A subsidiary of a company with headquarters in Dalgety Bay, Scotland, UK, signed a long-term lease for the Sahuarita Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center (SAMTEC), a multi-million-dollar center built on vacant land in Sahuarita, Arizona.
The U.S. subsidiary of PowerPhotonic, which designs and manufactures wafer scale optics for advanced lasers and optical systems, signed a long-term lease with Sahuarita to expand its operations to SAMTEC, a news release said.
“The Town of Sahuarita is excited to announce a win for Southern Arizona!” the town government of Sahuarita, Arizona’s Facebook page said. “Their work is applicable to many industries including optical communications, medicine and defense. A recent economic impact analysis of this partnership estimated a $76 million benefit to the community over the next 10 years.”
The strong optics community in the region makes Southern Arizona “an excellent choice for an advanced optics company,” PowerPhotonic founder and CEO Roy McBride said in the release.
“I am delighted to announce this very significant milestone for PowerPhotonic on our journey of rapid expansion into the U.S. market,” McBride said in the release.
PowerPhotonic is the kind of business Sahuarita was looking to attract with SAMTEC, Sahuarita Mayor Tom Murphy said in the release.
“It’s a huge win for our community,” Murphy said.
Located at 16220 S. La Cañada Dr., SAMTEC construction relied on a U.S. Economic Development Administration grant of $3 million, a press release said. Construction of the 32,000-square foot, multi-tenant facility was completed in late 2020. SAMTEC was expected “to create 75 new jobs, retain 31 jobs and generate $500,000 in private investment.”
“PowerPhotonic’s manufacturing facility in Sahuarita highlights Arizona’s attractiveness as a semiconductor destination,” Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority, said in another news release. “We are grateful PowerPhotonic is establishing its first manufacturing facility in the U.S. in Arizona, bringing quality jobs while driving further economic activity in Southern Arizona.”