VulcanForms Lands Major State Backing in Massachusetts Manufacturing Push

Massachusetts is making a major bet on industrial 3D printing. As part of a new $52 million package of state tax credits to support business expansion, the Massachusetts Economic Assistance Coordinating Council awarded more than $21.2 million to metal additive manufacturing (AM) company VulcanForms. The incentives will support the company’s plans to build a manufacturing facility of up to one million square feet in Devens, Massachusetts, where it expects to create 1,063 new jobs.

It was the largest award approved in this funding round, which included 11 business expansion projects across the state. That is what makes this announcement stand out. Massachusetts is not funding another research project or pilot program. It is investing in large-scale manufacturing built around metal 3D printing.

A factory built around AM

VulcanForms already operates advanced manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts. The new Devens expansion would become another major production site, allowing the company to increase output for aerospace, defense, medical, industrial, and consumer applications. The brand has built its business around manufacturing finished metal parts at production scale. The new campus would also rank among the largest manufacturing investments centered on metal AM in the United States.

Programs like Massachusetts’ Economic Development Incentive Program are performance-based. The $52 million represents state tax credits, not direct funding. In return, the 11 companies are expected to invest more than $1.4 billion of their own money into new facilities, equipment, and expansion projects across Massachusetts while creating and retaining thousands of jobs. VulcanForms’ planned Devens campus is part of that investment. In fact, the size of the VulcanForms award tells us that state officials believe AM can deliver those returns.

“The Economic Development Incentive Program is one of the state’s most effective tools for supporting business expansion and job creation,” said Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley. “From robotics and artificial intelligence to advanced manufacturing and life sciences, these companies are making long-term commitments to grow here. That’s a strong vote of confidence in Massachusetts as a place where innovation can scale and businesses can succeed.”

Manufacturing has become a bigger priority in the U.S. in recent years. Governments have pushed for more products to be made at home and for stronger supply chains. Metal 3D printing is becoming part of that effort because it can produce complex parts quickly and closer to where they are needed. There are no guarantees that every investment will succeed. But by supporting a project expected to create more than 1,000 jobs, Massachusetts is showing confidence that industrial 3D printing can play a bigger role in U.S. manufacturing.

The announcement also comes just months after VulcanForms raised $220 million in private funding to expand its manufacturing platform. In recent weeks, it has strengthened its leadership team by appointing a new Chief Technology Officer as it prepares for its next phase of growth. In recent weeks, it has strengthened its leadership team by naming former Relativity Space executive Michael Kenworthy as its new Chief Technology Officer. Kenworthy has also held leadership roles at GE Aviation, Divergent, and Seurat Technologies, bringing experience in scaling advanced manufacturing technologies for aerospace and industrial production. The Devens project is the company’s biggest step yet. Together, those moves point to a company preparing for its next stage of expansion.