What if the best career of your life was waiting just down the road — and all it took to start was a $300 class? Novo Nordisk is quietly building one of the largest pharmaceutical campuses in the world… right here in Johnston County. I sat down with Stacy Beard to uncover how this global giant is changing lives, creating jobs, and proving you don’t have to leave home to do work that matters. Would you recognize the opportunity if it were in your own backyard?

Welcome to another episode of Best of Johnston County, brought to you by Breeden Law Office. Our host, Jonathan Breeden, an experienced family lawyer with a deep connection to the community, is ready to take you on a journey through the area that he has called home for over 20 years. Whether it's a deep dive into the love locals have for the county or unraveling the complexities of family law, Best of Johnston County presents an authentic slice of this unique community.

Jonathan Breeden: Hello and welcome to another edition of The Best of Johnston County Podcast. I'm your host, Jonathan Breeden.

And on today's episode, we have our second interview with Stacy Beard, who is in communications with the Novo Nordisk Plant in Clayton, North Carolina. On this episode, we're gonna dig into sort of the history of Novo Nordisk the first expansion, now we have a second expansion.

Stacy Beard: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Jonathan Breeden: No problem. And I forgot to say before we get to this. We would you to like follow and subscribe to the podcast wherever you're seeing it.

Stacy Beard: Yes.

Jonathan Breeden: So anyway. So alright, state you name and what you do?

Stacy Beard: All right. So I'm Stacy Beard. A lot of people know me as Stacy Davis 'cause that's who I was when I was at WRAL. I got married after I was a reporter there and didn't change my name 'cause of all the, you know, everything else would need to be changed.

But started working at Novo Nordisk about a year and a half ago. Was not looking for a job, knew, 'cause I've lived in Johnston County for 17 years. I knew there was this plant down, you know, a road there was something on 70 and they did something with plasma and that's Grifols now. But it wasn't Grifols when I first came here.

Right. And then Novo Nordisk was down the road. I think there was like a bull on their sign and I think they did something with diabetes. Right. That's about all I knew.

Stacy Beard: Yeah. And, and

Jonathan Breeden: 10 years ago, that's about why?

Stacy Beard: That is, right. Well, obviously Novo Nordisk is world known now and definitely in the Lime Night Danish company, right? Very humble, right? Don't like to brag. I think that's in part why you didn't hear a lot about Novo Nordisk. They just quietly made diabetes medications for people around the world there for the last 30 years. And then they had this explosion in obesity treatments right out of their research. And now they've been sort of thrust into the limelight.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. You're always hiring.

Stacy Beard: But yeah. But the growth has been incredible. We have doubled our workforce, obviously in the time that we've been here and are continuing to, with the new expansion that we announced. Almost a year ago, almost a year ago, June. And it's just been incredible.

Jonathan Breeden: It's unbelievable. And we're very fortunate that Novo chose Johnston County.

Stacy Beard: Yes.

Jonathan Breeden: For the first expansion 10 years ago. And that they chose it for the second expansion a year ago. Because it adds so many, it adds a ton to the tax base, you know, the property tax value of the first expansion at $2 billion. And I think when the time they got done it was more than $2 billion

Stacy Beard: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm

Jonathan Breeden: was larger than the entire tax base of the town of Clayton at the time they announced it. And I don't know how much the investment in the second expansion is, but it's more than 2 billion.

Stacy Beard: Yeah. It's 4.1 billion,

Jonathan Breeden: 4.1 billion.

You know, they wanted to enter the, the US market with manufacturing. That's what brought them here in the nineties. But I think once they got here, they realized that being in this life sciences, there's, there's more than 830 life sciences companies in the triangle area being part of that ecosystem and then the workforce development that is around that, you know, we need to talk about those.

Incredible, and you've talked about 'em on your show. Incredible partnerships with the community college, with Johnston Community College. Our relationship, Nova's relationship with them is 20 plus years almost since the time we got on the ground. You know, we built the Workforce Development Center, you know, that Workforce pipeline support.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, and we're part of Johnston County and this region as part of this thing called the BioPharma Crescent. And I was on the economic development committee there with Chris Johnson for a couple of years and I became extremely aware of how important that is about the, all the other life sciences in the area. And, you know, it sort of grows on itself.

