Laboratory Equipment Manufacturer to Expand in North Carolina

The company will create 104 jobs and invest nearly $5 million during the next three years at its site, according to Gov. Bev Perdues office.

Thermo Fishers Asheville site, which manufactures cold storage equipment, centrifuges and ovens for medical and research laboratories, is expanding to accommodate new product lines. Salaries for the new jobs will vary by job function, but the overall annual average wage will be $40,811 not including benefits, higher than Buncombe County annual average wage of $32,968, according to the state.

Thomas Loewald, head of Thermo Fishers Laboratory Equipment business, said the decision to expand operations at the site followed an extensive strategic review.

Key factors in our decision to make additional investments in North Carolina included our past success in manufacturing world-class products at the facility, the talented workforce we have been able to attract over the years, and the support from the state of North Carolina in providing resources that enable us to further strengthen our workforce by expanding training and skill development, Loewald said.

The One North Carolina Fund is providing a $208,000 grant to the company for the expansion.