Nephron Pharmaceuticals CEO Lou Kennedy and Gov. Henry McMaster recently announced the opening of Nephron Nitrile, a plant that will produce American-made, medical-grade nitrile gloves right here in the Midlands.

What’s nitrile, you ask? Considered more durable than traditional latex, nitrile gloves are also less likely to cause allergic reactions on skin.

And why is this such a big deal? From the jobs it will create to its impact on the PPE (personal protective equipment) supply chain, here’s a by-the-numbers look at Nephron Nitrile:

$100 million: The cost of the expansion (read: Nephron’s most recent investment in Lexington County, in addition to the $215 million expansion currently in progress)
400,000+: The square footage of Nephron Nitrile, which will be headquartered in the new Kennedy Innovation Complex
250: The number of jobs that will be generated in the area
$70,000+: The median salary at Nephron (see openings here)
60%: The share of the worldwide glove market represented by the US (so producing our own makes sense)
3 billion: The number of gloves Nephron Nitrile aims to make in its first year of operation Ⓟ