A Well-Connected County
Wilson County, whose population nears 90,000 residents, is only an hour’s drive to RDU International Airport, which means residents and businesses can access metropolitan areas easily. It’s also home to almost one hundred manufacturers, a large agri-business presence, growing businesses, and an array of local attractions.
Industry
Wilson boasts a strong and diverse industry base that creates jobs for all skill levels. From life sciences to automotive, aerospace to food and beverage, Wilson industries employ nearly 7,000 workers, making up 18.5% of the workforce.
In 2024, Wilson announced four new locations in the life science sector, totaling 1,400 new jobs and $2.7 billion in new investment. Johnson and Johnson, Reckitt, SCHOTT Pharma, and IDEXX will begin production of prescription and OTC drugs, medical-grade glass products, and veterinary testing kits.
2025 will see the opening of the largest cell-cultured meat production center in the world. Believer Meats will produce cell-cultured chicken at their new 200,000 square-foot facility in Wilson Corporate Park. This facility will have the capacity to produce at least 12,000 metric tons (26 million pounds) of cultivated chicken annually—without slaughtering a single animal in the production process.
Major Employers
Noteworthy Characteristics
Branch Banking and Trust, BB&T, was founded in Wilson in 1889. In 2019, a merger of equals with SunTrust created Truist Bank. Forbes ranks Truist as the 8th largest bank in the US. While headquartered in Charlotte, NC, Truist maintains a workforce of 2,000 in Wilson at their data and back-office services centers.
Presence of established industrial giants such as Bridgestone/Firestone, packaging solutions leader Ardagh Group, and United Technologies Aerospace Systems, a provider of fire detection and suppression equipment for defense and commercial aircraft.
Greenlight Community Broadband, a municipally owned and operated fiber optic network is available to residents and businesses, provides speeds up to 1 GB. For corporate accounts, Greenlight offers reliable services with affordable and stable pricing.
Productive soils account for much of North Carolina’s production of sweet potatoes, flue-cured tobacco, and ornamental plants.
Minor league baseball highlights a growing downtown district. Set to open in April 2026, a new downtown stadium will be home to the Wilson Warbirds, a Milwaukee Brewers farm team. This stadium will be the only major or minor league facility in the US to feature a full-service hotel attached to the stadium. Built adjacent to the renowned Whirligig Park, spectators will have a fantastic view of the spinning structure just beyond left field.
Higher Education
Barton College
Barton College, a fully accredited liberal arts college founded in 1902, enrolls about 1,200 students across business, behavioral science, nursing, and other curricula.
Wilson Community College
Wilson Community College offers college-transfer, technical, and lifelong learning programs that meet the needs of students and employers, and the Wilson Academy of Applied Technology supplies a steady stream of workers.
Infrastructure and Accessibility
CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads cross in Wilson, providing businesses and passengers with top-notch rail services.
Interstates I-95, I-795, and I-587 converge in Wilson, placing companies within quick reach of workers, suppliers, partners, and customers.
With an abundant water and natural gas supply, the county can serve any size industrial client.
North Carolina’s Global TransPark is only 35 miles south, and deep-water ports in Charleston, Norfolk, Morehead City, and Wilmington are two to four hours away.
Johnson & Johnson to invest more than $2 billion in new manufacturing facility in Wilson, NC
Biopharma company to create 401 jobs in Wilson
[BELIEVER Meats] “WHY WE PICKED NORTH CAROLINA FOR OUR 1ST US LAB-GROWN MEAT FACTORY”
Connect with Wilson County
Interested in learning more about Wilson County? Click to connect with their economic development team.