Apr-2012 KEEPING BUSINESS IN NEW JERSEY
Contact: |
|
|
 -News Release- |
Located on Sparta Avenue in Newton, the 120,000-square-foot building enables the privately-held photonics firm to consolidate many of the sales, service, manufacturing and research and development operations it had scattered in other locations around Sussex County. Thorlabs said it intends to eventually expand another facility, its 40,000-square-foot machine shop, which is located on Route 206 in Andover Township.
“Other states had tried to lure this growing company out of New Jersey by offering incentives. Thorlabs wanted to remain, and many people in the Garden State came together to make that happen by helping the company to complete this new facility in Newton. This company employs about 350 people in Sussex County, which is almost half of the company’s worldwide workforce,” said Commissioner Wirths.
The company, owned by its founder and CEO, Alex Cable, was created in 1989 and expanded its sales, manufacturing and research and development operations into eight countries while operating out of multiple Sussex County locations. The new Sussex County building was constructed on a 5.6-acre, former brownfield site that Newton officials targeted for redevelopment and which required environmental remediation.
Thorlabs manufactures equipment for the photonics industry, from lenses and lasers to fiber optics and motion control devices. Commissioner Wirths joined Sussex County freeholders, Newton officials and many other dignitaries at the company’s ribbon-cutting event at the new building on March 23, 2012.
-30-
Commissioner Harold J. Wirths (center, right), joined Sussex County Freeholder Richard A. Zeoli (center, left) and other dignitaries in a tour of Thorlabs’ new building in Newton following a ribbon-cutting on March 23, 2012.
