Category Archives: News

STERIS plc (NYSE: STE), a leading health care company, will create 335 jobs in Lee County. The company will invest $600 million in a new manufacturing and distribution Chemistries Manufacturing Center of Excellence in the city of Sanford.

Founded in 1985, STERIS is a global provider of products and services that support patient care with an emphasis on infection prevention. The new 600,000-square-foot state-of-the-art campus will include advanced manufacturing, R&D, lab, warehouse, and distribution operations. STERIS employs more than 18,000 people across approximately 250 locations in more than 35 countries.

“After extensive analysis of our existing facilities and Customer demand, we have decided to make a significant investment in the United States to support our long-term global growth,” said Dan Carestio, President and CEO of STERIS. “Creating a formulated chemistries Center of Excellence will allow us to accelerate innovation, expand capacity and optimize our U.S. chemistries manufacturing and distribution network. Our Customers save lives every day, and with this investment we will be well positioned to support their needs for years to come.”

Although salaries for the positions will vary, the average annual salary will be $68,704, exceeding the Lee County average of $59,903. These new jobs could create a potential annual payroll impact of more than $23 million for the region.

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Founded in 1938, the Wyndham Championship is the seventh-oldest event on the PGA Tour, excluding the majors. As the last tournament of the regular season, it sets the 70-player field for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The annual contest is held on the Donald Ross-designed golf course at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, NC.

Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and defending champion Cam Young headline a strong field at the Wyndham Championship for the final regular season event of the FedEx Cup.

Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, who will need a top finish to make the playoffs, 2025 Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, former world No. 1 Jason Day and past FedEx champion Billy Horschel are among the notables in the field who have work to do to make the playoffs. Day will make his third Wyndham Championship appearance and his first since 2022, while Horschel will make his 13th Wyndham start. He finished in the top 10 in four of his last five starts here including a runner-up in 2020 and a fourth-place run in 2023.

Also entered is newly minted pro and 3M Open winner Jackson Koivun, who will try to make the playoffs in just five pro starts, recent college grad Ben James and Korn Ferry Tour teenage hotshot Blades Brown.

Reigning PGA Championship winner and 2024 Wyndham winner Aaron Rai, three-time Ryder Cupper Patrick Cantlay, FedEx Cup No. 18 Ryan Gerard, No. 19 Alex Fitzpatrick, No. 24 Alex Smalley, who is a member at Sedgefield, and Hideki Matsuyama, a late entry to the event, don’t have to worry about the first two playoff events but still elected to play their way into good form.

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2026 Results

Skyeton, Inc., a manufacturer of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), will create 162 new jobs in Cumberland County. The company will invest more than $3.1 million in Fayetteville to establish its first flagship manufacturing operation in the United States.

Headquartered in Las Vegas, Skyeton, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Skyeton Holdings, a global manufacturer of UAS for the defense and commercial sectors. Skyeton has more than 350,000 combat-proven flight hours of its long-endurance Raybird platform for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. The company’s expansion will use cutting-edge technologies to design, engineer, manufacture, test, distribute, and support its composite UAS from a 28,500-square-foot production facility.

“Expanding our manufacturing footprint in North Carolina is about more than opening a new facility. It’s about strengthening America’s defense industrial base, creating high-quality American jobs, and delivering combat-proven capabilities closer to the warfighters we exist to serve,” said Rigoberto (Quito) Sáez, CEO of Skyeton, Inc. “North Carolina is the perfect place to call home, and we’re incredibly grateful for the warm reception and tremendous support we’ve received…Together, we’re building the next generation of American unmanned systems and helping ensure our nation’s and partner nations’ warfighters, defenders, and first responders have the capabilities they need when it matters most.”

Although wages will vary by position, the annual average salary for the new positions will be $70,759, which exceeds Cumberland County’s average of $49,382. These new jobs could potentially create an annual payroll impact of more than $1.4 million for the region.

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Swamp Rider, a Canadian manufacturer of amphibious all-terrain and utility task vehicles, will establish its first U.S. manufacturing facility in High Point. The company will invest $2.4 million in personal property and renovations and create 60 jobs over five years at 1908 Nugget Dr, High Point.

Founded in Winnipeg, Canada, Swamp Rider produces specialized vehicles built for the world’s most challenging environments like swamps, muskeg, ice, floodwaters and remote offroad terrain. Their products support industries ranging from mining and energy to emergency response and remote logistics. Swamp Rider currently works with American dealers in Alabama, Minnesota, Colorado, Texas and Alaska.

“Opening our first U.S. facility in High Point is a milestone for Swamp Rider,” said CEO Yuri Pyatkov. “With the region’s specialized talent, we’re building machines capable of extraordinary things while strengthening our ability to serve clients across the globe.”

The company’s new High Point operation will include roles in assembly, fabrication, upholstery, painting, finishing and other production areas as it scales its U.S. output.

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Oenophiles should head to the gorgeous Yadkin Valley—which boasts over 250 wineries and vineyards hidden within its rolling mountains—and stay in Dobson. This charmingly inviting winery town in North Carolina promises visitors drinks, food, and views galore.

Although the Yadkin Valley has many towns that are worth visiting, Dobson is the birthplace of its wine culture. It was here that brothers Charlie and Ed Shelton campaigned for federal recognition of the Yadkin Valley American Viticultural Area, a unique wine county that we think rivals Napa. As such, the town serves as the perfect base point for exploring the entire area, especially for those interested in completing the Surry County Wine Trail, which will take you to 19 wineries. If you’re looking to do wine tastings in North Carolina, few destinations can rival this little-known wine-obsessed small town.

Anyone who visits Dobson should spend at least an afternoon in Shelton Vineyards, the property is the largest privately owned winery in North Carolina, growing a wide variety of grapes that include cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot, Malbec, petit verdot, and tannat. It offers daily tastings, wine-pairing dinners, concerts, festivals, and other fun events that make it an epicenter of the town’s social life.

Dobson has many other hidden-gem wineries, like the aptly named Hidden Vineyard and Stony Knoll Vineyards. The first is a boutique property that produces pinot gris, chambourcin, cabernet franc, and many other grapes. It stands out thanks to its farmhouse-style tasting room that makes you feel right at home from the very first moment that you enter, and for letting visitors walk right through the grapevines. Meanwhile, the lovely Stony Knoll Vineyards left behind its former life as a tobacco farm to focus on growing syrah, corot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and other varieties. Visitors who want to spend a perfect weekend wine trip in North Carolina can stay overnight in a renovated 19th-century tobacco cabin. You can visit many of these Dobson vineyards on the convenient Yadkin Wine Shuttle tour, which lets you indulge in a day of tastings without worrying about having a designated driver. If you’ve checked out all the best spots in town and still can’t get enough, consider driving half an hour to the waterfront Roaring River Vineyards.

While wine is Dobson’s main attraction, the town offers many other fun activities. To enjoy the state’s unrivaled nature, head to Fisher River Park, where you can fish, paddle, kayak, or canoe. Those who want to stay on land can also go on walking trails along the river, or mountain bike down a 6.3-mile wooded trail. Other points of interest include The Farm, where you’ll be able to pick your own fruits, attend festivals, and pet animals, and the historic Rockford Village, which recreates life in the region in the early 1800s.

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