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Beaverton‘s newly created enterprise zone is starting to payoff.

This week, the city approved its first enterprise zone application. The request came from Vernier Software & Technology, a Beaverton-based manufacturer of school-oriented scientific software, which plans to invest $2.8 million to expand its current facility at 13979 S.W. Millikan Way.

Jim McBride, IT director and facilities manager for Vernier, said the nearly 32-year-old company has been steadily growing and was running out of room at its current 30,000-square-foot office and production site. The company considered relocating to other, larger locations or separating its operations amongst several different buildings.

鈥淲e realized we could be encouraged to stay put and add onto what we have and make more room for more employees,鈥� McBride said. 鈥淲e have about 90 people and (a requirement of the enterprise zone) is to add 10 percent, and so we can easily do that and may even do more.鈥�

Approved in by the state in July of this year, Beaverton’s enterprise zone provides property tax abatements for eligible businesses on new development. Alma Flores, economic development manager for the city, said in a prepared statement that if the success of other neighboring cities’ enterprise zones is any indication, Vernier should be the first of many businesses to take advantage of Beaverton’s.

Vernier’s expansion will include the construction of 16,000-square-feet of office, classroom and exercise space. Novak Architecture Inc. is Vernier’s architect and McBride said the project would likely be going out to bid sometime in the next 45 days.