Saxonburg tech firm II-VI lands $410M investment from Apple

Apple awarded $410 million to II-VI Inc., a Saxonburg-based high-tech company, so it can create 700 jobs and extra capacity to produce iPhone components.

A news release from Apple said the new jobs will be at II-VI facilities in Easton, Pa.; Sherman, Texas; Warren, N.J.; and Champaign, Ill.

II-VI Inc. develops products for the communications, industrial, aerospace and defense sectors and employs more than 22,000 people at 75 locations around the world, according to its website.

II-VI produces lasers used in iPhone features such as Face ID, Memoji, Animoji and Portrait mode selfies, according to Apple. It also manufactures other lasers for the iPhone, including one that improves autofocus in low-light scenes in photos and videos, Apple said.

Apple invested in II-VI’s production processes in 2017 when it awarded $390 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund. The Apple program has invested more than $1 billion in American companies to support innovation and the creation of high-skilled jobs.

That initial investment, applied at II-VI’s Sherman, Texas, facility, created high-tech manufacturing space for lasers used in iPhones. The plant has increased production rapidly in the past year because of that investment, according to Apple.

“II-VI shares our commitment to push the boundaries of innovation, and we’re proud to be extending our work together across the country,” Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, said in a statement.

II-VI CEO Vincent Mattera Jr. said in a statement that his company is grateful for Apple’s support, which has helped expand its manufacturing operations.

“The partnership between Apple and II-VI sets the stage for a new wave of breakthrough technologies that we believe will enable a wide range of applications that will benefit our world for decades to come,” Mattera said.

Calls to II-VI’s Saxonburg headquarters were not returned Thursday.