Intel Plans $7 Billion Investment In Arizona Factory

By Jimmy Jenkins
Published: Wednesday, February 8, 2017 - 12:24pm
Updated: Wednesday, February 8, 2017 - 6:27pm
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Tech company Intel is investing $7 billion in Chandler. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich announced the plans Wednesday from the White House saying the factory will employ about 3,000 people directly and create 7,000 more supporting jobs.

The company has gone back and forth developing the new factory located on a square-mile site in south Chandler. In 2014, Intel said it would not be using the space and two years later, laid off 500 workers locally. The plant has been mothballed ever since.

Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny says he sees the move by Intel as a validation of its already strong presence in the East Valley.

"There’s about 10,000 permanent employees in Chandler on both campuses, so this is going to be a 30 percent increase based on that,” Tibshraeny said. The mayor says he’s still in talks with Intel about additional infrastructure that needs to be developed to facilitate the plant expansion.

Arizona State University is the largest supplier of college graduates to Intel. ASU President Michael Crow says they’ll be working with the company to prepare students to take advantage of the new jobs.

"We’re a part of the entire technology and labor supply chain so that Intel in Arizona can be the place where this kind of thing can occur — this new kind of manufacturing investment,” Crow said.

The jobs at the Chandler plant will include process engineers, equipment technicians and facilities support engineers. Intel thinks the factory should be online in three to four years.

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