North Carolina's Governor, Josh Stein, demonstrated support for innovation and job creation at the Johnson & Johnson biomanufacturing facility groundbreaking in Wilson, according to a press release on the North Carolina Office of the Governor website. Also present were business leaders and elected officials, all witnessing a step forward for the local economy. The governor extended a warm welcome to the health care giant and spoke on the economic benefits the facility is anticipated to bring.

"Biotechnology is one of our state’s largest and fastest growing economic sectors," Governor Stein said, indicating the weight of this addition to the sector's landscape. With a promise to usher in economic opportunity and high-quality jobs across the state, the governor's involvement signals a commitment to North Carolina's position as a prime business hub. Citing the governor's statements, the facility is more than a physical structure; it stands as a testament to growth, a direct line to 420 jobs with salaries averaging more than twice the county's mean income.

Jennifer Taubert of Johnson & Johnson spoke to the $2 billion investment the company is making in this project. "This state-of-the-art biologics facility in North Carolina will help Johnson & Johnson to accelerate the delivery of our portfolio and pipeline of transformational medicines for patients," she explained on the Office of the Governor. Moreover, the expected 5,000 high-wage manufacturing and construction positions are a nod to Johnson & Johnson's enduring influence on research as well as local economies.

In Stein’s first months as Governor, more than 1,500 new jobs have materialized, indicative of a growing rural imprint in job market expansion. The governor's office highlighted that North Carolina is home to over 830 life science companies which collectively sustain more than 225,000 jobs, an assertion of the state's economic vigor.