Army laser weapon maker plans 100 hires at a new $30 million Bucks County factory
The defense technology company Attalon plans to hire in engineering, technical, and management jobs in Trevose.
Attalon, a company that makes laser weapons for the U.S. Army, plans a new $30 million headquarters in Trevose, Bucks County, and will hire for more than 100 engineering, technical, and management jobs in the next few years, company officials said Tuesday. The headquarters will include a factory.
The company moved its headquarters to Philadelphia from California in January when it was bought by Boston- and U.K.-based private-equity giant Advent from Coherent Corp., which is based in Western Pennsylvania.
The new plant will be “a major expansion of our U.S. manufacturing footprint” and will focus on protective metal coatings and crystal production, chief executive John Bergeron said in a short, recorded presentation that aired at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit on Tuesday in Carlisle, Pa.
Bergeron was named CEO by the new owner in January. He was previously an operating executive at GE, Raytheon, and other military contractors. Attalon also has facilities in California, Michigan, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, and central New Jersey.
The company’s laser warfare products and optical assemblies have been deployed along the Mexico border, where the Army shot down a wayward Border Patrol drone last winter. The company has also sought Navy contracts.
In moving to the Philadelphia area, Attalon will locate in a longtime center of the military aerospace industry. The region is home to Lockheed Martin missile and L3Harris military communications factories, as well as helicopter makers Boeing and Leonardo, electronic sensor giant TE Connectivity, and aerospace systems makers Innovative Aerosystems, Triumph Group, and Analytical Graphics Inc., among others.
President Donald Trump is expected to address the chief executives of Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and dozens of other military contractors on the summit’s second day on Wednesday, and more investment announcements are expected.
The event was introduced by military officers and Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa.), an Army veteran and former private equity CEO, who last year hosted Trump at a similar event announcing $90 billion in data center and electric power projects for Pennsylvania.
Along with companies in Pittsburgh and in central Pennsylvania, a pair of Philadelphia-area defense start-ups also announced expansion plans at the event Tuesday.
Deepwave, which makes artificial intelligence-backed radio-frequency systems for government and telecommunications companies, will hire 20 business development staff to boost sales after negotiating with the Air National Guard to improve systems for aging F-16 jet fighter aircraft, chief executive John Ferguson said in a video presentation.
“Our manufacturing is all in Pennsylvania,” Ferguson said, noting that state-backed Ben Franklin Technology Partners centers were among Deepwave’s early investors, along with Philadelphia-based NextFab Ventures and online brokerage Robinhood’s venture capital arm.
Deepwave is based on Walnut Street in Center City.
Also, Karman Space & Defense, a publicly traded, California-based missile and hypersonic systems maker with a facility in Horsham, said it would invest $2.7 million in expanding that plant and add 20 new “high-tech” jobs.
