Engineering firm coming to Stonington

Stonington - First Selectman Ed Haberek announced Thursday that a nuclear engineering firm plans to relocate in the former Hubbell building, bringing up to 200 high-paying jobs to town.

Haberek said Texas-based Zachry Nuclear plans to move from Groton to the 70,000-square-foot former manufacturing facility on Lords Hill Road.

Haberek said the company plans to spend $4 million to turn the plant into a research-and-development facility and will also look to expand the building.

Haberek said the company will initially transfer 110 employees into the renovated building when work is completed next year.

He said the median salary for the employees is $87,000 and the company would like to eventually expand the number of jobs to 200.

"I'm very excited. This is a great step forward in our effort to lure high-end industries to town," Haberek said. "It will be the biggest single influx of jobs into the town in quite a while."

Haberek said several firms had expressed interest in the building before its owner, Quiambog LLC, a division of the Shermen Group of New York City, decided to lease it to Zachry.

Haberek said the town is finalizing details of a proposed tax abatement for the $4 million of renovations the company plans. He said details of the plan will be available next week as residents will be asked to vote on the proposal at the June 30 town meeting.

Zachry officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The company, which began in 1924, employs 20,000 people around the world, according to its Web site. In addition to providing construction and engineering services for nuclear power plants, it also is involved in an array of industrial, transportation, refining and other projects.

Hubbell Inc., which manufactures and sells electrical components and data management systems, ceased manufacturing at the plant about a decade ago.

It has since used the building for administrative, research and development and engineering work with a small number of employees.

Hubbell sold the building and land to Quiambog LLC for $2,750,000 in 2008.

j.wojtas@theday.com