Proto Labs says it will invest more than $25 million and add 170 jobs at its facility in Cary over the next five years.

The high-tech firm receives $150,000 in a state grant along with a local match.

The new jobs will pay on average some $44,000.

Proto, which launched in 1999, currently has 106 employees in Wake County.

Gov. Pat McCrory announced the expansion as well as the $150,000 One North Carolina Fund grant. Such incentives require a local match.

“Proto Labs is one of those 21st century companies that is helping North Carolina stay on the cutting edge of technology and innovation,” McCrory said in a statement. “By more than doubling its workforce, the company is demonstrating that nothing compares to North Carolina when it comes to being a great place for innovative ideas.”

Proto Labs is based in Minnesota. It is a provider of custom parts for prototyping and short-run production, offering to ship:

  • 1 to 50+ parts
  • Shipped in 1 to 7 days
  • Parts start at $95

The Cary facility offers 3D printing, or additive manufacturing.

“Since the launch of 3D printing at Proto Labs, we’ve increased our capabilities here in the U.S. and we’ve also introduced our additive manufacturing services in Europe,” explained Rob Connelly, Proto Labs’ vice president of Additive Manufacturing. “Our state-of-the-art facility in North Carolina will be a critical driver in advancing 3D printing in the U.S. and globally for many years to come.”

The new jobs will pay a collective $7.5 million after the additional positions have been created, according to the Department of Commerce. That figures out to around $44,000 per position.