Tuesday, May 30, 2023

114 West Elm Street
Graham, NC 27253
Ph: 336.228.7851

SteriTek makes it official: co. will build East Coast facility in Burlington

SteriTek, the California-based company specializing in electron beam and x-ray sterilization, has decided to build its first East Coast facility in Burlington, city officials have announced.

Both Burlington’s city council and Alamance County’s commissioners approved incentives earlier this week to entice the company to locate here.

The company plans to build a 150,000 square-foot facility on a 13-acre site at 1404 Anthony Road, investing $71 million in real and personal property and creating 50 jobs with an average annual wage of $56,800.

[Story continues below special subscription offer.]


- Advertisement -

For the most comprehensive business news each week, subscribe now: Just $50 for one year online access. If you’re in Alamance County, that rate also includes a printed edition by mail.  Sign up now.


In addition to constructing its own facility, SteriTek will purchase an additional 72 acres adjacent to the company’s building with plans to develop a life sciences-focused industrial park. There is potential for four additional building sites to be developed, serving as a longer-term opportunity to support new life sciences investment in Burlington, according to the city and SteriTek’s description to both boards earlier this week.

In a news release making the announcement, Burlington Mayor Jim Butler celebrated SteriTek’s decision to locate in Burlington and the potential to land additional, similar companies: “The City of Burlington is pleased to be the East Coast home of SteriTek, and we are excited for the future of the life sciences industrial park surrounding this campus.  It took teamwork and collaboration between many governmental agencies to secure this project, and we are appreciative of everyone involved.”

In addition to $1.775 million approved by commissioners and $1.41 million approved by the city council, the project was made possible in part by the One North Carolina Fund of $95,000 from the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments in a performance-based grant to help attract economic investment and create jobs.   The state’s incentive funding will be granted to the company upon the completion of construction work and meeting job creation goals. SteriTek plans to begin operations at the Burlington facility in early 2024.

[Story continues below layout.]

The potential layout of a Life Sciences Park as shown to Burlington’s city council earlier this week.

Additionally, the project is to receive financial assistance from the North Carolina Community College System to be used for a customized training program at Alamance Community College. The funding is designed to train workers locally to work at the facility to be adept at the different skills that sterilization will require and is an opportunity for the company to hire locally in the initial hiring process for the company.

Founded in 2016 in Fremont, California, SteriTek provides X-ray and E-beam sterilization services for complex medical devices and sensitive biologic materials.  The company counts as customers several industries, including medical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and tissue industries.


See earlier coverage of SteriTek discussion this week at county commissioners meeting: https://alamancenews.com/commissioners-agree-to-1-8m-in-incentives-for-calif-co-that-sterilizes-medical-equipment-to-build-burlington-facility/

and Burlington city council: https://alamancenews.com/burlington-city-council-joins-commissioners-in-proffering-incentives-for-sterilization-company/


See other recent economic development news:

Governor announces battery maker will set up operations in Mebane (Sept. 7, 2022): https://alamancenews.com/breaking-wed-governor-announces-battery-maker-with-high-paying-tech-jobs-will-locate-in-mebane/

Mebane city council OKs annexation, rezoning for 900,000 square feet of warehouse space in western Orange County (Sept. 13, 2022): https://alamancenews.com/mebane-city-council-annexes-land-for-future-warehouse-project-rezones-for-light-industrial-use/

Plans for five warehouses (with 745,700 square feet) filed for Cherry Lane in Graham (Aug. 11, 2022): https://alamancenews.com/five-warehouses-planned-for-cherry-lane-site-in-graham/

Construction starts on 579,000-square-foot warehouse off Jimmie Kerr Road in Graham (behind Flying J truck stop) (Aug. 4, 2022): https://alamancenews.com/579000-square-foot-distribution-center-planned-for-land-near-truck-stop/

Must Read

Elon increases fines for violating time limits for on-street parking

Elon’s town council has agreed to jack up the town’s parking fines in the hope that this increase will deter drivers from monopolizing the...