MARYLAND

British Fiber Optics Co. Picks Maryland

Bookham Technology, a British fiber-optics company, has picked Columbia, Md., for its new North American headquarters. The company will take space at the former Honeywell tech facility. Officials with Bookham had considered basing its North American operations in Canada, but chose Howard County, Md., over several other East Coast locations. The company manufactures optical components for Internet and telecom traffic. The company is expected to bring 300 to 400 jobs to Maryland, however, officials say that could grow to over 1,000.