Gary Locke

Clark County laser manufacturer nLight said Tuesday that former Washington Gov. Gary Locke has joined the company's board.

Locke was Washington's governor for eight years beginning in 1997, and later served as President Obama's secretary of commerce and then as U.S. ambassador to China. Scott Keeney, nLight's founder and chief executive, said Locke brings valuable guidance on the company's dealings in both Washington, D.C., and China.

Founded in 2000, nLight says it had more than $100 million in sales last year. Its 400 employees are split between its headquarters and manufacturing campus north of Vancouver and an office in Hillsboro. It has raised $170 million, including $35 million last spring.

The company sells to medical equipment companies, defense industry suppliers and electronics manufacturers who use nLight's lasers in precision manufacturing for smartphones, laptops and other gadgets.

-- Mike Rogoway; twitter: @rogoway; 503-294-7699