Fluor + Novo Nordisk — Excellence in Production During a Global Pandemic
Documentary‑Style Video Storytelling for One of the Largest Life Sciences Projects in U.S. History
Fluor partnered with Watts Media to document the creation of Novo Nordisk’s massive life sciences expansion in Clayton, North Carolina — a project recognized as one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturing investments in North Carolina’s history and Novo Nordisk’s largest facility project to date. The resulting film captures the scale, complexity, and human dedication behind a production site designed to support the global diabetes community for decades to come.
Business Challenge
Telling the Story of a Mega‑Project with Global Impact
Novo Nordisk selected Fluor to design and build an 800,000‑square‑foot Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) facility — a greenfield installation spanning 85 acres, equivalent to seven football fields. The site was engineered to produce critical ingredients for diabetes medicines used around the world, representing a multibillion‑dollar investment and a long‑term commitment to global health.
Fluor and Novo Nordisk share deeply aligned cultures built on precision, safety, and innovation. That alignment enabled the teams to push boundaries and deliver a project of unprecedented scale, even as the world navigated the uncertainty of COVID‑19.
Creative Challenge
Capturing a Mega‑Project During a Pandemic
Documenting a site of this size — with multiple buildings, thousands of craft workers, and complex biopharma systems — is challenging under normal circumstances. Doing so during a global pandemic added an entirely new layer of logistics, safety considerations, and production constraints.
Fortunately, the Clayton facility operated under strict COVID‑19 protocols, allowing Watts to work safely on site while maintaining the creative freedom needed to produce a polished, human‑centered documentary piece.
Our Solution
A Documentary Approach Built on Preparation and Precision
With a project site “the size of a small town,” pre‑production became mission‑critical. Because on‑site scouting was limited, Watts arrived with a detailed plan, flexible shot lists, and a production strategy built for long days and fast pivots.
To reflect the clean, high‑tech environment of a biopharma manufacturing facility, we chose:
Light, modern compositions
Crisp, controlled camera movement
A rich, cinematic music track to elevate the emotional arc
Interviews with key project leaders to ground the story in human experience
The result is a film that blends scale, clarity, and emotion - a hallmark of our Documentary‑Style Storytelling work.
The Outcome
The final video memorializes a once‑in‑a‑generation project: a facility built to serve millions of patients worldwide and a testament to what’s possible when engineering excellence, shared culture, and global purpose align.
Fluor and Novo Nordisk now have a timeless documentary asset that:
Honors the thousands of people who brought the project to life
Captures the complexity and ambition of a world‑class API facility
Demonstrates leadership in life sciences, construction, and global health
This project stands as a powerful example of how thoughtful, documentary‑style video can elevate industrial storytelling — even under the most challenging circumstances.
