Northam announces $8.5M firm expansion, 105 new jobs

A mechanical piping systems manufacturer will build a new facility in Virginia that will bring 105 new jobs to the Commonwealth, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday.

High Purity Systems is spending $8.5 million on a 30,000 square foot facility in Manassas, where the firm has operated for over three decades. After initially mulling a relocation to Maryland, the Washington Business Journal reports, High Purity decided to stay put after state officials helped the company find a site for the new facility and incentivized the move through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program and other tax breaks.

Under the deal, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership will send the company direct cash for each new job it creates. The company will also be eligible for tax breaks on its manufacturing equipment, which it uses to make piping systems for industries including biopharmaceuticals and aerospace companies. The total estimated amount of assistance was not reported.

In addition to the incentives, High Purity Systems cited its roots in Northern Virginia and the region’s wealth of talented tech workers as reasons it decided to stay put.

The decision adds to an already robust outlook for technology and manufacturing workers in Manassas. Since July 2018, the city has added about 1,250 jobs in the technology and advanced manufacturing fields, according to city estimates.