EASTERN CITIES GROWING: Businesses are bolstering Elizabeth City and Greenville's workforces through major expansions.

Big businesses are investing big money to strengthen ties with two eastern North Carolina cities by expanding facilities, increasing production and welcoming a local workforce.

Elizabeth City, a historic city located near the Virginia line, is benefitting from interstate highway construction and proximity to the Port of Virginia. Two manufacturing companies, Hockmeyer Equipment and Telephonies, have announced multimillion-dollar facility additions that will bring at least 165 jobs to Pasquotank County.

Ninety miles southwest in Greenville, Thermo Fisher Scientific, the city's fourth-largest employer, is using a $74 million investment to bring additional laboratory assets and manufacturing to Pitt County.

Elizabeth City is home to about 17,000, including the 1,700 students who attend Elizabeth City State University. One of the city's top employers is the U.S. Coast Guard. Other big employers are Pasquotank County schools and Sentara Albemarle Medical Center.

Greenville is a significantly larger city, with a population of 92,000 residents, which has doubled over the last 30 years. East Carolina University calls Greenville home, attracting more than 28,000 students to the area and boasting the largest medical school in the eastern part of the state.

Each business looking to expand in these two cities is bolstered by location and homegrown commitments through financial help or workforce development.

"This area is exploding in growth," says Christian Lockamy, economic development director for Elizabeth City- Pasquotank County Economic Development Commission since October 2018. "It's one of the best corridors in our state that hasn't been developed."

In Greenville, Thermo Fisher is boosting production and using its pipeline for employment. The New York-based company bought Durham-based Patheon for $7.2 billion in 2017. Patheon had operated the site since 2014.

"We will continue to drive talent acquisition and attract top talent to our facility. We stay committed to leveraging talent in Greenville, Pitt County and the surrounding area," says Michelle Logan, vice president and general manager of the Greenville site. "An investment in enhanced capabilities brings a commitment to build our workforce to strengthen our collaborative culture, deliver superior customer service and support local communities through growing career opportunities."

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