Improving Business in the Wilmington Region
Global computer manufacturer to open Wilmington facility much sooner than expected
Feb. 26, 2025
Credit: Wilmington StarNews / Daniel Sheehan
• The new facility will create over 500 jobs and produce custom computer parts for Protocase and its subsidiary, 45Drives.
• Protocase chose Wilmington for its skilled workforce, vibrant film scene, and potential for growth as a technology hub.
• The company is known for its high-velocity mass customization, which allows them to produce custom products in a matter of days.
A global aerospace manufacturer is bringing a new facility to Wilmington much sooner than expected.
Protocase and its subsidiary 45Drives are launching production at a facility in Wilmington, president of 45Drives Doug Milburn told the StarNews. Initially projected for 2029, the Canada-based company plans to scale up to full production for both companies within the next year.
Located at 4270 U.S. 421, the 12,000-square-foot facility will produce custom computer parts. The facility is expected to bring over 500 jobs to Wilmington. The company has partnered with Cape Fear Community College and North Carolina for Military Employment to find prospective employees. With the new location, Milburn said he hopes to establish Wilmington as a technology hub.
“Wilmington has a supply of human beings that want to come and do something different,” Milburn said. “It’s not corporate America.”
Protocase also has an office on the fourth floor of the Skyline Center in downtown Wilmington.
Headquartered in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Protocase creates custom electronic enclosures, sheet metal and Computer Numerical Control machining for scientists, engineers and innovators. The company has sold to Google, Apple, Microsoft. Protocase was founded by Doug Milburn and Steve Lilley in 2000, and the company has grown to a global manufacturing firm.
45Drives, a division of Protocase, is an open-source data storage company for enterprise and mid-sized businesses. In addition to serving aerospace and government institutions, the company offers high-speed storage for video producers managing large files. Jon Phillips of public relations firm PhillComm Global said Wilmington’s vibrant film scene made it the perfect second home for 45Drives.
“The HomeLab division of 45Drives serves a lot of folks that are in the creator space,” Phillips said. “We’re excited to continue integrating into Wilmington for many reasons, especially the film school at UNCW and Cucalorus.”
Wilmington will also host the 2025 45Drives Creators Summit in September, Phillips said. The event, which has previously been hosted in Nova Scotia, features a variety of technology content creators.
Protocase sought expansion into the U.S. after hitting a growth ceiling in Nova Scotia, Phillips said. The company currently has roughly 500 employees at the site, and expects to have an even greater presence in Wilmington in the coming years.
“The sky is the limit for growth in Wilmington,” Phillips said. “Having this channel opened up now, with the company bringing folks up to Nova Scotia to train them, the new hires love it.”
The Wilmington facility will initially focus on sub-assembly for 45Drives. Blank pads produced in Nova Scotia will be shipped to Wilmington for component manufacturing. The facility will begin assembling 45Drives Storinator and Storinator Hybrid servers in mid-March before transitioning to full production for all U.S. customers.
“The rapid progress of our Wilmington expansion speaks to the strength of our team and the demand for our solutions,” said president of Protocase Steve Lilley. “This facility represents our commitment to serving U.S. customers more efficiently while continuing to innovate in precision manufacturing and data infrastructure.”
The company prioritizes cleanliness in their manufacturing process. Opting for food-grade citric acid in their production of stainless steel, Milburn says you will not smell anything you dislike in his facilities.
“I don’t want any of our employees getting around anything I wouldn’t go around,” Milburn said. “There’s no big disposal and we’re very low footprint in manufacturing.”
The secret to the success of Protocase and 45Drives is the production philosophy, Milburn said. The companies can create products that typically take 10-20 weeks to produce in a matter of days. He calls the practice high velocity mass customization.
“It’s a whole different system of managing,” Milburn said. “When you do mass custom manufacturing, everything that you put out feels like it’s custom, but you’re really doing the same bits and pieces underneath the hood.”
The production method is heavily tied into the company’s culture, Milburn said. Through a partnership with Wilmington Business Development, the company has started recruiting new hires from CFCC and the University of North Carolina Wilmington. The company will provide employment opportunities for recent college graduates that don’t want to uproot their lives to find a job in tech hubs like Silicon Valley.
Wilmington’s culture and lifestyle is a perfect match for the growing company, Milburn said.
“Lots of tech companies tell their employees to get married to them and that’s it,” Milburn said. “We say, get married to us, but I want you to have a good life too, like we do in Nova Scotia.”
