Friday, February 18, 2005
Intel Corp. could add 500 more high-paying monsterjobs
Intel Corp. could add 500 more high-paying monsterjobs
Betty BeardThe Arizona RepublicFeb. 18, 2005 12:00 AM
Brace yourself, Chandler, for possibly an additional 500 Intel jobs paying an average of $66,000 a year.Intel Corp. will file a development plan today with the city, seeking permission to either upgrade an existing plant or add two fabrication plants to the two already in place at the company's Ocotillo campus at Dobson and Ocotillo roads in south Chandler.The company wants to be ready to expand quickly in case its Santa Clara, Calif.-based headquarters chooses Chandler to expand production of the newer, more powerful 300-millimeter computer chip wafers, Intel spokeswoman Jeanne Forbis said.
Manufacturing computer chips is such a competitive business the company needs to be ready to move quickly when a decision is made."It won't be years off but near term. That's why it's important to go through the public process and get approval, so . . . we're ready to roll," she said."This is great monsterjobs news," Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn said. "It's something we secretly have been wanting to occur."He said the city has been told Chandler meets Intel Corp.'s requirements for expansion."It would mean great jobs and great economic development for the city. It means that Intel is here to stay," he said. "It's not a done deal, but certainly by submitting, it means they consider us very viable."Intel is already in the process of converting one fabrication plant at the Ocotillo plant to produce 300-millimeter wafers beginning late this year. These 12-inch wafers can hold 240 percent more computer chips than the older 8-inch wafers.Intel is the largest employer in Chandler, with about 3,700 employees at the Ocotillo plant and 5,800 at another plant in west Chandler. If another fabrication plant is added, Intel would hire about 500 more, Forbis said.With their high average incomes, employees of Intel and other high-tech companies are especially coveted as customers by local businesses. Several said they would welcome more workers at the Ocotillo plant."They are regular customers," said Mike Ronan, manager of Keegan's Grill & Taproom at Alma School and Queen Creek roads. "We get a lot of monsterjobs for happy hour. We welcome any new business."Kate Secor, manager of Patsy Grimaldi's Pizzeria, in the same shopping center, also sees a lot of customers from Intel, Motorola Inc. and other nearby high-tech companies. "We look forward to new customers," she said.The company also is asking for permission to build two more fabrication plants in the future along the western side and two additional manufacturing support buildings sometime in the future if the company decides to invest more in the state.Intel plans to meet with city development project administrators in March, neighborhood groups in April and the planning and zoning commission and City Council in May.Forbis does not expect any neighborhood opposition because the expansion would be on vacant land northwest of the existing plants, even monsterjobs farther from the closest homes in the Ocotillo area east of the plant.Jim Phipps, spokesman for the planning department, said the existing plants are well-buffered from monsterjobs homes by "several football-monsterjobs-stadium-size parking lots."
Betty BeardThe Arizona RepublicFeb. 18, 2005 12:00 AM
Brace yourself, Chandler, for possibly an additional 500 Intel jobs paying an average of $66,000 a year.Intel Corp. will file a development plan today with the city, seeking permission to either upgrade an existing plant or add two fabrication plants to the two already in place at the company's Ocotillo campus at Dobson and Ocotillo roads in south Chandler.The company wants to be ready to expand quickly in case its Santa Clara, Calif.-based headquarters chooses Chandler to expand production of the newer, more powerful 300-millimeter computer chip wafers, Intel spokeswoman Jeanne Forbis said.
Manufacturing computer chips is such a competitive business the company needs to be ready to move quickly when a decision is made."It won't be years off but near term. That's why it's important to go through the public process and get approval, so . . . we're ready to roll," she said."This is great monsterjobs news," Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn said. "It's something we secretly have been wanting to occur."He said the city has been told Chandler meets Intel Corp.'s requirements for expansion."It would mean great jobs and great economic development for the city. It means that Intel is here to stay," he said. "It's not a done deal, but certainly by submitting, it means they consider us very viable."Intel is already in the process of converting one fabrication plant at the Ocotillo plant to produce 300-millimeter wafers beginning late this year. These 12-inch wafers can hold 240 percent more computer chips than the older 8-inch wafers.Intel is the largest employer in Chandler, with about 3,700 employees at the Ocotillo plant and 5,800 at another plant in west Chandler. If another fabrication plant is added, Intel would hire about 500 more, Forbis said.With their high average incomes, employees of Intel and other high-tech companies are especially coveted as customers by local businesses. Several said they would welcome more workers at the Ocotillo plant."They are regular customers," said Mike Ronan, manager of Keegan's Grill & Taproom at Alma School and Queen Creek roads. "We get a lot of monsterjobs for happy hour. We welcome any new business."Kate Secor, manager of Patsy Grimaldi's Pizzeria, in the same shopping center, also sees a lot of customers from Intel, Motorola Inc. and other nearby high-tech companies. "We look forward to new customers," she said.The company also is asking for permission to build two more fabrication plants in the future along the western side and two additional manufacturing support buildings sometime in the future if the company decides to invest more in the state.Intel plans to meet with city development project administrators in March, neighborhood groups in April and the planning and zoning commission and City Council in May.Forbis does not expect any neighborhood opposition because the expansion would be on vacant land northwest of the existing plants, even monsterjobs farther from the closest homes in the Ocotillo area east of the plant.Jim Phipps, spokesman for the planning department, said the existing plants are well-buffered from monsterjobs homes by "several football-monsterjobs-stadium-size parking lots."
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