DeWITT — Construction is underway on an expanded, $17 million plant for Cryomech at 6682 Moore Road in the town of DeWitt.

The firm is a manufacturer of cryogenic equipment.

“The products we make allow researchers to conduct experiments at ultra-low temperatures … temperatures down very close to absolute zero and we make the cryocooler that enables that research,” Kelly Wypych, president and CEO of Cryomech, told reporters after the company’s Oct. 3 groundbreaking ceremony.

The company currently operates in a nearby location at 113 Falso Drive in DeWitt. Onondaga County first announced the company’s expansion plans in mid-May.

The new 76,000-square-foot building will house the company’s new manufacturing plant and office space. Cryomech hopes to begin operations in the new building “before the end of next year,” Wypych also told reporters.

VIP Structures of Syracuse has started construction on the new building, which will sit on a 14-acre site.

Empire State Development (ESD) is assisting the expansion with a $600,000 capital grant, and up to $600,000 through the Excelsior Jobs program in exchange for job-creation commitments. The total project cost has been pegged at close to $17 million.

“Today stands for more than simply putting shovels into ground. Today represents our commitment to our customers in over 50 countries in all seven continents, most of whom are pioneering groundbreakers in ultra-low temperature technology and research,” Wypych said in her remarks during the groundbreaking event. “Today represents our commitment to this region, which has always been our home and is the ground that we want to stand on. It represents our commitment to growing local jobs and to maintaining our position as a groundbreaking provider of cryogenic technology.”

Cryomech is currently hiring new staff, and as part of its move, says it would add about 19 new jobs, per an ESD news release. The employee-owned company employs about 130 people now, including office staff, engineers, researchers, skilled manufacturing workers, and others.

Founded in 1963, Cryomech develops and manufactures high-performance cryogenic equipment, including cryocoolers and laboratory-scale helium management systems. The company develops products that cater to the specific needs of researchers and industries in a wide array of fields, including medical, agricultural, energy and aerospace. Half of its sales are for highly custom-designed products, ESD said.