Italian imaging company Bracco picks Sanford for first U.S. plant; The Clearing House to add 200 jobs in Charlotte

As of 8:39 a.m. ET, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026

Bracco Imaging, a family-owned diagnostic imaging company based in Milan, Italy, will invest $230 million and create 200 jobs in Sanford, North Carolina, to open its first U.S. manufacturing plant, Gov. Josh Stein's office announced Tuesday. The same day, the governor's office said The Clearing House Payments Company will invest $11.5 million and add 200 jobs in Charlotte.

Both projects received Job Development Investment Grants (JDIG) approved Tuesday by the state's Economic Investment Committee, according to the releases. Under the program, the state pays out only after the departments of Commerce and Revenue verify each year that a company has met its job and investment targets.

Bracco: contrast media plant in Lee County

The Sanford site will be a sterile plant making injectable contrast media, the agents used in medical imaging scans, the governor's office said. The release says the plant will meet growing demand for the injectables while shortening delivery times and lowering transportation costs. Bracco Imaging already has production sites in Europe, Asia and Canada.

"The United States is our largest market and home to many of the patients we serve," said Fulvio Renoldi Bracco, the company's vice chairman and CEO. "Producing injectable contrast media here in Sanford brings our supply closer to American hospitals and patients and makes it even more resilient."

The new jobs will include manufacturing, engineering, technical, quality, warehousing and administrative roles, and could add more than $20.6 million a year in payroll for the region, the release said. The grant authorizes up to $2,859,300 in reimbursements over 12 years. The state estimates the project will grow North Carolina's economy by $1.78 billion over that period. Because Lee County is a Tier 2 county, up to $317,700 will also go to a state fund that helps rural communities pay for infrastructure.

The Clearing House: new Charlotte office

The Clearing House, founded in 1853, runs U.S. payment systems that clear and settle more than $2 trillion each business day through wire, ACH, real-time payment and check-image services, according to the release. It plans a new office in Charlotte.

"With its deep talent pool and strong financial services community, Charlotte is an ideal location for The Clearing House to build on our longstanding presence in North Carolina," said David Watson, the company's president and CEO.

Salaries will vary, but the average will be $162,322 a year, compared with a Mecklenburg County average of $90,706, according to the governor's office. The jobs could add more than $32.4 million a year in regional payroll. The grant authorizes up to $2,430,000 over 12 years, and the state estimates the project will grow the economy by $1.3 billion over that period. Up to $810,000 will go to the rural infrastructure fund.

The state's numbers

The governor's office projects a 397% return on public dollars for the Bracco grant and 282% for The Clearing House. It says that means $4.97 and $3.82 in state revenue, respectively, for every dollar of potential cost. These figures are state projections, not audited results. Neither release gave a timeline for hiring or for when the Sanford plant will open.