High-tech ceramics manufacturer Kyocera has wrapped up work on its new expansion.
The company opened a $10 million, 23,000-square-foot expansion to its plant at 5713 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., in Vancouver Thursday.
The San Diego-based company said it may add 50 new jobs in the coming years to its current staff of 140. The expansion brought the total plant size up to 65,000 square feet.
Kyocera, which first arrived in Vancouver in 1986, is known for making such items as cutting tools, cellphones, printers, copy machines and ceramic semiconductors.
The company said its ceramics are lightweight and adaptable, capable of withstanding high heat and corrosion.
The ceramics are used in such industries as aerospace, medicine, renewable energy and car manufacturing.
Mike Bomar, president of the Columbia River Economic Development Council, said the opening was exciting for Clark County’s presence in high-tech manufacturing.
“It’s an interesting time in terms of what new manufacturing looks like and what that means for jobs in the U.S. and here,” he said. “There are tech skills associated with them. The blend of software and soft skills I think are what we’re good at here and in the Northwest.”
Known officially as Kyocera International, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Japanese manufacturer Kyocera Corp. There are subsidiaries in Plymouth, Mich., and Hendersonville, N.C.
