November 22, 2011 – Cree Inc.’s Ruud Lighting subsidiary, based in Racine, Wisc., held a groundbreaking ceremony last week to highlight a 208,000-sf. expansion to its manufacturing facility. The company’s $24.5 million investment will focus on manufacturing and assembly of LED lighting and is expected to create 469 new full-time jobs over the next four years, it explained.

“Cree’s recent acquisition of Ruud Lighting and its BetaLED products brought together two leading LED lighting companies under one roof,” said Chuck Swoboda, chairman and CEO of Cree. “Last month this facility shipped its 500,000th LED luminaire-further evidence of the market demand for the latest LED technology and a need to expand our facilities to maintain our leadership of the LED lighting revolution.”

The expansion will extend component and product storage capacity and house several new manufacturing lines for new and existing Cree LED lighting products. According to the company, most of the full-time jobs will be assembly positions, with other opportunities to follow growing demand for LED lighting products.

“This is exciting news for the lighting industry and Racine County,” said Christopher Ruud, president of Ruud Lighting. “Beyond Cree’s dedication to advancing LED lighting technology, it’s a long-term investment in the people of Racine County and the community’s manufacturing base.”

To help offset the company’s $24.5 million investment, Ruud Lighting will receive funding and incentives related to local job creation from sources including the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC); Racine County; Racine County Economic Development Corporation (RCEDC); and the Village of Sturtevant, totaling more than $8 million, it added.