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ohnston County, N.C. – September 18, 2026. Consider Johnston County’s most important life sciences companies, and names like Novo Nordisk, BD and Grifols come to mind. True, the three are global biotech titans that employ thousands of workers here. But less conspicuous industry names are also thriving. Now expanding in Smithfield, for example, is Ace Fabrication, a business that has operated at its U.S. 70 Business W. location since 1962.

Michael Prince, President of Ace Fabrication, says his company’s presence in Johnston County pre-dates that of Novo Nordisk, the Danish bio-manufacturer that arrived in Clayton in 1993. “We’ve been here longer than just about anybody,” says Prince, a veteran of the Research Triangle Region’s pharmaceutical sector. Since acquiring the company ten years ago, Prince has grown Ace Fabrication’s workforce from 10 to 30 employees – with more hiring likely as the company triples its real estate footprint and adopts the latest laser- and robotics-rich production technologies.

Ace Fabrication is an end-to-end design, engineering, fabrication and installation company providing custom stainless-steel equipment, architectural products and facility solutions for new construction, expansions and ongoing production needs in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries around the country. “We’ve been working with life sciences companies since our inception,” Prince explains. “About 99 percent of our business is in life sciences. We support all the major manufacturers.”

While the company delivers stainless steel products across the country, its work on behalf of arriving and expanding biotech names in the Triangle has intensified in recent years. “So much of everything that’s going on involves all the new pharma facilities in the RTP area,” says Prince, whose career managing capital projects spans positions at Burroughs-Wellcome & Company (now Thermo Fisher Scientific), Wyeth (now Pfizer) and Biogen.

“This is exactly what a cluster is,” says Ted Abernathy, Founder and Managing Partner of Economic Leadership LLC, a national consulting company based in Raleigh. As a term-of-art in economic development circles, “clusters” refer to both the horizontal and vertical concentration of firms in an industry across a region. Operating in the Triangle, for example, are more than 600 life sciences companies ranging from early-stage university spin-offs to multi-billion-dollar biomanufacturers, collectively employing 42,000 workers, according to the N.C. Biotech Center. “Clusters are about supply-chain concentration,” says Abernathy, who helped guide regional economic development for the Research Triangle Regional Partnership (RTRP) prior to launching Economic Leadership LLC.

In the late 1990s, Harvard Business Professor Michael Porter advanced the cluster-based framework to benchmark regional economic competitiveness. Today, it’s more than an academic abstraction. “There’s never been a time when it’s more important,” Abernathy says. “We’re seeing a trend now that data analytics can provide expanding companies the means to judge places faster and with greater anonymity. And one of the things they judge is supply-chain clusters.”

Along with supply-chains, talent pipelines are another essential ingredient for clusters. Johnston County, for example, super-charged its life sciences cluster in 2004 with the opening of Johnston Community College’s (JCC) Workforce Development Center in Clayton, customizing a bio-manufacturing training program around the talent needs of Grifols and Novo Nordisk. More recently, JCC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Facility in Four Oaks is growing a talent pipeline to support defense-oriented manufacturers and other 21st century industries. “Supply chains and training are the keys to competitiveness,” says Abernathy. “It’s like blocking and tackling in football. You’ve got to do it.”

Ace Fabrication offers an up-close-and-personal view of how the Triangle Region’s biotech cluster operates. Ace works directly with big pharma names to deliver stainless steel components, furniture, carts, cabinets and process equipment. But it also works through a network of clean-room integrators who contract with biopharma producers. The Triangle is home to several leading integrators, and Ace maintains ongoing business relationships with them too. A third channel are the engineering firms retained to design, build and renovate life sciences facilities, and the Triangle also has a few. “Our proximity to our customers is important,” says Prince.

As a fabrication shop, Ace sets itself apart from competitors because it uses only stainless steel to avoid the risk of contamination from mixed materials common with other suppliers. “Hardly anyone else has the volume to be exclusively stainless steel,” Prince says. “That’s a key advantage for us.”