Stacy Beard: Yes.

Jonathan Breeden: And there are all these companies and there's gonna be more life sciences companies coming.

Stacy Beard: Oh yes.

That's right across from the hospital in Clayton. You know, they keep changing the names. I, you know, in the next 10 years, I, I think we'll see that conference district get developed. It's gonna look a lot like North Hills. I know y'all like, that's crazy, but it will look a lot like North Hills.

I've seen the drawings but the backside of it has manufacturing areas and I think they're trying to recruit life sciences to it. And so, I mean, it's not going to stop with just Novo and Grifols in this area. I think it's gonna continue to grow.

Stacy Beard: Yeah. And I think, I think we embrace that. I don't know how other companies feel but you know, people probably view it as, oh, that's competition.

No, it's just bringing that, all those support businesses around us but also the workforce and you know we welcome obviously all the life sciences and really try to support that ecosystem.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, and I think that's important. And you know, I mean, Novo has, I mean, I don't know. I mean, they kind of hit the jackpot with these is it

Jonathan Breeden: GLP-1.

Stacy Beard: Yes.

Jonathan Breeden: You know, to help with the obesity Ozempic and Wegovy. And they've sort of been the leader in that. And they're still working on those. And there's more in the pipeline. I think like once it's sort of got figured out, like everybody's working on it, them and all the other companies.

Stacy Beard: Yeah. And that's what's fascinating me the most. Being new to pharma and new to, you know, a foreign owned company is, you know, Novo Nordisk is a hundred year old company and it really was a love story that brought Novo Nordisk to life.

It was a husband and wife the husband was an animal biologist and got the Nobel Prize.

And at the time, I mean, diabetes was a death sentence. It was young children getting it. And the only way to treat it was, I mean, but what doctors would tell you was something called a starvation diet where you just, I mean, it was horrible. And there was, there was no insulin and they had discovered insulin at the University of Canada.

And, and on this tour, he met those doctors. He convinced them, could we take this over to Scandinavia and try to scale it up there because you're gonna, you know, try to bring it here to North America. We have people suffering over there and when he got back, he and his wife and and her doctor got to work trying to figure out how do we make insulin?

Again, they came to Johnston County in the nineties, still very much diabetes that was, and it still is mostly what we make in our facilities medicines for diet folks with diabetes. But yes, we're at a time in this company. With exponential potential they have the next wave of GLP-1 research behind that.

And after that, and the pipeline is exciting and, and like you said, all these companies are trying to innovate based on these breakthroughs and they're just coming like this. It's just unbelievable that that innovation, but lots of research and development going in into that, all across the world. We're, we're not doing the research and development here in North Carolina.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. Well, and we don't know what AI is gonna do either, you.

Stacy Beard: That's right, that's right.

Jonathan Breeden: I mean, and, and I'm sure that's. I, I don't doubt that Novo would be,

Stacy Beard: we're having to embrace it. Yes. Right.

Jonathan Breeden: They're embracing it as well. And yeah. It's, it's, I mean, I really hope that in five years they can cure cancer.

Stacy Beard: Yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: I mean, you know, I'm, I'm hoping that these machines,

Stacy Beard: I know

Jonathan Breeden: with all of the information that they can process. We'll come up with an answer for cancer. And, and I think they may, I think there's a real shot that, that these AI machines will be able to do that just like these GLP-1 have helped with obesity and, and I've watched it make transformational changes for people.

Have family law questions? Need guidance to navigate legal challenges? The compassionate team at Breeden Law Office is here to help. Visit us at www. breedenfirm. com for practical advice, resources, or to book a consultation. Remember, when life gets messy, you don't have to face it alone.

Jonathan Breeden: Now, one question I have is kind of once you start on it often you kind of just stay on it, you know what I mean? I guess it'll help you change your lifestyle, but I don't know if you know anything about people transitioning off of it or.

And so definitely talking to your doctor if you're having, you know, these issues as to, you know, how can this medication help me and how long do I have to be on it? Understanding that from the start right is very important. Obviously, people with diabetes. There's no cure. You've got to have insulin for, you know, type one you know, diabetes, you've got to have it right. So, so that's.

