NEW ALBANY, Ohio (WCMH) – Intel has thunderously announced its coming computer chip-making factories in Ohio, complete with fanfare from Ohio State University and a thumbs-up on-site from President Joe Biden. And, the plant’s boss says there is more to come.
Intel’s groundbreaking ceremony on Friday for its $20 billion semiconductor fabrication plant in New Albany rolled out the blue carpet for guests. A massive tent flanked by U.S. Secret Service agents and Intel representatives awaited attendees brought in by shuttle starting at 7:30 a.m. As they made their way through the interior, a gallery gave them a virtual tour of one of the company’s existing semiconductor fabrication plants before showing off the computer chip products it made.
The path through the tent eventually led out to the main event, which started with a performance from the Ohio State University marching band. Ohio politicians — including Gov. Mike DeWine — took turns at the podium with Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and other executives in sharing their excitement about the two new fabs coming into the company’s fold, all while construction vehicles churned away in the background.
Midway through the morning’s speakers, it was time to put words into action. Accompanied by Gelsinger, DeWine and numerous other executives and politicians, Intel Ohio General Manager Jim Evers put a shovel in the New Albany dirt, officially breaking ground at the company’s newest semiconductor fabrication plant. While the company confirmed to NBC4 that construction crews had already begun work at the site at the beginning of July, the groundbreaking was symbolic. Gelsinger thought it told the world that Intel had all the pieces in place to put a Midwest stereotype to rest.
“The Rust Belt, it is dead,” Gelsinger said. “The Silicon Heartland begins.”
Biden, who arrived in Ohio the same morning via Air Force One, took the stage immediately after the company’s CEO. He responded directly to the CEO’s previous comment, saying the Ohio plant had national implications, and that “Made in America” was no longer just a slogan.
“America invented the semiconductor, as you know, but today, 90% of them are made overseas,” Biden said. “Pat, all of you, that stops today.”
Below: Biden’s full remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony.
The new plant’s boss was equally ambitious in his talking points in front of a crowd of hundreds. He also shared an invitation to Ohioans.
“Sign on with Intel and come fill this field of dreams,” Evers said.
The general manager told NBC4 he was in the process of moving to Ohio from Arizona, where Intel has another semiconductor fabrication plant. Alongside inviting Ohioans to join him at his new plant, Evers said he also invited new neighbors to join him in the state.
“I kind of gave the suppliers the encouragement, ‘Hey, the CHIPS Act is done, we’re going to get going. It’s time that you guys get going as well and come to Ohio,’ so since then I think I’ve heard that a lot of people have progressed their plans as well to move forward,” Evers said.
The new plant’s general manager stopped short of sharing any business names that could be following Intel on its Ohio venture. However, in 2016 the company did share 27 companies that it called “preferred quality suppliers,” for its other American plants.
This list from Intel demonstrates the potential companies and types of industries that could be coming:
- Amkor Technology Inc.: semiconductor advanced packaging design, assembly and test services
- ASM International: front-end equipment supplier for atomic layer deposit, plasma-enhanced ALD, metal gate and diffusion
- Daewon Semiconductor Packaging Industrial Co. Ltd.: plastic injection molded tray media for bare die automation, substrate transport, device assembly and test, final shipping and storage, bare die tape and reel media for bare die transport
- Daifuku: automated material handling systems
- DISCO Corporation: precision cutting, grinding and polishing machines
- EBARA Corporation: chemical mechanical polishers, plating systems, and dry vacuum pumps and abatement systems
- Edwards Vacuum LLC: vacuum system products and abatement solutions
- Fujimi Corporation: chemical mechanical planarization and silicon polishing slurries
- Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation: dry etching, ashing, metrology and advanced packaging systems
- Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.: batch processing and single wafer processing systems
- JLL: facilities management
- KLA-Tencor Corporation: process control and yield management solutions
- Lam Research Corporation: fab capital equipment
- Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company Inc.: high-purity peroxide and custom back-end cleans
- ModusLink Global Solutions Inc.: channel box CPU for Penang, Shanghai and Miami, and finished goods warehouse distribution for Miami
- Murata Machinery Ltd.: automated material handling systems, hoist vehicles and stockers
- The PEER Group Inc.: automation software and services
- SCREEN Semiconductor Solutions Co. Ltd.: wafer cleaning and anneal equipment and services for semiconductor manufacturing
- Shin Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd: silicon wafers, advanced photoresists, photomask blanks, and thermal conductive materials.
- Shinko Electric Industries Co. Ltd.: plastic laminated packages and heat spreaders
- Siltronic AG: polished and epitaxial silicon wafers
- Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co. Ltd: high-purity photoresists, developers, cleaning solutions and supporting chemistries
- Tosoh SMD, Inc.: sputtering targets
- Tosoh Quartz Inc.: quartzware for semiconductor wafer processing equipment
- VWR: products, services and solutions to laboratory and production facilities
- Veolia North America: waste management services
- Nanium: outsourced semiconductor packaging, assembly and test provider