As to the importance of talent, Prince says “workforce is number one.” Ace maintains informal relationships with colleges and universities in the region to hire workers with the right skills. “NC State produces a lot of our engineers,” says Prince, who holds a mechanical engineering degree from NC State and an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill. The company taps JCC’s welding program for some of its staff and has even found Wayne Community College a fertile source of engineering and technical talent.

Ace Fabrication is working with Goldsboro-based Jackson Builders on its new 33,000-sq.-ft. facility. Prince estimates the company will invest a total of $6.5 million in the site, including the installation of new systems like robotics-driven laser welding equipment. He and his team have not yet decided what to do with its existing 10,000-sq.-ft. facility. Options include leasing some or all of it as renovated office or storage space. “The support we get from the County and the Town is important,” says Prince, who commends Johnston County and the Town of Smithfield for smoothly executing the permitting and approvals necessary for his company’s expansion.

“Every small business is important to us, but Ace Fabrication is a great example of a homegrown local company extending regional and national supply-chain connections in a lucrative global market,” says Chris Johnson, Director of the Johnston County Economic Development Office. “Companies like Ace are important because they support the competitive posture of several of our largest private employers while also anchoring our small business community.” Moreover, the company’s significance in the region’s economic development picture sparks indirect benefits. “As Ace Fabrication supports the growth of the Triangle’s overall life sciences economy, those new jobs and investment dollars can find their way to Johnston County as well.” Johnson says.

Ace’s Prince expects his company’s new facility to be complete by the end of this year, at which point he can turn his attention to additional hiring needs. “When we get into the new facility, we’ll have more room and can start adding to our workforce,” he says. The past decade has been a fruitful one for the company. “We’ve grown revenue by a factor of five over the last 10 years,” Prince says. Making the company’s success even more astounding is the fact that Ace Fabrication operates without a sales or marketing team, relying completely on word of mouth for new clients. “We’re a relationship business,” Prince says. “When we work with a new partner, we rarely ever lose that business – ever.”

The Johnston County Economic Development Office (JCEDO) facilitates value-added interaction between government, education, and the private sector in encouraging and promoting job creation and economic investment in Johnston County. A unit of county government, JCEDO collaborates with local, regional, and statewide partners and allies in providing confidential location assistance to businesses and technical support to the county’s 11 municipalities. Its menu of services includes customized digital mapping, labor and wage analysis, site readiness assistance and incentive packaging.

Johnston County, N.C. – August 21, 2026. As hostilities in the Persian Gulf and Ukraine highlight a persistently dangerous world, U.S. national security policy is turning to next-generation weapon systems and tactics. The changes could generate historic opportunities for communities to win federal R&D dollars, attract private defense manufacturers and boost supply-chain relationships. As last year’s successful recruitment of Vulcan Elements’ 1,000-worker operations to Benson’s Crosspoint Logistics Center demonstrated, Johnston County’s positioning between Triangle universities and exiting military labor from eastern North Carolina’s military bases offers unique strategic appeal.

And geography may be just the beginning. Steve Hargis, Vice Chairman of the Johnston County Economic Development Advisory Board, believes the county’s extensive inventory of ready industrial sites, its growing workforce and business-oriented leadership also are advantages defense contractors will be seeking. “As the national security terrain shifts, Johnston County has location, land and human assets that come together to position it for job growth and investment attraction,” says Hargis, a retired Brigadier General and graduate of the Army War College. “It’s clear to me that the type of wars our country will fight in the future will be more technology-rich and involve fewer troops on the ground,” he says. “This could add a new dimension to the county’s manufacturing economy.”

Before starting his own construction company in Johnston County, Hargis was a highly decorated officer in the North Carolina Army National Guard, where he built a distinguished career that culminated with his appointment as Deputy Adjutant General, the NCNG’s second in command. He retired from the Guard in 2011, a few years before joining the County’s Advisory Board, a 14-member voluntary panel that guides economic development policy in Johnston County. Hargis is now chairing a task force that will formulate an economic development strategy that embraces changing U.S. national security realities for local job growth.

Hargis’ task force has begun harnessing momentum coming from the state. While defense policy and procurement are done in Washington, D.C., the North Carolina General Assembly has begun doing its part to improve the state’s contracting posture. Earlier this year, state legislators established the National Security Technology & Innovation Caucus, a bipartisan, bicameral panel that has set its sights on enhancing the state’s ability to capture more defense dollars.

