SHREWSBURY – Physik Instrumente (PI), a high-tech manufacturing company, officially broke ground on the company’s new U.S. headquarters in Shrewsbury on Wednesday morning.
The 120,000-square-foot facility will be located at 440 Hartford Turnpike, and it will have roughly three times the aggregated space as the company’s preexisting space.
The groundbreaking ceremony included dozens of individuals, including PI executives, local business leaders, community officials, politicians, and representatives from GFI Partners, which owns the parcel of land.
“It’s an exciting day for us. We’re expanding dramatically our presence in the United States… It’s a massive building, we need people to expand and cover all of that. I can tell you, your subsidiary is a substantial part of our growth rate. We see a lot of business potential here. We can’t wait to do business here and develop Shrewsbury together,” PI CEO Markus Spanner said before the groundbreaking.
PI manufactures equipment that helps companies create some of the world’s most high-tech innovations. The company is involved in semiconductors, automation, telecommunications, astronomy and more. Notably, PI has had its products included in the Mars Exploration Rovers and the James Webb Space Telescope. PI currently has roughly 1,700 employees worldwide and continues to expand.
Local officials expressed gratitude that PI chose Central Massachusetts, and more specifically, Shrewsbury.
“PI, we want to welcome you to the Shrewsbury business community. We can tell you – you’ve made some good decisions… It’s a world-class region to find good employees. You have a very supportive community here… We’re excited because you’re bringing new jobs to the region,” Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Karen Chapman said.
Select Board Chair Beth Casavant called it a “really proud moment” for the community.
“They recognize the benefits of this for our local economy, and the investments that PI is making in this building and its contents will enrich our local tax base. The work that happens within these walls will provide well-paying jobs for local residents, and the ongoing relationship between PI and the Town of Shrewsbury will be of benefit to all,” said Casavant.
PI – which also has locations in Auburn and Hopkinton – had plans to move to Shrewsbury’s Centech Park North, as the Community Advocate first reported in September, but ultimately opted to move further down Route 20 to the 440 Hartford Turnpike location. The land was once permitted for a 40B project, but the Planning Board approved plans for a warehouse on the property in July.
PI could move into the facility in 2025.
All groups said that they hoped the Shrewsbury-PI partnership would extend well into the future.
“Over the next year, this site will evolve into a hub of activity, a center of excellence, and a symbol of what can be achieved when new partnerships with industry pioneers are formed,” said PI Managing Director Walter Silvesky.
He added, “I’m sure we would’ve all preferred a sunny day to share this ceremony with, but… when you tie a knot in the rain, it becomes impossible to untie. With this new site of our headquarters being launched on this rainy morning, so too, in a way, does PI become tied to this community.”
“Or, as our pioneer partners would say, ‘quantum entangled’,” he joked.
