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Sanford, Lee County

Sanford: State says Bracco will invest $230 million and add 200 jobs

Governor Josh Stein announced Tuesday that the Italian imaging firm will open its first U.S. contrast-media plant in Lee County. WRAL and The News & Observer covered the same grant vote.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Triangle Local Staff · Published

A downtown street in Sanford, N.C.

File photo: Indy beetle (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • On Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, Governor Josh Stein announced that Bracco will create 200 jobs and invest $230 million to open its first U.S. location to manufacture contrast media in Sanford, Lee County.Confirmed by Office of the Governor and N.C. Department of Commerce press releases, Oct. 27, 2026
  • Those matching releases describe Bracco Imaging as a Milan-based life-sciences company, founded in 1927, with other plants in Europe, Asia, and Canada. They call the Sanford work a sterile manufacturing plant for injectable contrast media.Confirmed by Office of the Governor and N.C. Department of Commerce, Oct. 27, 2026
  • Stein, quoted on both pages, said he was pleased to welcome the investment and that North Carolina's strengths in manufacturing, innovation, and workforce development gave companies like Bracco confidence to invest here.Confirmed by Office of the Governor press release, quoting Governor Josh Stein
  • Fulvio Renoldi Bracco, named as vice chairman and CEO of Bracco Imaging, said the United States is the company's largest market. The same statement said making the product in Sanford brings supply closer to American hospitals and that the firm chose North Carolina for its talent and life-sciences cluster.Confirmed by Office of the Governor and Commerce releases, quoting Fulvio Renoldi Bracco
  • N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley, quoted in the same releases, said the Lee County choice reflects the region's life-sciences sector.Confirmed by Office of the Governor and Commerce releases, quoting Lee Lilley
  • The releases said new roles include manufacturing, engineering, and technical jobs, plus support operations, quality, warehousing, and administrative positions, and that the hires could create a potential annual payroll impact of more than $20.6 million for the region.Confirmed by Office of the Governor and N.C. Department of Commerce, Oct. 27, 2026
  • The state's Economic Investment Committee approved a Job Development Investment Grant for Bracco Imaging Operations USA LLC. The grant authorizes potential reimbursement of up to $2,859,300 over 12 years, paid only after Commerce and Revenue verify each year's job-creation and investment targets.Confirmed by Office of the Governor and N.C. Department of Commerce, Oct. 27, 2026
  • Over that 12-year term, the releases estimated the project could grow the state's economy by $1.78 billion and return $4.97 in state revenue for each public dollar.Confirmed by Office of the Governor and N.C. Department of Commerce, Oct. 27, 2026
  • Because Lee County is classified as Tier 2, the grant agreement also calls for moving as much as $317,700 into the state's Industrial Development Fund Utility Account, the releases said.Confirmed by Office of the Governor and N.C. Department of Commerce, Oct. 27, 2026
  • Sen. Jim Burgin and Rep. John Sauls welcomed the project in those pages. Partners listed there include Lee County, the City of Sanford, the Sanford Area Growth Alliance, Central Carolina Community College, the N.C. Community College System, the N.C. Biotechnology Center, and Duke Energy.Confirmed by Office of the Governor and N.C. Department of Commerce, Oct. 27, 2026
  • WRAL independently reported Tuesday's announcement, the $230 million figure, and the 200 jobs. Citing local officials, that account put the average wage at $103,000, about 72 percent above the county private-sector average. The governor and Commerce pages we read do not print a wage.Confirmed by WRAL only, Oct. 27, 2026
  • The News & Observer, writing from the committee session in Raleigh, also reported the $230 million and 200 jobs. It said Stein added that hiring would run from 2028 through 2031 at a minimum average wage of $103,164. Those two lines are the newspaper's. They are not on the official pages we read.Confirmed by The News & Observer only, Oct. 27, 2026
  • The N&O rounded the grant to $2.8 million. WRAL rounded it to $2.9 million. This file uses the $2,859,300 figure from the state releases.Confirmed by Office of the Governor and Commerce; WRAL; The News & Observer
  • A Lee County public-hearing notice, posted before a company was named, described a pharmaceutical-healthcare manufacturer then called Project Sunshine. That notice proposed at least $230 million in Sanford, at least 200 full-time benefited jobs at an average annual wage of $103,000 over six years, and six yearly county payments equal to 60 percent of the firm's property taxes, estimated at $3,774,352. Tuesday's state pages do not say Project Sunshine is Bracco, and they do not print a city or county incentive total.Confirmed by Lee County public-hearing notice; Office of the Governor and Commerce pages we read