Jonathan Breeden: Yeah, absolutely. You're right. Right. And you gotta watch what you eat and all that good stuff.

Stacy Beard: Mm-hmm. All that. Yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: So how many employees does Novo have?

Stacy Beard: So,

Jonathan Breeden: in this area it's like lot.

We also have a site in Durham. So in North Carolina, in the triangle, 2,800 and growing, we're hiring. And that number will only increase as we expand.

Stacy Beard: Communications people, right.

Jonathan Breeden: Communications people, right, right.

Stacy Beard: Yeah. It is the whole gamut. I know when I, you know, moved here 17 years ago, just think, oh, they must be, you know, scientists doing research. I don't know. They're wearing lab coats,

Jonathan Breeden: right?

Stacy Beard: They all have master's degrees and you know pharmaceuticals and they've done that for 20 years.

But we're hiring students right outta high school, right out of community college, taking the BioWork program. And I know you've talked about that in your podcast before. But yeah, it is engineers, chemists but it's also. You know, HR folks, we have a huge HR team with that many people, right?

Jonathan Breeden: Right. And not everybody has to wear a spacesuit.

Stacy Beard: That's right.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. I I used to think everybody in there had to wear the spacesuit, go through the clean room, go through the air showers. They looked like they're getting on a space shuttle. 'cause you gotta, it's gotta be a completely cream room, no particles. We're dealing with injectables here and medicine. It's gotta be perfect every time. But that's not the majority of people. There are people that have to wear those suits, but that's a very small percentage.

Stacy Beard: That's right.

Jonathan Breeden: I think the suits are kind of neat, but, but it is a lot to put 'em on.

Stacy Beard: I think I look great in a hair net. I'd rather wear a hair net than have to do my hair.

Jonathan Breeden: Right.

Stacy Beard: Right. Yeah. But yeah, that's another misnomer, right? And It's not conditions like maybe some people in North Carolina associate with manufacturing, like dark and dirty and noisy and, and that kind of thing.

And that'll be for employees and their families a place to go swimming and, and play tennis and have an exercise room and food and, you know, react, relax and be well and relax, right? Yeah, just relax. Right there, next door to work.

Jonathan Breeden: And I think most of the jobs there even in finance and stuff, I think a lot of 'em start with doing the, they like you to do the BioWorks class.

Stacy Beard: They do.

Jonathan Breeden: So that you have the basics and the BioWorks class, the first one is a one semester class. It meets two or three nights a week at the Workforce Development Center. It's taught by Johnston Community College. I think it costs $300. And it is a lot of chemistry. Some of it high school chemistry, a little bit advanced.

It's a little more than just, I don't like say high school chemistry, but it's. Impossible.

Stacy Beard: Mm-hmm.

And Novo will help pay for all of that if you are working there for them and making progress, which that's a tremendous opportunity there, but the barrier entry is really that class, which is you can do at night, one semester. And I mean, they'll give you a job. Like if you do well and you learn it, I mean.

Stacy Beard: And we're really pushing 'cause for the first time with our partners at Grifol, we have gotten that BioWork class into high school. So now all of Johnston County's high schools are offering it. And then if enough kids sign up, it'll be at your school free and you graduate with your high school diploma and the BioWork certificate that opens you up for entry-level jobs with all the life sciences companies in the triangle, which are hundreds. Right.

Stacy Beard: Yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: And, and part of this podcast is to make people aware of the opportunities in Johnston County, and that is the great. One of the greatest opportunities we have because the pay in this industry is extremely good. It is well above the averages of the state, averages of the county. It is extremely good pay. These drugs cost a lot of money, but the pay for the people working on 'em. Is is very good. And like I said, I, I've had, I've represented many people. I do a lot of child support cases, so I kind of know what people make.

I've represented a lot of people that are making a lot more money with that BioWorks certificate at Novo Nordisk than they ever made a four year degree or that they had a four year degree and they went back and they took the BioWorks class, they got in manufacturing at Novo and they're making more money than they ever made with their four year degree.

