GATR Technologies is planning to grow its workforce over the next two years as it expands its facility in Huntsville's Cummings Research Park.

The company, which was acquired last year by San Diego-based Cubic Corporation for $232.5 million, broke ground last week on a 63,000-square-foot addition at 7000 Quest Circle, where GATR has a 35,000-square-foot facility.

GATR and Cubic broke ground last week on an expansion project in Huntsville. (Courtesy)

Cubic spokeswoman Laura Chon said the expansion reflects a $7.5 million investment in the site, which the company will be leasing from Triad Properties.

"GATR already has a building in CRP, and we will be adding on to the back of our current building," she said. "GATR will be doubling our employee base over the next two years or so. In addition to the employee growth needs for the expansion, we are moving our production/manufacturing operations so we will be housed in one facility in Huntsville.

GATR, a business division of Cubic Mission Solutions with 125 employees, is currently operating out of multiple locations throughout Huntsville. The larger facility will bring the company's production, operations, engineering, business development and administrative teams under one roof.

The manufacturer of next-generation deployable satellite communication terminal solutions was founded in 2004. GATR landed last year at No. 1294 on the Inc. 5000 list, boasting $65.3 million in 2015 operating revenue and a 299 percent three-year percentage growth.

CRP Director Erin Koshut said GATR's expansion comes at an exciting time for the park, which is in the process of transforming itself via the new CRP master plan.

"Certainly continued growth of high-tech companies locating to and expanding in the park are ultimate outcomes of the master plan," she said. "The type of engineering and products made by GATR fall right in-line with our innovation opportunity areas identified in the master plan."

The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber and City of Huntsville began working on a new blueprint for CRP in 2015. The 50-year plan was finalized last November.

Koshut said they are working through zoning ordinances with the city and CRP board to ensure changes to existing ordinances are done carefully and thoughtfully to meet the needs of the community and area businesses.

"We are also at the beginning stages of planning around several other projects outlined in the master plan's five-year project plan," she said.

Click here to see the CRP master plan and design guidelines.

Angela Smith, incentives manager at the Alabama Department of Commerce, said GATR is receiving a 3-percent annual jobs credit with an estimated value of $2.16 million over a 10-year period, as well as a 1.5 percent annual investment credit with an estimated value of $555,700 over 10 years.

Mike Twyman, president of Cubic Mission Solutions, said GATR is on track for continued growth in the U.S. and internationally.

"We anticipate the facility expansion to support the growth of our engineering and manufacturing team as well as the increasing demand from our U.S. and international customers for our products," he said in a statement.