IPG Photonics will add 175 new employees as part of an $18 million plan to expand its facility by more than 100,000 sq ft, with the help of $1.7 million in tax credits from the state of Massachusetts, state officials said Thursday. The announcement came as Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray joined state and local officials at the fiber laser maker's Oxford facility to announce both IPG's tax credit under the Economic Development Incentive Program and a $2.2 million MassWorks Infrastructure Grant for the town of Oxford. IPG, acknowledged as one of the commonwealth's fast-growing manufacturers, said it plans to expand its research, development and manufacturing space by 101,500 sq ft and to add 175 positions to its staff of more than 600. Fiber lasers are tested at IPG Photonics' plant in Oxford, Mass. The company will spend $18 million to expand the facility and plans to add 175 jobs. (Photonics Media photo by Laura Marshall) Oxford, with support from the towns of Dudley and Webster, will use the MassWorks funds to install a sewer extension to open previously developed and undeveloped areas for economic development and growth. There are currently three large light industrial employers, including IPG Photonics, along the proposed sewer route in Oxford that will benefit from having a public sewer, as the space currently occupied for on-site treatment would become area available for expansion, officials said. In addition to the current businesses, the new sewer opens up more than 50 acres of land that is also zoned for light industrial development. "This sewer line connecting IPG Photonics with the Webster-Dudley treatment plant will ensure that IPG remains in Oxford, creating jobs and helping to stabilize the economy of the Webster-Dudley-Oxford area," said state Sen. Richard T. Moore. "I am excited for the future of IPG Photonics, including their planned $18 million expansion that will result in 175 new high-paying jobs for the southern Worcester County region." The grant will extend 3300 feet of gravity sewer in Oxford and 4400 feet of force main in Dudley and Webster and will include a new pumping station. The work is slated to begin in the spring and be completed by the fall of 2012. The businesses in the vicinity of this project have collectively pledged $100,000 to advance the design of the sewer project before MassWorks funds become available. “We are extremely pleased that the Patrick-Murray administration has made these infrastructure tools available so that our business can expand and keep Massachusetts competitive in the global marketplace," said Dr. Valentin P. Gapontsev, CEO and founder of IPG Photonics. For more information, visit: www.mass.gov or www.ipgphotonics.com