Item:
Title
Public Hearing to Consider Allocating Economic Development Funds to Merck (20min)
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: August 12, 2019
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to hold a public hearing to consider allocating a total of $3,000,000 in Economic Development funds to Merck. A leading global biopharmaceutical company, Merck will invest more than $650 million at its Durham plant and create 391 new jobs with an average wage of $73,382.
Merck discovers and develops medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. The company operates in more than 140 countries and stays at the forefront of research to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and communities around the world.
As part of this project, Merck will build a new production facility at its Maurice R. Hillman Center for Vaccine Manufacturing in Durham. This substantial project will enable the company to meet growing demand for GARDASIL and GARDASIL 9 recombinant human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which is used to prevent several cancers associated with HPV. The company's GARDASIL 9 vaccine helps prevent nine strains of HPV, including two HPV types that cause an estimated 70% of cervical cancers. Merck's project to expand its North Carolina facilities includes plans to design, build, and win qualification from the FDA for a new 225,000 square foot manufacturing facility at its Durham location to produce active ingredient for the vaccine.
With approval of the award, Merck has agreed to make reasonable effort to make the following workforce development partnership engagements: Work with the NC Works Center Durham, Durham Technical Community College's BioWorks Advisory Committee and similar local organizations to recruit local talent by posting job openings with NC Works, holding a job fair with NC Works and communicating employment opportunities to DTCC's BioWorks Advisory Committee; To work with Durham Technical C...
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