With its massive military bases, North Carolina is considered one of the nation’s most defense friendly states, ranking 4th in the U.S. for uniformed military personnel behind California, Virginia and Texas, according to Pentagon data. But despite its renowned research universities, North Carolina barely breaks the Top 20 when it comes to defense-related R&D and testing activities. “North Carolina has world‑class universities, military installations and private‑sector innovators, but those strengths are not currently connected,” says state Senator Jay Chaudhuri, a Wake County Democrat who co-chairs the Caucus. “This caucus will help close that gap and ensure the state is positioned to compete nationally in critical technologies.” The panel is considering possible incentives programs and infrastructure needs, for example.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce also is focused on defense industrial opportunities, with its Office of Science, Technology and Innovation establishing the N.C. Defense Technology Alliance to create dialogue and collaboration. The NC Chamber is providing leadership as well, helping found the N.C. Critical Technologies Alliance, a non-profit organization now forging partnerships among the state’s businesses, research universities and government entities to surface statewide economic development opportunities. Vulcan Elements, which is building out a $1 billion Benson facility and assembling its massive workforce, has a visible role in the Alliance. Jarrett Lane, Vulcan’s Director of Partnerships, co-founded the group. “This is an important moment for North Carolina and for the country,” Lane says. “The states that help defense and dual-use companies grow, scale and innovate can create thousands of high-quality jobs. North Carolina has the assets to compete, but capturing this opportunity will come down to speed, coordination and execution,” Lane says.

The U.S. is already several years into a new wave of investment in national security contracting. “Since 2022, announced aerospace and defense manufacturing investment in the United States has more than doubled. Project counts have nearly tripled,” according to DiDi Caldwell, President and CEO of Global Location Strategies, a site selection consulting firm in Greenville, S.C. Caldwell’s recent report “2026 Best for Places for Aerospace & Defense” offers recommendations to communities hoping to participate. “Aerospace and defense investment is not spreading evenly. It is concentrating in places that have already built the industrial depth, workforce pipeline and infrastructure readiness to support long-term production growth,” Caldwell says.

For Johnston County, the opportunity occurs at the ideal time. Upgrades to I-40 and I-42 are enhancing the County’s already enviable highway network, while last year’s opening of Johnston Community College’s 67,000-sq.-ft. Advanced Manufacturing Training Facility in Four Oaks sets a new standard for industry-focused workforce development. Large, infrastructure-equipped business properties remain available across most of the county.

Nor was last year’s arrival of Vulcan Elements, which has a $1.4 billion partnership with the U.S. government, the first time Johnston County came to the attention of Pentagon planners. In 2020, Johnston was the only North Carolina county considered for the headquarters of the U.S. Space Command, a U.S. Air Force initiative that ultimately went to Colorado. “We were serious contenders for the home of the U.S. Space Command just a few years ago, and even though another location was selected, Johnston County clearly made a positive impression on top decision-makers at the War Department [then the U.S. Department of Defense],” says Chris Johnson, Director of the Johnston County Economic Development Office. “That certainly sets us apart from most of the locations we’re now competing with.”

Johnson believes experienced leadership also gives Johnston County an edge. “Not every community has a retired Brigadier General heading up the charge,” he says. Moreover, the Economic Development Office’s defense industry recruitment efforts are supported by the Johnston County Board of Commissioners. Commissioner April Stephens, a U.S. Army veteran, serves on Hargis’ task force, along with Advisory Board members Adam Caldwell (an incoming County Commissioner), Kevin Dougherty and Donnie Lassiter. “It’s impossible to imagine this crucial effort being in more capable hands,” Johnson says.

The Johnston County Economic Development Office (JCEDO) facilitates value-added interaction between government, education, and the private sector in encouraging and promoting job creation and economic investment in Johnston County. A unit of county government, JCEDO collaborates with local, regional, and statewide partners and allies in providing confidential location assistance to businesses and technical support to the county’s 11 municipalities. Its menu of services includes customized digital mapping, labor and wage analysis, site readiness assistance and incentive packaging.