Still unknown

  • A street address or named building for the plant
  • When construction would start and when the plant would open
  • Whether Lee County's earlier Project Sunshine notice is this same project
  • A city incentive figure we can read on a municipal page
  • A wage on the governor or Commerce pages we read

What this means for you

Instructions from Office of the Governor; N.C. Department of Commerce

This site is not the City of Sanford, Lee County, the N.C. Department of Commerce, or Bracco. For the written announcement, use the governor's Oct. 27 release or commerce.nc.gov. For later local notices, use leecountync.gov or sanfordnc.net. This is not an emergency notice. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Sanford, the governor's office said Tuesday that Italian imaging company Bracco will open a $230 million plant to make contrast media and create 200 jobs.

Matching releases from Governor Josh Stein and the N.C. Department of Commerce called the work the firm's first U.S. site for that product and placed it in Lee County. They described Bracco Imaging as a Milan company, founded in 1927, with other plants in Europe, Asia, and Canada, and they labeled the Sanford building a sterile factory for injectable contrast media.

Stein, quoted on both pages, said North Carolina's manufacturing, innovation, and workforce strengths gave the company reason to come. Fulvio Renoldi Bracco, listed as vice chairman and chief executive, said the United States is the firm's largest market and that making the product here brings supply closer to American hospitals. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley said the Lee County choice reflects the region's life-sciences sector.

The same notices listed manufacturing, engineering, and technical roles, plus support, quality, warehousing, and office jobs. They put a possible yearly payroll effect at more than $20.6 million.

The state's Economic Investment Committee approved a Job Development Investment Grant for Bracco Imaging Operations USA LLC. Over 12 years that grant could reimburse up to $2,859,300, but only after Commerce and Revenue confirm each year's hiring and investment targets. The pages estimated $1.78 billion in statewide economic growth and $4.97 back for each public dollar. Because the county is Tier 2, they also said as much as $317,700 would move into the state's Utility Account for rural infrastructure.

WRAL separately reported Tuesday's vote and those job and investment totals. Citing local officials, that story set the average pay at $103,000, about 72 percent above the county private-sector mean. The governor and Commerce texts we read skip a wage.

The News & Observer, writing from the Raleigh committee session, also carried the $230 million and 200-job figures. It said Stein added that hiring would run from 2028 through 2031 at a minimum average of $103,164. Those two points are the newspaper's. Neither appears in the governor or Commerce text we opened. The N&O rounded the grant to $2.8 million. WRAL rounded it to $2.9 million. This file keeps the $2,859,300 line printed by the state.

A Lee County hearing notice, posted while the company was still unnamed, described a pharmaceutical-healthcare manufacturer then called Project Sunshine. That notice proposed at least $230 million in Sanford, at least 200 full-time jobs at an average wage of $103,000, and six yearly county payments equal to 60 percent of the firm's property taxes, estimated at $3,774,352. Tuesday's state pages never identify that code name as Bracco, and they omit a city or county incentive total.

Sen. Jim Burgin and Rep. John Sauls welcomed the project in the state releases. Partners named there include the county, the city, the Sanford Area Growth Alliance, and Central Carolina Community College.

This site is not Sanford, Lee County, or the company. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What we don't know yet

No street, construction start, or opening date is on the pages we opened. Whether that earlier county code name matches this plant is still unstated. A city incentive amount is also missing.

Photos

Text-only. No state or outlet photos are used here.

Why it matters

Lee County now has a named $230 million plant and 200 promised jobs, with a state grant that pays only if yearly hiring and investment targets are met. Readers need the official dollar figures, and the wage and hiring-year lines that appear only in other accounts.

