Thermo Fisher Opens Carbon-Neutral Pipette Tip Facility in North Carolina

Thermo Fisher Scientific has opened a new 375,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Mebane, North Carolina, dedicated to producing laboratory pipette tips. The site, which officially opened this week, is designed to manufacture at least 40 million tips per week, an expansion aimed at strengthening supply chain resilience and meeting growing laboratory demand in the United States. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein welcomed the investment, underscoring its significance for both the state and the life sciences sector more broadly.

“Thermo Fisher Scientific’s new facility strengthens North Carolina’s leadership in the biotech sector and strengthens our domestic supply chain,” Stein said. “I am proud to welcome this global company to Mebane as it expands its North Carolina presence with 100 good-paying jobs.”

Pipette tips are essential tools for laboratories conducting analytical testing, diagnostics, and drug development, enabling precise and reproducible liquid handling. High-volume applications range from disease research to diagnostic testing to quality control in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Ensuring a steady supply of these consumables is critical to maintaining continuity in research and clinical operations.

Thermo Fisher’s new facility can produce 96 tips every 12 seconds and approximately 5,000 finished assemblies per hour. The site incorporates automated packaging and shipping processes to accelerate distribution and help laboratories meet their timelines with fewer delays.

The Mebane facility reflects a larger trend across the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. Companies are increasingly investing in U.S.-based manufacturing as they seek to reduce reliance on imports, shore up supply chains, and address risks tied to global disruptions and potential trade barriers.

Pharma giants such as AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, and Novartis have recently announced major expansions in domestic production capacity. AstraZeneca, for example, has committed $50 billion to expand its U.S. operations by 2030. For analytical chemists, this opens doors to career opportunities that extend beyond traditional research roles. Positions in quality control, regulatory compliance, and process development are in increasing demand. Expertise in areas such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), analytical method validation, and quality systems is especially valuable, as laboratories and production lines alike depend on strict standards to safeguard accuracy and reproducibility.

The new Mebane facility has already created 40 jobs and is expected to add 50 more across manufacturing, engineering, and business operations. In addition to production capacity, Thermo Fisher designed the Mebane site to be carbon neutral, aligning with an industry-wide shift toward more sustainable operations in life sciences and analytical manufacturing.

“This site is a key step in strengthening our U.S. manufacturing capabilities,” said Erica Hirsch, president of laboratory chemicals at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “It allows us to provide customers with a more agile supply chain while supporting innovation and growth in North Carolina.”

The project was supported in part by a $192.5 million contract awarded in 2021 in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense (DoD). That agreement was part of a broader federal initiative to secure domestic production of critical laboratory supplies in the wake of pandemic-related shortages.

Thermo Fisher already has a strong presence in North Carolina, employing about 7,800 people across 13 sites, including facilities in Durham, Greenville, High Point, Asheville, and Raleigh. Nationally, the company has expanded significantly over the past decade, now employing more than 50,000 people in the U.S. and investing roughly $1 billion annually in research and development.