Bracco Imaging will invest $230 million and create 200 jobs in Sanford, establishing the Italian company’s first United States manufacturing plant for injectable contrast media.

The facility will help Bracco serve growing American demand while shortening delivery times and transportation costs, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Contrast media are pharmaceutical products used to improve visibility during diagnostic scans.

The project will add manufacturing, engineering, technical, quality, warehousing, administrative and support positions. The jobs are expected to pay an average of about $103,000 annually, roughly 72% above Lee County’s private-sector average, while generating more than $20.6 million in yearly payroll.

North Carolina approved a performance-based Job Development Investment Grant worth up to $2.86 million over 12 years. Payments will occur only after Bracco meets hiring and investment targets. State analysts estimate the project will add $1.78 billion to North Carolina’s economy and return $4.97 in state revenue for every public dollar spent.

The project previously operated under the code name “Project Sunshine.” Lee County approved incentives expected to total about $3.77 million, while Sanford considered a similar package of up to $3.2 million. The payments are tied to property taxes and company performance.

Bracco, founded in Milan in 1927, develops contrast agents, medical devices and diagnostic imaging products used in more than 100 countries. The company said the United States is its largest market and domestic production will strengthen its supply chain for hospitals and patients.

The announcement adds to Sanford’s expanding manufacturing and life sciences industry. STERIS announced a $600 million, 335-job health care manufacturing center in August, while Caterpillar recently committed $1 billion to a new Sanford factory.

Bracco’s decision gives Lee County another high-wage employer and strengthens Sanford’s emergence as a manufacturing hub beyond the Triangle’s traditional core.

Two companies are closing North Carolina operations and eliminating 295 jobs, adding to a string of recent layoffs across the Piedmont Triad.

Sealy Mattress Manufacturing Company will permanently close its Trinity manufacturing site by Dec. 31, affecting 114 employees, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s 2026 WARN list. The plant has operated in Randolph County since 1998 and produces Sealy and Stearns & Foster mattresses.

Parent company Tempur Sealy said the decision reflects changing customer demand and business needs. Research, product development and corporate office roles at the site are not affected. Randolph County Economic Development President Kevin Franklin said local agencies, NCWorks, and Randolph Community College will help displaced workers pursue training and new employment.

Food distributor Foster is closing its North Carolina facilities after suddenly losing its largest customer. The shutdown will eliminate 169 jobs in Winston-Salem and 12 in Greenville.

Foster said its principal account, which represented about 70% of the company’s business, notified the distributor Oct. 14 that it would terminate its contract Nov. 11. The company lost another customer responsible for roughly 10% of its business. Thirty-six employees were dismissed Oct. 25, another 121 are scheduled to leave Nov. 8, and the remaining workers will depart in stages through March 5.

The company cited an “unforeseeable business circumstance” for providing some workers only four days’ notice. Federal law generally requires qualifying employers to provide 60 days’ notice before a mass layoff or plant closure, though exceptions exist for sudden circumstances beyond an employer’s control.

The new losses follow Pella Corporation’s announcement that it will close its Reidsville window-and-door plant and eliminate 133 jobs by January. Together, the decisions deepen concerns about manufacturing and distribution employment in a region long built around those industries.

A Libertarian state Senate candidate was arrested Monday after an hours-long standoff with Cary police that began as a welfare check prompted by alarming social media posts.

Jonathan D. Miller, the Libertarian nominee in North Carolina Senate District 16, was taken into custody around 3 p.m. near Cary’s Lochmere neighborhood. Police said no shots were fired and nobody was injured.

Officers went to Miller’s home on Glen Echo Lane around 8:26 a.m. after monitoring posts in which he described suicidal thoughts and appeared to reference an armed confrontation. Cary Police Chief Terry Sult said an officer encountered Miller carrying a firearm, ordered him not to touch it and watched him run into nearby woods.

Miller continued posting during the search and called WRAL several times. He told the station he had been depressed the previous night and ran because he feared being hospitalized. Sult said police monitored the calls with WRAL’s permission and that the conversations gave officers useful insight during negotiations.

Police charged Miller with communicating threats, resisting officers and going armed to the terror of the people. He was being held at the Wake County Detention Center and was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon. The charges are allegations, and Miller is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The response temporarily closed nearby roads and placed Resurrection Lutheran School under a code yellow lockdown. Cary police later announced that the crisis had ended peacefully and normal traffic could resume.

Miller is challenging Democratic Sen. Gale Adcock and Republican Philip Hensley in the Nov. 3 election. The Libertarian Party of North Carolina thanked police for resolving the incident without violence but declined to address Miller’s campaign status.

Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts can call or text 988 for free, confidential assistance.