On Tuesday, the office of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced that a new tech company will soon be making its headquarters in Pittsburgh.
Excelitas Technology Corp., a photonics technology company that is currently based in Waltham, Massachusetts, has committed to a 12-year lease in the Strip District, where it is set to take between 46,000 and 50,000 square feet of space at 2545 Railroad St. — the address of the 3 Crossings development, where now-shuttered autonomous vehicle developer Argo AI once was headquartered and that now houses Ford subsidiary Latitude AI, which launched in March 2023 with 550 former Argo employees.
Excelitas is set to invest $2.3 million and create 250 jobs in Pittsburgh, while also retaining at least 20 existing jobs statewide. Excelitas has an existing Pennsylvania location in Exton, Chester County, and it employs over 8,000 across 33 locations in North America, Europe and Asia. The company is led by none other than former CEO of Pittsburgh-based Evoqua Water Technologies — which was acquired by Xylem Inc. for $7.5 billion in May 2023 — Ron Keating, who stepped into the role of CEO of Excelitas in Oct. 2023.
“Excelitas is a leading photonics technology business with a strong global footprint, and we are proud to call Pittsburgh and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania home,” Keating said in a release. “Pittsburgh and the Western Pennsylvania region have developed a significant high-technology presence, combined with a strong work ethic and an engaged state and local leadership who understand the value of job creation. These factors provided attractive competitive differentiators when we undertook our site selection process. We would like to thank Governor Shapiro and his Administration for their strong and compelling support.”
Shapiro and his administration touted the announcement as a win for the region and the state, with Shapiro himself and Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger working directly with Excelitas leadership to sell them on the prospect of moving to Pennsylvania over other potential locations.
The Shapiro Administration said that Excelitas received a funding proposal from DCED for a $2.3 million Pennsylvania First grant, and that the company will be encouraged to apply for research and development tax credits.
“For the past year, I’ve been telling the world that Pennsylvania is open for business ― and 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 and our entire Commonwealth. Excelitas is a leading player in a growing field and their presence in Pittsburgh will not only create jobs and real opportunity for Pennsylvanians, but it sends a clear signal that Western Pennsylvania is a national hub for life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and more. I look forward to welcoming the Excelitas team to Pittsburgh and helping them succeed here in Pennsylvania.”
Local leaders, including new Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, also celebrated the announcement, thanking the Governor and his administration for their work in securing the deal.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Excelitas Technologies’ global headquarters to the Pittsburgh region. Excelitas will advance customized photonics solutions for global markets from their new home in the Strip District, one of our region’s most well-known and vibrant centers of tech and innovation,” Allegheny Conference on Community Development CEO Stefani Pashman said in a release. “In addition to recognizing Governor Shapiro for his bullish approach to creating an investment-winning environment in Pennsylvania, I want to thank Excelitas CEO Ron Keating for casting his vote for Pittsburgh – first with Evoqua and now with Excelitas – as a region with everything to support not only launching, but growing, innovative companies.”
