Norwich — A high-tech manufacturer of architectural glass for high-rise towers plans to open a manufacturing plant in the largest vacant building in the business park, potentially becoming one of the city’s top electric ratepayers.

About 14 months after the closing of Freeport McMoRan Copper Products, one of its top taxpayers and Norwich Public Utilities ratepayers, city officials Thursday announced that Solar Seal Architectural has signed a 10-year lease to occupy the 200,000-square-foot main floor in the vacant former Lightolier building at 40 Wisconsin Ave.

The 50-year-old company based in South Easton, Mass., makes high-quality commercial, curtain-wall glass frequently used in large building towers, with many completed projects in the eastern United States, a news release announcing the Norwich lease said. Solar Seal Architectural has begun the hiring process and expects to have up to 100 employees at the facility once renovations are completed.

The Norwich plant is expected to open at the end of July, eventually having three shifts of operations. The Norwich facility will serve markets in the Northeast and Canada, the news release stated.

“We’re excited about it on all kinds of fronts,” Norwich Community Development Corp. President Kevin Brown said Thursday. “What an exciting opportunity. It’s taking a facility that wasn’t operating at its best use, and we’re putting in something that is the highest and best use. We’re not just stuffing something in there.”

Solar Seal Architectural will be the first company to take advantage of NPU’s new economic development rate, which provides a discounted electric rate for large commercial customers. Solar Seal’s electric rate will be discounted by approximately 13% in 2022, with the rates gradually returning to the existing commercial rate over the next four years.

NPU estimated Seal Architectural could be among the largest electric customers for the utility and potentially could replace the loss of Freeport McMoRan, NPU General Manager Chris LaRose said.

He said the company contacted NPU to inquire about its power needs. NPU now is designing the utility infrastructure and transformer for the plant.

“It’s great to work with someone like that,” LaRose said Thursday. “It was vacant and just a warehouse for so long.”

If the plant operates three shifts, that would maximize the utility use, NPU spokesman Chris Riley added.

“It really is a big win for us,” Mayor Peter Nystrom said. “We look forward to welcoming their employees to the city.”

Nystrom said city officials started discussions with Solar Seal last spring. One potential obstacle in the Lightolier building was an enclosed stairwell that jutted out into the manufacturing space, he said. City fire marshals determined the structure could be removed, since Solar Seal would not use the second floor. The space is needed for the large manufacturing equipment.

Nystrom said having the city’s own utility company and having a backup microgeneration power plant in the business park for power outages were critical to the company’s decision to place its plant in Norwich.

Solar Seal Senior Vice President Jeff Heintz was not available for comment Thursday. In a statement in the news release, Heintz praised city leaders and agencies for helping to bring the plant to Norwich.

“Our new Norwich location is a great fit for our current needs and complements our strategy for continued growth,” Heintz said in the statement. “We appreciate the time and efforts of Mayor Nystrom, the Norwich Community Development Corporation (NCDC) and Norwich Public Utilities (NPU) as our company takes this important step forward.”

c.bessette@theday.com