NewsInBrief : ComSonics Expands Manufacturing

DNR 6/21/18

WEYERS CAVE — Harrisonburg-based ComSonics Inc. announced Wednesday that the electronics firm will invest $615,000 to expand its manufacturing operation in Augusta County.

The company will purchase new equipment and make improvements to allow for additional space at its Weyers Cave facility, according to a statement from the office of Gov. Ralph Northam announcing the expansion.

The company, which designs, manufactures and sells electronics and fiber optics, says 34 jobs will be created over a three-year period as a result.

The expansion is being supported by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Virginia Jobs Investment Program. The program provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs or experiencing technological change to support employee training activities, according to the governor’s office.

“ComSonics has been a valuable corporate partner to the Commonwealth for nearly 50 years, with a thriving headquarters and manufacturing operation in the Shenandoah Valley,” Northam said in his statement.

Local and state lawmakers, including Del. Steve Landes, R-Weyers Cave, Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Mount Solon, Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed and Augusta County Supervisor Gerald Garber, also applauded the news.

Headquartered in Harrisonburg, the company is an employee-owned corporation with roots stretching to the late 1960s, when Warren Braun founded the company in the basement of his home.

ComSonics Chief Operating Officer Bret Harrison cited the area’s higher education — James Madison University, Blue Ridge Community College and specialized vocational training — for developing the skills the company’s workforce needs and helping make the expansion possible.

— Staff Reports