Updates

  1. Oct 27, 2026, 2:03 PM

    Governor Josh Stein and Commerce announced a $230 million Bracco contrast-media plant and 200 jobs in Sanford. WRAL and The News & Observer independently covered Tuesday's grant vote. Official pages we read do not print a wage or a street address.

Sources

  1. Governor Stein Announces Italian Diagnostic Imaging Company to Invest $230 Million in Sanford for its First U.S. Manufacturing Plant (Office of the Governor, Oct. 27, 2026: Bracco; 200 jobs; $230 million; first U.S. location to manufacture contrast media in Sanford, Lee County; Milan headquarters; founded 1927; plants in Europe, Asia, and Canada; sterile plant; injectable contrast media; Stein quote; Fulvio Renoldi Bracco, Vice Chairman and CEO; Lilley quote; manufacturing, engineering, technical, support, quality, warehousing, administrative roles; more than $20.6 million potential annual payroll; JDIG for Bracco Imaging Operations USA LLC, Economic Investment Committee; up to $2,859,300 over 12 years after Commerce and Revenue verify targets; $1.78 billion estimated state economic growth; $4.97 per public dollar; Tier 2; up to $317,700 Utility Account; Burgin and Sauls quotes; partners include Lee County, City of Sanford, Sanford Area Growth Alliance, Central Carolina Community College. Text-only; no state photos used.)

    Official sourcePublished by Office of the Governor · Checked Oct 27, 2026, 2:05 PM

  2. Governor Stein Announces Italian Diagnostic Imaging Company to Invest $230 Million in Sanford for its First U.S. Manufacturing Plant (N.C. Department of Commerce, Oct. 27, 2026: matching text to the governor's release, including the $2,859,300 JDIG, 200 jobs, $230 million, and partner list. Text-only; no Commerce photos used.)

    Official sourcePublished by N.C. Department of Commerce · Checked Oct 27, 2026, 2:05 PM

  3. Italian diagnostic imaging company to invest $230M, create 200 jobs in Sanford (WRAL staff, posted Oct. 27, 2026, 12:39 p.m. Eastern: first U.S. factory; $230 million; 200 jobs; Milan; injectable contrast media; Renoldi Bracco quote; average wage $103,000, about 72 percent above the county private-sector average, according to local officials; more than $20.6 million payroll, attributed to Stein; jobs grant worth up to $2.9 million over 12 years; $1.78 billion if fully realized; Lee County and Sanford incentives 'up to about $7 million,' officials said in public notices. This file does not use that $7 million line. WRAL also placed the news against Steris, Kyowa Kirin, Astellas, and Pfizer; those background lines are WRAL's. Text-only; no WRAL photos used.)

    Published by WRAL · Checked Oct 27, 2026, 2:05 PM

  4. $230M investment announced for new NC manufacturing plant. What it means for jobs (The News & Observer, Josh Shaffer, Oct. 27, 2026, 12:11 p.m.: Stein announced Tuesday; Bracco; first U.S. manufacturing plant in Sanford; $230 million; 200 jobs; Stein quote matching the official release; news broken at the N.C. Economic Investment Committee in Raleigh; hiring from 2028 through 2031; minimum average wage of $103,164; grant up to $2.8 million over 12 years after targets are verified; $4.97 return; Burgin quote. The 2028-2031 span and $103,164 wage are N&O-only. Text-only; no newspaper photos used.)

    Published by The News & Observer · Checked Oct 27, 2026, 2:05 PM

  5. Public Hearing Notices - Project Sunshine, Volt, Mustang, and Maze (Lee County, hearing set Monday, Oct. 19, 2026: Project Sunshine described as a pharmaceutical-healthcare manufacturer; purchase and upfit of a building plus machinery in Sanford; at least $230,000,000 net new taxable investment over a six-year life; six annual cash incentives equal to 60 percent of ad valorem taxes paid; anticipated $3,774,352; at least 200 new full-time benefited jobs; average annual wage of $103,000; General Fund. The notice does not name Bracco.)

    Official sourcePublished by Lee County · Checked Oct 27, 2026, 2:05 PM

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