OXFORD, Mass. /Massachusetts Newswire/ — Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray today joined state and local officials at IPG Photonics to announce a $2.2 million MassWorks Infrastructure Grant for the Town of Oxford and $1.7 million in Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP) tax credits for Oxford’s IPG Photonics. The company plans to expand its facility by 101,500 square feet and add 175 new employees.
“This MassWorks Grant award to the Town of Oxford is a great example of a public-private partnership supporting regional economic development,” said Lieutenant Governor Murray. “With this infrastructure investment, the towns of Oxford, Dudley and Webster are working across municipal lines to make improvements that will pave the way for future development opportunities and spur economic growth in the region.”
“The Patrick-Murray Administration remains committed to creating jobs and growing the Massachusetts economy through strong investments in education, innovation and infrastructure,” said Housing and Economic Development (HED) Secretary Greg Bialecki. “The MassWorks Infrastructure Program, like this project in Oxford, helps leverage private development by making vital improvements to local infrastructure and allowing companies to expand and invest in the community.”
The Town of Oxford submitted a Massworks application with support from the Towns of Dudley and Webster to install a sewer extension that will open up previously developed and undeveloped areas for economic development and growth. The grant will extend 3,300 feet of gravity sewer in Oxford and 4,400 feet of force main in Dudley and Webster and include a new pumping station. The work is slated to begin spring 2012 and be complete by fall 2012. The businesses in the vicinity of this project have collectively pledged $100,000 to advance the design of the sewer project before MassWorks funds become available.
There are currently three large light industrial employers, IPG Photonics, Fabrico Inc. and Wilson Language Training Corp., along the proposed sewer route in Oxford which will benefit from having a public sewer as the space currently occupied for on-site treatment would become area available for expansion. In addition to the current businesses, more than 50 acres of land is also zoned for light industrial development, available as a result of the public sewer. Developers interested in the undeveloped parcels have indicated a strong need for sewer to support the water intensive use that they have identified.
The most immediate project to advance will be the expansion at IPG Photonics. IPG, founded in 1990, is the top-ranked manufacturer in the world of optical fiber-based lasers and one of the Commonwealth’s rapidly growing manufacturing companies, recently being featured in the “Globe 100” as a top three company in Massachusetts. IPG Photonics has grown from 40 employees in 1990 to currently more than 600 employees. The company’s expansion plans for a 101,500 square foot research, development and manufacturing space expansion and 175 new full time jobs was approved by the Economic Assistance Coordinating Council in December 2011 for $1.7 million in tax credits.
“I am proud of the collaborative efforts by state, local and company officials that resulted in HED approving Oxford’s request,” said Senator Richard T. Moore. “This sewer line connecting IPG Photonics with the Webster-Dudley Treatment plant, will ensure that IPG remains in Oxford, creating jobs and helping to stabilize the economy of the Webster-Dudley-Oxford area. Everyone involved came to the table ready, willing and able to work together. I am excited for the future of IPG Photonics, including their planned $18 million expansion that will result in 175 new high-paying jobs for the Southern Worcester county region.”
“I’m very pleased the Town of Oxford will be receiving this grant for the MassWorks Infrastructure Program, which will greatly benefit IPG Photonics’ future expansion in the community and keep good-paying jobs here in the Commonwealth,” said Representative Paul Frost. “I also feel this project of expanding the sewer lines into Dudley and Webster will give an opportunity for other economic development in the region.”
“This is a perfect example of how a public-private partnership can keep jobs in the Commonwealth,” said Representative Kevin Kuros. “IPG genuinely wanted to grow at their campus in Oxford and I’m delighted that IPG, Oxford, Dudley, Webster and the state were all able to work together to make it happen.”
“The IPG project will create good paying jobs, and help put people back to work in our area,” said Representative Ryan Fattman. “I am very supportive of this project and look forward to working with town, state and business officials to continue to build upon our success.”
The MassWorks Infrastructure Program, which is overseen by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, held its first competitive grant round in September, consolidating six capital budget programs to give communities a single entry point and one set of requirements for state public infrastructure grants. The consolidation aimed to improve efficiencies and streamline the decision-making process, increase access for municipalities of all sizes and enhance state-regional-local partnerships around economic development and housing production. To meet these objectives, the program launched an e-application and hosted 12 online tutorials to assist municipalities with the application process. During the first grant round, 158 applications requesting more than $400 million in infrastructure grants were received from cities and towns of all sizes and representing every region of the state.
“Water and sewer infrastructure are fundamentally important to the health, safety and prosperity of any community,” said Oxford Selectwoman Jennie L. Caissie, who accepted the grant on behalf of Oxford. “This is an important day for Oxford and for our sister towns of Webster and Dudley.”
“We are extremely pleased that the Patrick-Murray Administration has made these infrastructure tools available so that our business can expand and keep Massachusetts competitive in the global marketplace,” said Dr. Valentin P. Gapontsev, CEO and Founder of IPG Photonics.
To learn more about the MassWorks Infrastructure Program and how it is supporting job growth and long term, sustainable economic development, please visit: www.mass.gov/eohed/infrastructure.
