“Months of fine-tuning construction plans and five years of trying to change state tax laws paid off Monday when Intel Corp. announced that it would build a $3 billion computer-chip plant in Arizona. The chip giant’s decision brings another 1,000 high-paying jobs to the Valley and a much-needed boost to Arizona’s wavering reputation as a high-technology center,” Jane Larson reports for The Arizona Republic. “Lawmakers and the governor said they hope it will be the beginning of other announcements that high-tech companies are expanding in the state.”
“‘This is a great day for moving Arizona forward,’ Gov. Janet Napolitano said at a Monday news conference hailing the announcement. Napolitano was visiting Intel’s facility in Ireland last week when she learned of Arizona’s selection. Construction, which will start Aug. 2, will create about 3,000 jobs. By the time the plant opens in late 2007, it will add about 1,000 high-paying manufacturing jobs to Intel’s Chandler campus. The jobs for engineers, technicians and supervisors range in pay from $40,000 to $100,000 a year, said Tom Franz, vice president and general manager of fab/sort manufacturing for Intel,” Larson reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Let’s hope Chandler, AZ produces better than Fishkill, NY did for Apple.