Nelipak Corporation, which does business as Nelipak Healthcare Packaging, will initially invest about $11.8 million to establish a flexible packaging production site in North Carolina.
The company says it will create at least 36 new jobs at the 110,000-square-foot site near Winston-Salem and expects to make additional investments at the site over the next five years.
Nelipak, which is headquartered in Cranston, Rhode Island, is a global manufacturer of rigid and flexible packaging solutions for medical device, diagnostic, pharmaceutical drug delivery, and other healthcare applications.
“Important factors in our decision to locate our first North American flexible packaging operation in Forsyth County and Winston-Salem include an attractive geographic area with an available new building, a skilled local workforce, a regional emphasis on training and education, and an overall favorable business climate for healthcare-related manufacturing,” said Pat Chambliss, CEO of Nelipak, in a news release. “We appreciate the enthusiasm and support for this project in the local community and look forward to a long-term partnership.”
Positions at the new site will include site management, machine operators, quality technicians, material handlers, and warehouse personnel. Although wages will vary depending on position, the overall expected average annual salary is $57,526, which is slightly higher than Forsyth County’s overall average annual wage of $57,351, the company says.
A performance-based grant of $72,000 from the One North Carolina Fund (One NC Fund) will help with Nelipak’s expansion to North Carolina. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All One NC grants require matching participation from local governments, and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.
Nelipak offers in-house design, prototyping, tooling, simulation, validation, laboratory, and other value-added services, as well as a line of tray-sealing equipment. It has 1,400 employees and 10 production sites globally, including five sites in North America.