AM, said:

I don't think the jobs will even closely approach 32,000. I would say maybe 500-1000 at most at this facility.  The large capital expenditures would be for automation/facilities for production/research.  Bayer has a giant production facility in Clayton off 70 but not much development has sprung up around it.

Here's the quote that led me to this statement.

From ABC 11's report on the potential deal: "[They] are planning to do a Billion dollars in research...For every $1 million of research that creates 32 jobs," he said. "A billion [dollars] creates 32000."

Regardless, it would be awesome news for the triangle.

[DanRNC]

There was a story today in the N&O about still another possible pharma plant in Wake County. If this occurs that would put two large manufacturing plants in that area. I am starting to agree that traffic would be heinous in HS.

Story

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Fidelity Investments — on the heels of plans to move 1,500 jobs to Rhode Island and other New England states — may be looking to establish a major presence in North Carolina.

    The Boston-based financial services giant is in talks to open a large new campus in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park that would employ up to 5,000 people.

    The plans are emerging after Fidelity stunned local business and political leaders with plans to move 1,500 jobs out of the Bay State, most of them now based in downtown Boston. Most of that expansion is targeted for a campus Fidelity has been steadily expanding in Smithfield, R.I.

    The North Carolina talks — first reported by the Boston Business Journal and one of its sister publications, the Triangle Business Journal — are reportedly shrouded in such secrecy that they’ve been code-named “Project Ribbit,” according to the TBJ.

    The project calls for development of up to 212 acres in the Research Triangle Park. Officials there have reportedly set aside at least four adjoining sites for the Fidelity plan.

    North Carolina officials are reportedly crafting a package of tax credits and other incentives to lure Fidelity.

    The talks come as Fidelity moves to diversify its work force through both a regional and global network of offices.

    The company now has offices as far afield as India, while its real estate arm has relocated to London.

    Fidelity has more than 37,000 employees around the world, with roughly 8,500 in Boston.

    If Fidelity opts to build a new campus in North Carolina, many of the jobs may be filled with employees transferred from other company centers, the Triangle Business Journal reported. Fidelity has taken a similar approach in its expansion in Rhode Island, with plans to transfer whole operations out of downtown Boston.

    A Fidelity spokesperson could not be reached for comment last night.

    But in an interview with the TBJ last week, Fidelity’s Anne Crowley declined comment on the plans until the company is “ready to announce something.”

My Webpage

[avery]

Very cool announcement...but why RTP?  It seems as though Credit Suisse and Fidelity would want to be downtown.

[willrusso]

Cool article.  Everyone needs to hurry up and read this before the moderator deletes it!!!!  

[DanRNC]

RTP is the frontrunner for this but not a lock at this point.

Story

Edited by DanRNC, 08 March 2006 - 01:27 PM.

[DanRNC]

And another. The Roche deal is still cooking as well and I have heard that there may be another large production facility as well in the works.

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