Carpenter Technology Corporation expanded its industrial footprint in the Tennessee Valley Wednesday with the grand opening of a new additive manufacturing facility and Emerging Technology Center.

Carpenter has invested $40 million in the $52 million project to date. It will create 60 jobs over the next five years. The center is next to Carpenter’s 500,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at the corner of U.S. 31 and Thomas L. Hammons Road in Tanner.

The main manufacturing center produces high-end specialty alloy products, primarily for the aerospace and energy markets. To date, the company has invested more than $600 million in its Alabama operations, according to a press release.

“Our Emerging Technology Center (ETC) is a critical component of Carpenter Technology’s future growth and development and is aligned with our business strategy of evolving to an end-to-end solutions provider and influential leader in the AM (additive manufacturing) area,” said Tony Thene, president and chief executive officer for Carpenter. “We will use it as a base to launch future investments as we expand our soft magnetics technology platform, scale up additional powder operations and demonstrate a number of next generation materials we have under development today.”

About the ETC

The ETC will serve as a research and development facility for Carpenter. Officials said it would provide the capability to atomize a range of specialty alloys into metal powder and then use 3D printing technology to create parts using the powder.

Alloys to be used include titanium, nickel, steel, aluminum, cobalt, copper, iron and other custom metals.

The journey from production to final product includes the latest state-of-the art quick cooling Hot Isostatic Press system in the United States, as well as vacuum heat treating to optimize the material properties of high-value specialty alloy components. Parts manufactured in the ETC can then be qualified for use in a range of cross-industry applications, from aerospace and transportation to oil and gas and energy.

Officials said the ETC allows Carpenter to keep the entire process under one roof, which they believe will lead to a more streamlined workflow.

Ed Castile, director of Alabama Industrial Development Training, said state officials appreciated Carpenter’s continued investment in Alabama. He added the new ETC would complement a program that will soon be announced at the Robotics Technology Park, located just south of the ETC.

“We know that what’s going to go on here at this center is not only beneficial to Carpenter, but also to all our Alabama manufacturers, and will be for decades,” he said.

Bethany Shockney, president of the Limestone County Economic Development Association, said Carpenter’s commitment to build the ETC here is indicative of the company’s desire to be responsive to industry needs.

“Their investment solidifies Carpenter’s existence in the community and gives us another look at how technology is supporting manufacturing and how both are continuing to grow,” he said.

County incentives

The ETC was aided by incentives from Limestone County, which were approved by a majority of the commission in July of last year.

As part of a 10-year agreement, the commission abated $1,242,955 in noneducational ad valorem taxes and $1,022,500 in construction-related transaction taxes. Two weeks later, commissioners approved more incentives for the project — $50,000 in cash incentives for the training of 60 employees over five years.

According to the agreement, Limestone County’s cash incentives would be distributed to Carpenter based on hitting three employment benchmarks — 10 employees hired by Jan. 1, 2020; 30 employees hired by Jan. 1, 2022; and a total of 60 new hires by Jan. 1, 2025. The agreement says the average hourly wage of the employees will be $33.65.

The agreement said Carpenter’s anticipated payroll at the emerging technology center to be $2.1 million by the third year of operation.

State Sen. Tom Butler, R-Madison, who was one of several who spoke at Wednesday’s event, used his time to recruit potential new industries to the area. He said the “golden triangle” of Limestone, Morgan and Madison counties have all the capabilities an industry needs to succeed.

“One of the things I really enjoy seeing is companies like Carpenter come in and take land that was growing cotton and then growing a factory like this where so many employees are helping their families,” he said.