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Voltaix was founded more than 25 years ago, but executives of the company say it has taken on the feel of a startup in recent years.
The Branchburg firm, which develops and makes performance-enhancing chemicals for electronics, has more than doubled the size of its staff since 2007, to 143 employees. And the company has seen its sales volume swell in recent years, including a 90 percent jump in 2007.
The firm's growth has been fueled by the continued need for its specialty chemicals, which are applied to materials used by companies like Intel and Samsung, and by solar panel manufacturers, said Mark Wilkinson, executive vice president. Simply put, he said, "virtually any personal computer in the world" contains material made by Voltaix.
"That's the broad footprint of this little 143-person company and, by extension, of Somerset County and this part of New Jersey," Wilkinson said.
Voltaix was founded in 1986 by John P. de Neufville, a scientist who sought to make materials for solar technology using chemical gases, according to Michael A. Pikulin, senior vice president. At the time, the solar industry was in its infancy.
"He thought that solar would catch on much faster than it actually did. So the company kind of bided its time for a good 15 or almost 20 years," Pikulin said. "When solar took off in the late 1990s and early 2000s, that's when the company was well positioned to take advantage."
But the company during that time was developing its products and a reputation among microelectronics and solar manufacturers, Wilkinson said. That laid the groundwork for its rapid growth during the past seven years and its success in niche markets that are continuing to grow.
Voltaix develops liquids and gases from elements such as germanium and silicon, which are then packaged in cylinders resembling a helium tank, Wilkinson said. The materials are then distributed to manufacturers, who apply the chemicals to the tiny parts used in solar panels and microchips across the world.
The company has grown during the recession because its chemicals are used "in the newest generation of devices," including computers and smartphones, Pikulin said. And though it rarely sells directly to end users like Intel, Voltaix often communicates with the companies to identify new materials that it can develop.
"We have very good relationships," Wilkinson said. "They talk to us a lot, they want us to help them solve their problems and talk about what the next generation needs."
The company's success in recent years has caused it to expand from one building to more than four at a Branchburg industrial park and add office space on Route 22. Voltaix, which also operates in Florida, is now adding sites in Pennsylvania and South Korea.
"This is very much like a startup company, because of its high growth rate," Wilkinson said, who noted that rapid growth comes with "a lot of challenges and a lot of excitement."
The firm's employees work across functions such as research and development, engineering and manufacturing, Wilkinson said. About a quarter of the work force comes from the military — which is by design, because "they're disciplined, they learn quickly and they understand safety" in an environment that contains hazardous materials.
And Wilkinson said the company's presence in Somerset County has been key, as it will be as Voltaix continues to grow.
"The capabilities are really fantastic here," he said. "We can get the highest-quality engineers, accountants, lawyers and roofers. We can get everything we need quickly … and attract high-quality talent."
E-mail to: jburd@njbiz.com
On Twitter: @JoshBurdNJ
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