Image courtesy of New Balance

Officials at Boston-based sneaker giant New Balance and top New Hampshire political leaders gathered just before Thanksgiving to mark the ceremonial start of construction at the company’s latest factory.

New Balance is building a 102,000-square-foot factory for 150 workers on Pettengill Road, next to Manchester Boston Regional Airport.

Design, engineering and construction is being managed on the $70 million project by Consigli Construction.

“The Granite State is known for its strong economy and skilled workforce, and we look forward to New Balance Londonderry being an integral part of our growing domestic factory base,” New Balance President & CEO Joe Preston said in a statement. “This new factory will help us meet our significant U.S. and global consumer demand and drive future business opportunities that showcase our longstanding pride in American craftsmanship and innovation.”

New Balance currently employs more than 1,500 manufacturing associates across its three Maine factories in Norridgewock, Norway and Skowhegan and its two Massachusetts factories in Lawrence and Methuen, making the Londonderry factory the company’s sixth.

In statements provided by New Balance, officials from Londonderry Town Manager Mike Malaguti to Gov. Chris Sununu praised the project.

Sununu declared he was “thrilled” by the project and that “The Granite State is open for business!”

U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan proclaimed that the project “will…strengthen New Hampshire’s reputation as a first-rate business destination” and “represent an exciting opportunity for Londonderry and our entire state,” respectively.

Congressman Chris Pappas praised the project as “the next chapter” in New Balance’s “long and proud history” of making products locally.

And Malaguti exclaimed his appreciation for the jobs, plus millions in dollars of tax revenue, the factory will bring to his town, which he called “one of the state’s economic engines.”