World's Premier Semiconductor Equipment Maker Invests $6 Million, Will Create 120 New Jobs
Henrico County - Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore today announced the decision by Applied Materials, Inc., a Fortune 500 global growth company, to locate a $6 million facility in Greater Richmond to serve Motorola and White Oak Semiconductor, the $1.5 billion joint venture between Motorola and Siemens. The decision will create 120 new jobs for Virginians over the next year with employment projected to increase after Motorola constructs its $3 billion manufacturing plant in Goochland County.
The Henrico County facility will be Applied Materials' second Virginia site. Last year, a 23-person operation opened in Manassas, to support Dominion Semiconductor, the $1.7 billion joint venture between IBM and Toshiba.
"I am pleased to officially welcome the world's leading semiconductor equipment manufacturer to Virginia," Governor Gilmore said at today's grand opening ceremony. "Applied Materials' presence in the Commonwealth will help fuel our future in the semiconductor industry as we remain the East Coast leader in attracting and supporting high-technology fabrication plants."
Founded in 1967, Applied Materials is the largest producer of wafer fabrication systems and services for the global semiconductor industry. The company manufactures a wide range of core technology products used in the production of semiconductor chips. An Applied Materials product, the first-built Precision 5000 system, was inducted into the Smithsonian Institution's permanent collection in 1993 because of the essential role it played in furthering the Information Age. In addition to corporate facilities in Santa Clara, California, Applied Materials maintains research, development and manufacturing centers in the United States, Israel, Europe and Japan, as well as technology centers in South Korea and Taiwan. The company employs more than 15,000 people worldwide.
"Applied Materials views White Oak Semiconductor, Motorola and Siemens as key strategic partners for leading-edge device manufacturing," said Steven A. Lindsay, president of Applied Materials North America. "We are looking forward to working with them in providing their Richmond facilities with a broad range of critical processing tools and services that can contribute to their success."
Governor Gilmore presented a Virginia flag and a historic share of stock in the "Virginia Company" to Lindsay as a token of the Commonwealth's appreciation.
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