Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science,  announced the grand opening of its innovative manufacturing center of excellence facility in Mebane, N.C. The new 375,000-square-foot carbon neutral site will be capable of producing at least 40 million laboratory pipette tips per week, helping to ensure that life-saving medicines and therapies continue to be developed and produced in the U.S. for decades to come.

“As a global leader in life sciences manufacturing, we’re proud to serve as a growth engine for the American economy and provide our customers with a strong and agile supply chain that enables them to advance human health,” said Erica Hirsch, president, laboratory chemicals, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “The opening of our Mebane site is a testament to our larger strategy to strengthen our manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. and support continued innovation and expanded growth in North Carolina, building on the strong foundation we’ve already established in this state.”

Pipette tips are critical tools for research and diagnostics, enabling precise liquid handling in high-volume applications such as disease studies and diagnostic testing. Thermo Fisher manufactures its tips with high-quality materials and strict quality controls to ensure accuracy, reduce contamination, and deliver consistent performance. The new Mebane site is built for efficiency, with advanced automation that produces 96 tips every 12 seconds and 5,000 finished assemblies per hour. Designed for seamless operations, it also features automated packaging and shipping to meet growing customer demand.

“Thermo Fisher Scientific’s new facility strengthens North Carolina’s leadership in the biotech sector and strengthens our domestic supply chain,” said Governor Josh Stein. “I am proud to welcome this global company to Mebane as it expands its North Carolina presence with 100 good-paying jobs.”

The new Mebane site has already hired 40 people and is expected to add 50 jobs in manufacturing, engineering and business operations. Thermo Fisher currently employs approximately 7,800 colleagues across 13 sites in N.C., including a center of excellence for laboratory equipment in Asheville, three life sciences [and] manufacturing sites in Durham, pharmaceutical manufacturing sites in Greenville and High Point, and a Raleigh distribution center.

The site results from a $192.5 million contract, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), awarded in 2021. In addition to investing $1 billion in R&D in the U.S. annually, Thermo Fisher has more than doubled in size in the U.S. since 2017, now employing more than 50,000 people in the U.S. today.