By Lee Burlett
Earlier this year, we noticed a nice deal in Sanford-Lee County, N.C. Sanford has always held its own over the years, but 2026 has been special.
The first significant project announced in Sanford this year was Helix Ventures and PointOne. They have partnered to build a new tech park near the Jetport in Sanford, with the focus on data center development. Phase one of the project calls for a $900 million investment.
The second project was from STERIS, a global health care leader. It was announced in August. STERIS is locating a new Chemistries Manufacturing Center for Excellence in Sanford-Lee County. The $600 million capital investment will create 335 full-time jobs.
Then on October 1, Caterpillar announced plans to construct a new multi-billion-dollar plant. Caterpillar has operated in Lee County since 1998, making skid steer loaders, multi-terrain loaders and compact track loaders.
Some of those who partnered with Sanford on the Caterpillar deal and others in the area include the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, the North Carolina Community College System, Central Carolina Community College, Duke Energy and TriRiver Water, to name a few.
In late October, Bracco Imaging selected Sanford
On October 27, Gov. Josh Stein announced that Bracco, a global leader in diagnostic imaging, will create 200 jobs and invest $230 million in Sanford to open its first U.S. location to manufacture contrast media used in MRIs and CT scans. The company also manufactures a variety of other medical devices.
Again, those four deals represent a pretty good haul for a county of 70,000 people. Its location doesn’t hurt either, as the county is centered just south of the heart of the Research Triangle.
“Sanford and Lee County have seen an unprecedented level of investment interest in 2026. But that didn’t happen out of the blue; we often refer to our community as a ‘ten-year overnight success,’ ” said Sanford Area Growth Alliance CEO Jimmy Randolph.
“While the big investment amounts and job numbers this year make the headlines, it’s taken decades of hard work from all our public and private partners to make those successes possible. Thanks to their collaborative efforts, today, Sanford and Lee County boast a robust workforce pipeline, diverse manufacturing ecosystem, ready sites, a high quality of life, and a business-friendly environment that makes a year like this possible,”said Randolph.
