Topeka, KS– Governor Laura Kelly today announced that Radiation Detection Technologies, Inc. (RDT), a semiconductor device manufacturer, is expanding its operations around Manhattan. The company will create 30 new jobs over the next five years with a $4 million investment to construct a new facility and purchase new semiconductor processing equipment.
“Radiation Detection Technologies’ investment shows that Kansas businesses are not just keeping up with technological trends – they’re setting them,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “It’s clear that my administration’s laser-sharp focus on economic development is paying dividends and is ensuring our state’s economy remains modern and innovative in a rapidly changing world.”
RDT was founded in 2011 by the Kansas State University Semiconductor Materials and Radiological Technologies (SMART) Lab in Manhattan. RDT focuses on manufacturing state-of-the-art, high-quality semiconductor devices, semiconductor materials, radiation detectors, and electronic circuit technologies for use in multiple industries, including healthcare, defense, energy, and agriculture.
“With the support from the greater Manhattan area and the State of Kansas, we are happy and proud to be expanding semiconductor manufacturing in the state,” said RDT CEO Dr. Steven Bellinger. “This industry is growing around the world, and being able to conduct innovative R&D for the DoD, DOE, NIH, and NASA is exciting. We are confident that with the great veterans, university graduates, and the hard-working, results-driven workforce in Kansas, we have the talent pool we need to grow in the state.”
RDT’s expansion is part of a growing manufacturing industry across the state. A pillar of the Kelly Administration’s strategic plan for economic development, the Kansas Framework for Growth, is advanced manufacturing.
“Kansas is on the cutting edge of research across a wide range of industries, and this fuels the new businesses and jobs of the future,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Our state’s innovation ecosystem and strong talent pipelines will continue to spark new business investment and create new jobs for Kansans.”
RDT has recently experienced significant growth in semiconductor device sales and anticipates continued growth in the near future. To meet the increase in demand for new and better semiconductors, RDT is investing in better production capabilities, more square footage, more employees, and additional equipment to manufacture semiconductor devices ranging from radiation detection to electric vehicle semiconductor power chips.
“The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce is very excited to support the expansion of Radiation Detection Technologies,” said Jason Smith, President and CEO of the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce. “We appreciate the investment this innovative entrepreneurial company, which started at Kansas State University, is making in our region. RDT has gone from one employee to 22 and has supported Manhattan, K-State, and the state of Kansas since its founding in 2011. We look forward to partnering with RDT to expand semiconductor production capacity in the Greater Manhattan area. This growth will add a desired skillset and result in creating quality jobs, continued collaboration with Kansas State University, and enhanced economic prosperity for our region.”
RDT will continue to utilize a state-of-the-art dry room, which RDT donated to K-State to manufacture radiation detectors for a new type of soil-moisture monitoring technology with applications in agriculture and weather prediction.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation, I wish to congratulate Radiation Detection Technologies for their expansion and investment in our county as well as the creation of new jobs in the greater Manhattan area,” said Jack Allston, Executive Director of the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation. “We also express our gratitude to Steve Bellinger, his team, and his family, who have a long history of development and commitment in western Pottawatomie County.”
RDT is dedicated to working with private- and public-sector customers and plans to participate in the new CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 to strengthen and grow Kansas’ semiconductor R&D and manufacturing industry.
