More than 100 people were at the April 7 grand opening of defense contractor Curtiss-Wright facility in Bethlehem.

More specifically, it is Curtiss-Wright's Engineered Pump Division, which supplies the United States Navy with high tech pumps for both submarines and surface craft. This division, which will employ about 95 people, is no simple warehouse. The people who work in the 145,000 square-foot warehouse and factory, and the 35,000 square-foot office, are actually involved in the manufacture and testing of highly advanced pumps. "We've invested heavily in the Lehigh Valley," said General Manager Todd Schurra, whose company has sunk $25 million into its new facility. He hopes to attract and retain a local workforce.

Kerry A. Wrobel, president of the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, said the employees who work at Curtiss-Wright can expect to see $500-750 million in new business development over the next few years.

Another location, closer to the train tracks, had to be scrapped. Vibrations from moving trains could affect testing. Lehigh Valley Industrial Park and J.G. Petrucci were able to find a more suitable site atop a knoll not far from Saucon Park. But there was no access. Installing a road and utilities, and in less than a year, was the challenge. They succeeded, thanks in large part to Bethlehem city officials.

Petrucci, whose company works with about 50 different municipalities, had high praise for Bethlehem. "The City of Bethlehem is the gold standard of municipalities," he said as Mayor Bob Donchez blushed. He called Bethlehem's staff "phenomenal."

He's proud of this project for three reasons: First, it is a factory, putting people to work with sophisticated and high-paying jobs. Second, it is an adaptive re-use of an old factory site. Finally, it is on the "front lines of our country's security."

Those security concerns prevented photography of much of what goes on inside the facility, which was partially blocked from public view. Cell phones were prohibited, too. General Manager Todd Schurra assured this reporter that there are no flying saucers stashed away. He did say the Curtiss-Wright company has a history going back three centuries, at least if its predecessor companies count. It built the first naval pump used by Commodore Perry's fleet. It also built the pumps used on the USS Monitor during the Civil War.

That vessel sank, prompting Petrucci to joke with Schurra to come up with a better example.