Stacy Beard: And another thing you're fighting is right, like I have a 14-year-old, you have a teenager. I fully expected prior to working at Novo Nordisk, he's, he's gone, he's gonna be going outta Johnston County. So many people and teens probably think, well, I gotta go outside of Johnston County to work.

Right. Just, you know, everybody drives that the other direction. But they don't right in their backyard. Is, is a career, not just a job. Right? And so that's the story we wanna help get out there that you don't have to leave home. You can start right there.

Jonathan Breeden: Well if people are interested in getting a job at Novo or find out what's available, where do they go?

And then it has information about all our community partners. And the job site and you can learn more about it. So I really encourage people to go there.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. And the new plant is the, well, I'm calling it, the second expansion is it's currently under construction. They're working on it construction.

Stacy Beard: Incredible progress.

Jonathan Breeden: Thousand people out there working on it every day.

Stacy Beard: Yep.

Jonathan Breeden: how fast,

Jonathan Breeden: and if people wanted to reach out to you, that same website, I guess to

Stacy Beard: Yes. That's a great, there's a, there's a link to reach us, an email there. It'll come to me and I'm on LinkedIn, right? And on the social, please reach out to me. I'd, I'd love to talk to anybody in Johnston County.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. Community groups, rotaries. Whatever.

Stacy Beard: Yes.

Jonathan Breeden: Maybe your church group, if you want to know what's going on with Novo and how it can help you. It's partners with a ton of community people.

Stacy Beard: Yep.

Jonathan Breeden: I mean, Novo is so, such a community partner with grants and scholarships and all of that. We don't have time you in all that today, but if you have something you're interested in. Reach out. I mean, they, they're very responsive. They've helped a lot of projects. I've been on community service, I've done, and I, I appreciate them doing that and, and Stacy's work there. So I guess the last question we'll ask everybody is, what do you love most about Johnston County?

Stacy Beard: Well, last time you asked me that on part one, I said people, and I'm gonna say this time, the Neuse River.

Stacy Beard: Because I love the Greenway that runs along the Neuse River and I wanna make a call out. We need to connect it from Clayton to Smithfield so I can walk all the way.

Jonathan Breeden: Yeah.

Stacy Beard: And I just, I love. I, I love those natural areas that we have and that we're preserving in the county, and I'm so glad to see Johnston County investing more in parks and seeing the value that that brings. I, you know, we could have maybe lived anywhere my husband saw.

The country, Mississippi Boy and him saw a little bit of home there, ponds and creeks and, and those kinds of things. And I love that we preserve, I know we're growing in one of the fastest counties in, in the state growing, but I love that we're preserving those things and I, I just, I love the Neuse River, so

Jonathan Breeden: That's great. And I do think eventually. It will connect, you know, it's the part of the mountains of Sea Trail.

Stacy Beard: I'm hoping.

Stacy Beard: Oh, good. Yes.

Jonathan Breeden: And he, he was on here and we talked about that and we were talking about maybe we're gonna invite him to come back.

So talk sort of an update on, on that. But, but I do think, think eventually that's, I don't know if it'll be in the next 10 years, but I do think eventually. It will all connect and, and it'll be nice.

Stacy Beard: It's nice to know it from the map

Jonathan Breeden: I hope it does. Nice to know. It's on the map. It's on the map there. It's a lot of work and a lot of money lemme just tell you.

Stacy Beard: It is. So I know when we opened a Greenway, when I worked for the town of Clayton, it was, it's a lot. It's a lot. It takes a lot of partners and, and more than you would think for just a gravel like path, right? Yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: Well there's right of ways and roads and, and and yeah connections and private property and it is, it's a lot.

Stacy Beard: And the law.

Jonathan Breeden: We've got law and swamp lands. And all kinds of stuff. So anyway,

Stacy Beard: I'll walk it one day.

Jonathan Breeden: That's it. That's it. Well, we'd like to thank Stacy Beard with Novo Nordisk for coming on and being our guest on this episode of the Best Johnston County podcast. Like I said, you reach out to her at that website.

We always are looking for interesting comments so that we can make this podcast for you and better for you. Until next time, I'm your host, Jonathan Breeden.

If the legal aspects highlighted raised some questions, help is just around the corner at www. breedenfirm. com.