Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is expanding its Reading, Pennsylvania operation with a more than $20 million investment expected to create dozens of new jobs and strengthen the city’s role in advanced manufacturing.

State and local officials joined company leaders at the company’s industrial campus, 2120 Fairmont Ave., to announce the project, which includes a new facility, new equipment and expanded production capabilities.

“Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials has chosen Reading to expand,” state Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger said at the July 8 announcement. “And it’s a big deal.”

Siger said supporting the expansion of a manufacturer like Mitsubishi Chemical is exactly the type of partnership the state works to encourage.

“It’s our honor to partner with you to help get this done,” Siger said, noting the investment will create 42 jobs and retain more than 450 existing positions across Pennsylvania.

The expansion comes as the Shapiro administration continues efforts to attract and retain manufacturers across the state, Siger said.

The facility in the city’s Northmont section manufactures high-performance thermoplastic materials used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, medical technology, electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, food processing, construction and heavy equipment.

Bryan Robinson, technical sales manager for Mitsubishi Chemical, said the company takes plastic pellets and converts them into advanced stock shapes that customers use to create specialized components.

“This isn’t single-use plastic,” Robinson said. “This is for long-term use, typically in applications you’ll never see but are used in your everyday life.”

During a manufacturing demonstration following the announcement, Robinson displayed examples of components made from materials produced in Reading, including parts used in semiconductor manufacturing, medical testing equipment, aerospace applications and industrial machinery.

The materials are often designed to replace metal components, providing benefits such as reduced weight, chemical resistance, wear resistance and the ability to withstand extreme temperatures, he said.

“All this material is produced right here in Reading, Pennsylvania,” Robinson said.

Daniel Barish, general manager of Mitsubishi Chemical’s engineered shapes and solutions division, said the expansion reflects the company’s confidence in Pennsylvania and its workforce.

“This investment demonstrates our long-term commitment to the commonwealth and our confidence in the people, the capabilities and the opportunities that exist here,” Barish said.

A key part of the project, he said, will be the creation of a center of excellence for extrusion of the company’s general and advanced engineered plastics.

The expansion will strengthen the company’s innovation efforts, increase its technical capabilities and help position Pennsylvania as a leader in high-performance manufacturing and materials technology, Barish said.

“This investment is about people,” he said. “It represents new opportunities for skilled manufacturing professionals, engineers, technicians, operators, mechanics and future generations who are looking to build rewarding careers in advanced manufacturing.”

Mayor Eddie Moran said Mitsubishi’s decision to expand in Reading demonstrates confidence in the city’s future.

“When a company decides to grow here instead of leaving, it is a big deal,” Moran said. “For a company that has been here for a number of years and could have chosen to relocate anywhere, but yet decided to stay right here in the city of Reading — not only stay but grow — that shows that our city is moving forward.”

Moran said the expansion will provide family-sustaining employment opportunities and builds on other recent investments in the city.

“Mitsubishi Chemical Group has been a part of Reading for many years, and we’re proud that you continue to choose the city of Reading for your growth,” he said.

State Sen. Judy Schwank said the project continues Berks County’s long manufacturing tradition while expanding opportunities in emerging industries.

“This is advanced manufacturing,” Schwank said. “It helped add to the image and the reputation of Berks County as a place where manufacturing happens. That has always been our history, and it still remains our strength.”

State Rep. Jacklyn Rusnock said the announcement had personal meaning because her father, a chemical engineer, worked for Polymer Corporation, a predecessor of the current operation.

“To see that Mitsubishi Chemical has come in and is expanding what was started means more to me than what I can really put into words,” she said.

Rusnock said investments like Mitsubishi’s will help shape the future of Reading and Berks.

“What we are building and what we are creating here is not just for us,” she said. “It is for our children and our grandchildren.”

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