Linton Crystal Technologies (LCT), headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., says it plans to produce semiconductor and solar manufacturing equipment in the U.S., breaking ground on a new facility in the second quarter.
The company says efforts are under way to secure a site as soon as possible, with future plans for expansion to accommodate international orders as necessary. Linton is also developing an international service team to support customers worldwide as the industry looks to grow and improve processes and efficiency.
The company will establish a manufacturing center to build and demonstrate the full line of equipment represented by Linton Technologies Group. This includes Czochralski (CZ) furnaces for monocrystalline silicon ingots, both semiconductor and solar-grade, and the machines for producing solar ingots and wafers, including wire saws and polishing equipment.
Linton’s initial investment of $10 million will be used to add a new facility, establish a demonstration line, and build 1 GW – 2 GW of production capacity, all by the end of year one. This will grow the company’s workforce to more than 75 employees. Linton’s goal is to exceed 2008 employment numbers, when the company had nearly 200 employees, at its New York factory by the end of year two.
“We’ve been working on this plan for a while now and are looking forward to reshoring manufacturing to the United States,” says Todd Barnum, president and CEO of Linton Crystal Technologies. “As a U.S. company with Chinese ownership, Linton Technologies Group, the geopolitical issues have been difficult to navigate. Our company used to manufacture in Rochester, and we’re eager to get back to the United States.”
Linton Crystal Technologies originated in Rochester in 1952 as a wire saw manufacturer, Hamco, and through a series of purchases became Kayex, a manufacturer of CZ crystal pullers. Linton has been the exclusive owner of Kayex technology since 2013.
