A new laser building built on the campus of Farmington-based Trumpf
Inc. is a reminder of the strength of Connecticut’s high-tech
manufacturing sector. Today, the company celebrates the grand opening
of the Laser Innovation & Technical Excellence (LITE) Building, a
new research and manufacturing facility that will be used to develop
new lasers, expand the company’s production of laser resonators,
and maintain their leadership in state of the art laser technology.
This high-tech facility will add 86,000 square feet to the existing
Trumpf Inc. campus. The building will feature a new 55,200 square foot
production hall and a 6,000 square foot, class 10,000 cleanroom
designed for the manufacturing and testing of CO2 and solid-state laser
resonators. A laser research lab and laser development department will
be dedicated to the creation of innovative laser products. The building
will also house the company’s laser marking application and sales
group and give the information technologies department a larger area
for a state-of-the-art server room. Approximately 120 employees will
staff the new facility.
“This new building means much more than just more space,”
said Rolf Biekert, president and CEO of Trumpf Inc. “It is a
concrete example of our long-term commitment to the community, the
region, the market, and of course to our employees. The new building
means new products, new markets, new jobs, and new opportunities for
all of us.”
TRUMPF Inc. is a subsidiary of the TRUMPF Group, a privately-held
company headquartered in Germany and recognized as the world leader in
industrial laser production. Here in Connecticut, TRUMPF manufactures
precision laser cutting and punching machinery, and CO2 and solid-state
laser resonators. The company employs more than 750 people in North
America, the majority of which work at the Farmington, Conn. facility.
In its last fiscal year, the company’s sales revenues grew to
$366 million in North America and the company reinvested $16.5 million
in local R&D.
Building a new laser facility reflects the growth that Trumpf has
experienced in recent years. “This new building will help us
maintain our leadership position in the laser industry, further expand
our laser production, and stay at the forefront of laser research and
development,” adds Biekert.
The $29 million LITE Building project began in the fall of 2006 and
construction was completed in early April 2008. It is expected that
move in will be complete and production underway by summer 2008.
