NC Research Campus

Research is the path to the future! Cabarrus County is striding firmly on that path and has successfully attracted a major research endeavor to the area. The North Carolina Research Campus, based in Kannapolis, is a joint venture between Dole Foods and the University of North Carolina system with an emphasis on the developing biotechnology field. Built on the site of a former textile mill, this campus-like redevelopment forges a bold new path. The major components of the campus include the Dole-NC State Institute for Advanced Fruit and Vegetable Science; the UNC Center for Excellence in Nutrition; a science boarding school for girls directed by UNC Charlotte; a state-of-the-art Dole Analytical Laboratory; a fermentation facility; and an incubator for start-up firms. Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp) will also establish a major presence within the development.

David Murdock, CEO of Dole Foods, Castle & Cooke, and former owner of Cannon Mills, is the visionary catalyst for the North Carolina Research Campus and will build the complex. His total investment is projected at $1 billion for research facilities, office space, town homes and retail. The UNC institutions will then fund and operate their individual programs. Mr. Murdock envisions a campus where researchers walk to work, talented high school students mingle with internationally renowned scientists, and citizens of Kannapolis find opportunity for solid employment and growth.