A CRO with an office in Wilmington is growing its footprint in the Port City and at its headquarters in Durham.

PharPoint Research Inc., a contract research organization (CRO) that focuses on bringing pharmaceutical and biotechnological products to market through a range of services, is expanding into an additional 2,547 square feet in its Wilmington office, according to a news release Thursday. That brings its total to 8,600 square feet at 1001 Military Cutoff Road.

In Durham, the company has gained nearly 7,000 square feet for a total of 22,000 square feet on the first floor of the Central Park South building, 5003 S. Miami Blvd.

“Additional space was required as PharPoint Research expands our services and clients,” said Art Holmes, PharPoint Research’s president and CEO, in the release.

PharPoint Research, a privately held company that was started in 2007 in an office on Gordon Road in Wilmington, has more than 100 employees, including 40 in Wilmington.

PharPoint officials said in an email Thursday that since 2016, the company has grown 35%, the number of positions in its Wilmington office has increased by 30%, and based on current openings, PharPoint is projected to grow an additional 15% to 20% by the end of 2019. Additionally, the firm's internship program grew by 70% in the past three years.
 
"PharPoint is committed to offering opportunities to recent college graduates in our field," the email stated.

Holmes said North Carolina is rich with talent from its roots as a pharmaceutical hub.

"With excellent local universities expanding their clinical research curriculums, we remain committed to expanding our current offices in both Research Triangle Park and Wilmington," he stated in the release. "These expansions represent a commitment to both our customers and our staff. Our growth is a direct result of the long-lasting relationships we foster with our clients.”

The University of North Carolina Wilmington Chancellor Jose Sartarelli said in July that Wilmington has 30 CROs, and UNCW is "cultivating and providing employees" for that sector.