A host of political celebrities will speak Monday at the grand opening of AlphaMicron’s new, bigger facility in the Centennial Research Park.

Gov. Ted Strickland, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, Kent Mayor John Fender and Kent State President Lester Lefton will all attend the program. It begins at 11 a.m. at 1950 state Route 59 in Kent and is free and open to the public.

“When we were considering a move, we wanted to take our company to the next level,” said AlphaMicron CEO Bahman Taheri in a prepared statement.

The company invested $1.4 million and renovated what used to be a Kent State bus garage, according to a press release. AlphaMicron outfitted the building to produce its eyewear and mirror products, which use technology developed at the Liquid Crystal Institute.

AlphaMicron’s 35 employees formerly worked in a 12,000 square foot building on Martinel Drive. Their new location has 30,000 square feet of space.

– Ben Wolford