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Mentor, Ohio-based life sciences company Steris plans to invest $600 million to create 335 jobs over the next four years at a new manufacturing and distribution center in Sanford.
A Department of Commerce committee awarded Steris a potential economic grant of $3.2 million over 12 years if Steris hits the investment and job creation targets. The city of Sanford and Lee County will contribute an additional $18.1 million in incentives.
Founded in 1985 by microbiologist Raymond Kralovic, Steris makes sterilization products for the healthcare sector with an emphasis on preventing infections. It now employs more than 18,000 people at 250 locations in around 40 countries. About 11,000 of its employees are based in the U.S. Steris employs 186 workers in the state in other divisions.
The new jobs will pay an average annual salary of $68,704, almost 15% higher than Lee County’s current average wage of $59,903. North Carolina’s average wage is $70,672.
Steris plans to build a 600,000-square-foot building and produce cleaning and sterilization solutions. Its product line includes endoscopy accessories, surgical tables and connectivity solutions for operating rooms.
The expansion will increase capacity, accelerate innovation and strengthen its distribution network, says CEO Dan Carestio. Sanford is about 40 miles southwest of Raleigh.
The $600 million investment includes $16 million for land, $327 million for construction and $257 million for equipment and personal property. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2030. Hiring could begin in 2027 or 2028. Steris also considered a site in Minnesota, near where it has operations, but opted for North Carolina.
The announcement comes as another drug manufacturrer Pfizer, has scaled back its plans in Sanford, where it employs about 1,500 workers. Last year, it ended an economic development deal with the state that would have added 300 jobs in the county. In 2024, Pfizer laid off 150 workers in Lee County.
Source: Business NC
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