N.C. Research Campus Building Dedication Ceremonies

Just a few months ago, North Carolina red clay was the dominant feature of the former Pillowtex textile mill site in Kannapolis. As construction crews and equipment mobilized, new buildings began to take shape. These harbingers of the important work planned for a 21st Century research center are part of the North Carolina Research Campus at Kannapolis (NCRC).

The David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Building opened in December 2008. The UNC Nutrition Research Building opened in August. It houses faculty from UNC-Chapel, UNC-Greensboro, N.C. A&T State University and N.C. Central University. The building that houses the N.C. State University Plants For Human Health Institute (formerly known as Fruit and Vegetable Science Institute), the Program for Value-Added and Alternative Agriculture, Appalachian State University, and the Dole Nutrition Institute opened in mid-October, just prior to the building dedication.

One man’s vision promises improved health for the people of North Carolina, the nation and the world. David H. Murdock, owner of Dole Foods Company, Inc., has made a long-standing commitment to the health and welfare of people around the world. After realizing the great potential of biotechnology to cure disease and improve health, he has invested more than $1.5 billion of his personal funds to develop the NCRC. Murdock’s vision is to create a world-class research hub where collaborative science will yield discoveries in nutrition, health and biotechnology research.

David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Building

Murdock has formed a partnership with the University of North Carolina system. N.C. State University, N.C. A&T State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro and N.C. Central University, as well as institutions outside the system such as Duke University, will play major roles in developing the campus. The North Carolina General Assembly appropriated more than $25.5 million for the campus in 2008.

N.C. State University and Dole Foods are forming a research institute that will lead the research efforts in three key areas:

• Enhancing the nutritional content of fruits and vegetables to improve human health.
• Increasing agricultural production to create a sustainable food supply.
• Providing scientific ideas and technologies that will contribute to North Carolina’s economic growth.

N.C. State University shares 100,000 square feet of office and laboratory space with the Dole Nutrition Institute. Additional research facilities will include a 75,000-square-foot head house plus other greenhouses that feature a 4,000-square-foot food processing plant surrounded by 100 acres of growing fields. The head house will include a potting room and classrooms.