Jan. 22. The State of North Carolina announced 16,956 new jobs last year, representing 218 business recruitment projects.

The NC Department of Commerce says they’re worth $15.2 billion in new capital investment.

The 2024 performance tops 2023’s announcements of 14,114 jobs and $12.9 billion of capital investment.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce serves as the state’s lead agency for community, workforce, and economic development. A searchable directory of all the programs and services offered by the department is available at commerce.nc.gov/directory.

By the numbers

—Natron Energy’s selection of Edgecombe County and the Kingsboro Megasite for the first sodium-ion battery gigafactory in the United States, which will create 1,062 jobs;

—Novo Nordisk’s decision to expand its manufacturing operations in Johnston County, creating 1,000 jobs;

—Boviet Solar’s choice of Pitt County for a major solar panel manufacturing facility, creating 908 jobs;

—Ross Stores’ choice of Randolph County for a Southeast region distribution center, creating 852 jobs;

—FUJIFILM Diosynth’s choice to expand its new Wake County biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, creating an additional 680 jobs.

Significant projects in the state’s Tier 1 or Tier 2 counties, in addition to the Natron Energy, Boviet Solar, and Ross Stores projects include:

—Johnson & Johnson’s (Janssen Biotech) decision to invest $2 billion in Wilson County to build a new pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in the City of Wilson, creating 420 jobs;

—SCHOTT Pharma USA’s selection of Wilson County for a new production facility, creating 401 new jobs;

—American Titanium Metal’s selection of Cumberland County for a new manufacturing facility to produce aerospace-grade titanium, creating 304 jobs in Fayetteville;

—Amrep Manufacturing Company’s selection of Rowan County for an expansion, creating 170 jobs to produce front-load and side-load trucks for waste collection;

—Kyowa Kirin’s selection of Lee County for the Japanese company’s first North American pharmaceutical manufacturing operation, creating 102 jobs in Sanford.