A U.S. company’s York outpost is set to double its workforce to 80 in the next three to five years.

That is the prediction of Tim Stultz, president and chief executive of Nanometrics Inc, a firm which has expanded by 40 per cent per quarter over the past 18 months in the wake of the “smart phone” revolution.

Nanometrics manufactures equipment used to make microchips, solar cells, disc drives and LED light systems which means that the boom in smart gismos is its good fortune.

And the role played by its research and development arm at York Business Park, at Nether Poppleton, in developing precise optical systems for the process is crucial to the continuing success of the NASDAQ quoted company whose turnover stands at 200 million dollars and counting. It is a happy outcome for Nanometrics’ decision to buy the York-based semiconductor measurements operation when it was a division of Accent Optical Technologies UK Ltd in 2006.

And so too was the new U.S. owner’s decision to move its premises from Haxby Road to York Business Park two years later.

The fact was celebrated when Mr Stultz and Nanometrics chairman Bruce Rhine brought members of their board to York from Milpitas in California’s Silicon Valley to see the work of their research and development arm and to meet the Lord Mayor, Coun Sue Galloway, at a reception in the Mansion House.

Also there to greet them was Denise Stuart, business development manager of York Enterprise, Coun Andrew Waller, leader of City of York Council, Bill Woolley, deputy chief executive and director of city strategy, and Peter Kay, chairman of the York Economic Partnership.

In a presentation to the Nanometric directors before they toured York Minster and enjoyed a Mayoral lunch, Mrs Stuart told them what they already knew – that York is a great place to do business.

By way of gratitude, the Nanometrics board members made a donation to the Lord Mayor’s two charities; Our Celebration and the British Heart Foundation.