An Italian diagnostic imaging company is planting its first U.S. manufacturing flag in Sanford, with Bracco committing $230 million to build a plant that will eventually employ 200 workers making contrast media used in CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds. Those jobs are expected to pay an average annual salary of $103,164, which is 72% higher than Lee County's current average wage.
Milan-Based Company Chooses Lee County for U.S. Debut
Bracco is an Italian healthcare company based in Milan that specializes in diagnostic imaging, and the Sanford facility will mark its first U.S. location to manufacture contrast media, according to Business North Carolina. The company plans to locate the operation inside an existing building at Central Carolina Enterprise Park rather than build from the ground up. Bracco currently employs about 3,700 people across its global operations, which include production facilities in Europe, Asia and Canada in addition to its Milan headquarters, per a statement carried by EIN Presswire.
Injectable contrast media, the product line the new plant will produce, is used by doctors to make blood vessels and organs easier to see during imaging scans, as the News & Observer reported. The sterile manufacturing site is intended to support growing regional demand for that product while shortening delivery times and lowering transportation costs, the same EIN Presswire release noted. N.C. Gov. Josh Stein announced the project, saying he welcomed Bracco and its investment in North Carolina, according to the News & Observer's account of an announcement that took place in Raleigh.
Hiring Timeline and the Numbers Behind the Deal
Bracco's hiring will unfold over a four-year period beginning in 2028, with the investment expected to be completed by the end of 2030, Business North Carolina reported. The new roles are expected to span manufacturing, engineering, technical, support, quality, warehousing and administrative positions. State officials project the jobs could generate more than $20.6 million in annual payroll for the region, per the EIN Presswire release.
To help close the deal, North Carolina's Economic Investment Committee approved a Job Development Investment Grant for Bracco Imaging Operations USA LLC worth up to $2,859,300 over 12 years, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Grant payments are structured so the state only pays out after verifying that Bracco has hit its job-creation and investment targets, the News & Observer noted. State officials estimate the project will grow North Carolina's economy by $1.78 billion over the grant's 12-year term, with a projected return of $4.97 in state revenue for every dollar of potential state cost, per the same EIN Presswire release.
Sanford's Streak of Nine-Figure Announcements
Bracco's arrival adds to a run of massive projects landing in the same small Lee County city. Caterpillar announced on Sept. 30 that it would invest $1 billion in Sanford to move about 2,000 jobs to a new location, a deal that came after local officials approved incentives worth up to $85.5 million, according to WRAL. STERIS also announced plans this month to invest $600 million and create 335 jobs at a Sanford medical-equipment facility, a project WRAL reported was first disclosed in August.
WRAL reported that four projects being considered for Sanford could collectively bring roughly $300 million in investment and 670 jobs; the group included Project Sunshine, which was later identified as Bracco. The Sanford Herald put the combined figure for those same four projects at least $305.69 million in investment and 672 jobs. State Sen. Jim Burgin, a Republican whose district includes Sanford, said Bracco's jobs and investment are good news for Lee County, describing the expansion as a vote of confidence in the community and its workforce, per the News & Observer.
A Bright Spot Amid Statewide Manufacturing Losses
The Sanford boom stands out against a tougher statewide backdrop. North Carolina's manufacturing sector finished 2025 with 3,600 fewer jobs than the year before, marking three consecutive years of net job losses, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Lee County, meanwhile, reported an average weekly wage of $1,273 among small counties in first-quarter 2026 data cited by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — a sign of the wage pressure already building before Bracco's higher-paying jobs even arrive.
