ViaPhoton's new factory will build and supply fiber optic solutions for data centers and 5G infrastructure across the state.
The company's investment in Illinois will help expand access to fiber connections that will enable thousands of megawatts of data center capacity to go online as well as supporting efforts by the Pritzker administration to increase access to high-speed broadband and create new jobs for Illinois communities.
The new 25,000 square foot micro factory and lab in Aurora, at 2640 White Oak Circle, was selected by the company for its proximity to highly skilled talent, and location in Illinois one of the nation's fastest growing data center markets.
The development of this manufacturing location presents a unique opportunity fo Illinois to create jobs in this highly specialized field, as the majority of fiber optic materials today are manufactured overseas.
The new viaPhoton factory represents an initial $5 million investment by the company, with hiring underway for 30 new positions initially, and a goal to hire up to 200 more companywide in the next three to five years.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the workforce centers at DuPage and Kane County have assisted viaPhoton in recruiting employees and designing on the job training programs.
Working with local workforce partners, viaPhoton is developing new apprenticeship training programs which will focus on three areas of apprenticeship training: engineering, customer service sales and machine operations. viaPhoton initially plans to bring 8 to 12 apprentices onboard to receive on-the-job training, making them eligible to earn higher wages as they learn new skills.
viaPhoton's launch follows several recent announcements of Illinois companies expanding in the past several months alone - including Stack Infrastructure's recent investment in a data center in Elk Grove Village, Facebook's new data center in DeKalb, and two new fulfillment centers planned by Amazon for South Cook, estimated to create 2,000 new jobs for Illinois. ■