Johnston County, N.C. – July 21, 2026. About 75 business and civic leaders joined OPW executives and representatives of ARCO Design/Build on Friday to break ground on a major expansion to OPW’s operations near Johnston Regional Airport on US Highway 70 Business. The company, part of Illinois-based Dover Corp [NYSE: DOV], is a leading global provider of fluid transfer solutions, including retail fueling systems. ARCO Design/Build, an experienced leader in Johnston County industrial real estate, is OPW’s architectural and construction partner for the expansion.

“This is a big deal,” said Michael McCann, Vice President and General Manager at OPW, citing Johnston County’s business environment and excellent workforce. OPW maintains plants in China, Malaysia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. “But this is the headquarters,” McCann said, “and that’s not random.”  Since acquiring the Smithfield facility in 2006, OPW has grown its local workforce from 50 to about 500. “It’s a great North Carolina story, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of the community, government officials and our employees,” said McCann, who has been involved in the facility’s management for the last two decades.

Greg Kennedy, Vice President of Operations at OPW, spoke of the support his company gets from local government in Johnston County, the Economic Development Office, the Clayton Chamber of Commerce, and OPW employees. “Johnston County is very important to OPW,” Kennedy said. “The people in this area make things so easy.” Turnover at the company’s Smithfield facility, for example, is a scant five percent, he added. “Johnston Community Collegehas done tremendous things for us,” Kennedy added. “We have great training programs we’ve developed in partnership with JCC that help educate kids in this area.”

ARCO, OPW’s development partner, is a national design-build construction firm specializing in industrial facilities. The firm integrates feasibility, design and construction under one interdisciplinary team – enabling faster delivery, better cost certainty and reduced risk for its clients. Through its Raleigh office, one of 19 ARCO maintains nationwide, the company has a rich history of supporting Johnston County’s industrial real estate. Earlier this year, ARCO joined Blue Steel Development in breaking ground on Steel 70, a three-building industrial complex in Clayton that will accommodate distribution, warehousing and light manufacturing operations. “The reason I love being here is because the community is great,” said Matt Hohorst, Chief Construction Officer at ARCO Design/Build, noting that after opening its Raleigh office, the firm’s first project was in Johnston County. “We kind of fell in love with it then,” Hohorst recalled.

OPW’s expansion comes just nine days after officials from AdvanceTEC and its new French sister corporation, Pierre Guerin, broke ground on a $7.5 million expansion that adds 32,000 – square-foot to its Clayton manufacturing footprint. “While Johnston County works hard to maintain its unique community roots, our economy has a global reach that attracts investment dollars and jobs from around the U.S. and the world,” explained Ed Aldridge, chairman of the Johnston County Economic Development Advisory Board. “Not all business destinations can say that. We can because our leadership has extraordinary vision, our neighborhoods are warm and welcoming, and our growing workforce is unbeatable,” Aldridge said.

OPW’s global footprint includes sales offices on six continents. Its Retail Fueling business is a leading producer of innovative fuel dispensing, transfer and secondary containment solutions. The company is ISO-9000 certified and utilizes Lean Manufacturing and rigid Six Sigma Quality Systems to maximize quality throughout the entire product life cycle.

Founded in 1955 and headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover Corp. is a diversified global manufacturer and solutions provider with annual revenues topping $8 billion. With a global workforce of 24,000, the company delivers innovative components and aftermarket parts, digital solutions, supplies, and support services through five operating segments: Engineered Products, Clean Energy & Fueling, Imaging & Identification, Pumps & Process Solutions and Climate & Sustainability Technologies. Dover Corp. sits in the elite ranks of “Dividend Kings,” a Wall Street distinction that acknowledges more than 50 years of continuous dividend increases. Dover, in fact, has grown its dividend for the past 71 consecutive years.

The Johnston County Economic Development Office (JCEDO) facilitates value-added interaction between government, education, and the private sector in encouraging and promoting job creation and economic investment in Johnston County. A unit of county government, JCEDO collaborates with local, regional, and statewide partners and allies in providing confidential location assistance to businesses and technical support to the county’s 11 municipalities. Its menu of services includes customized digital mapping, labor and wage analysis, site readiness assistance and incentive packaging.