Laboratory Equipment Manufacturer to Expand in North Carolina

Dec. 16, 2009

Thermo Fisher Scientific, a Waltham, Mass.-based provider of laboratory equipment and services, plans to expand its operations in Asheville, N.C.

Josh Cable

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.

About the Author

Josh Cable | Former Senior Editor

Former Senior Editor Josh Cable covered innovation issues -- including trends and best practices in R&D, process improvement and product development. He also reported on the best practices of the most successful companies and executives in the world of transportation manufacturing, which encompasses the aerospace, automotive, rail and shipbuilding sectors.

Josh also led the IndustryWeek Manufacturing Hall of Fame, IW’s annual tribute to the most influential executives and thought leaders in U.S. manufacturing history.

Before joining IndustryWeek, Josh was the editor-in-chief of Penton Media’s Government Product News and Government Procurement. He also was an award-winning beat reporter for several small newspapers in Northeast Ohio.

Josh received his BFA in creative writing from Bowling Green University, and continued his professional development through course-work at Ohio University and Cuyahoga Community College.

A lifelong resident of the Buckeye State, Josh currently lives in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland. When the weather cooperates, you’ll find him riding his bike to work, exercising his green thumb in the backyard or playing ultimate Frisbee.