Pittsburgh Lands Another Tech Headquarters

A manufacturer of sophisticated lenses, cameras and laser systems is relocating its headquarters to Pittsburgh’s Strip District, another example of the city’s rise as a center of technology and advanced manufacturing.

Excelitas Technologies, based in Waltham, Mass., has committed to a 12-year lease in the onetime warehouse district that’s now home to an increasing number of tech companies. The location on Railroad Street most recently housed an autonomous vehicle company. Excelitas opens there in early summer.

The company will create at least 250 jobs in Pittsburgh over the next four years and invest $2.3 million in its move, an amount matched by a $2.3 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

“It’s a major win for the region. We want to secure opportunities to attract this kind of company. This reflects the involvement of the governor and the state,” said Matt Smith, a member of the Allegheny County Airport Authority board and chief growth officer at the Allegheny Conference, a nonprofit organization that promotes economic development in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Excelitas will also be encouraged to apply for research and development tax credits as well, said Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

“For the past year, I’ve been telling the world that Pennsylvania is open for business. Excelitas clearly agrees,” Shapiro said in a release. “We are competitive as hell, and today’s announcement that Excelitas chose Pennsylvania over Ohio is a huge win for Pittsburgh.”

Excelitas now has more than 8,300 employees and operates at 33 locations in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company’s products are used in a variety of industries, including automotive, consumer products, defense and aerospace, industrial, medical, safety and security.

From steel to tech

Shapiro and Smith say the company’s decision signals that Western Pennsylvania, known globally since the 19th century for heavy manufacturing, is now a national hub for life sciences and robotics tech