Governor Hochul and Senate Majority Leader Schumer Announce Menlo Microsystems Will Invest $50+ Million to Retrofit a Microelectronics Manufacturing Fab in Tompkins County, Bringing 100+ New Good-paying Jobs to Upstate New York
July 11, 2023
Schumer Personally Called Menlo Micro CEO Last Year to Urge Them to Invest in Upstate NY; Now Company Has Heeded His Call and Chosen a Facility in Lansing, NY, With Albany NanoTech Complex Serving as Home of Company's Global R&D Hub to Boost New Domestic Manufacturing
Menlo Micro Cites Schumer's Chips & Science Act, Governor's Excelsior Jobs Tax Credits as the Lightning Rod to Bringing Semiconductor Jobs Back to U.S., New First-Of-Its-Kind Microchip Switch Manufacturing Facility To Region
Menlo Micro's Ideal Fab Builds on State and Federal Efforts to Grow Chip Manufacturing Ecosystem in New York State, Follows Historic Partnerships to Bring Micron, Edwards Vacuum to New York
Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer today announced that following their long advocacy to make New York a global microelectronics manufacturing hub and Schumer's personal call to Menlo Micro CEO Russ Garcia last year, the company has heeded their calls and will invest over $50 million to build their first domestic microelectronics fabrication facility in Tompkins County, creating over 100 new good-paying jobs.
"With this agreement to bring Menlo Microsystems to Tompkins County, we are once again declaring New York State as Chips Country," Governor Hochul said. "Menlo Micro's groundbreaking chip technology powers the tools and electronics that New Yorkers rely on every day, and thanks to a remarkable partnership between local, state, and federal officials, their New York production facility will create more than 100 high-tech jobs and unlock millions of dollars in investment to support the entire region. I am excited to welcome Menlo to New York's chip-making ecosystem as we continue our work to attract the innovative, 21st century businesses that will provide good-paying jobs, grow our advanced manufacturing sector, and move our economy forward."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, "With my CHIPS & Science Act as the lighting rod, Menlo Micro will invest $50+ million to build their first domestic manufacturing facility for their cutting-edge technology right here in Tompkins County! Last year, I personally called Menlo Micro's CEO to tell him that Upstate New York is the next frontier for microelectronic and semiconductor manufacturing, and I'm thrilled they are now bringing 100 new good-paying jobs to Tompkins County. I applaud Menlo Micro for this major investment that will help drive Tompkins County and America's economic future in tech manufacturing, and thank Governor Hochul for her partnership to help transform Upstate NY into a global center for innovation, high tech and advanced manufacturing jobs. The greater Ithaca area is unquestionably leading the charge in research and development and building the future of technology, and Menlo Micro will help further supercharge the region's leadership, while helping secure America's critical microelectronics supply chains that power everything from 5G communications to the power grid to aerospace engineering with their switch technology made right here in Tompkins County. From Micron's historic investment in Central NY, to Wolfspeed's new fab in the Mohawk Valley, Edwards Vacuum soon beginning production in Western NY, GlobalFoundries planned expansion in the Capital Region, Onsemi investing in the Hudson Valley, and now Menlo Micro supercharging our microelectronics supply chain in the Southern Tier, we are bringing manufacturing back to America, back to Upstate New York!"
CEO of Menlo Micro Russ Garcia said, "Today's announcement represents the first step toward significantly increasing the domestic production capacity of our Ideal Switch to help secure critical infrastructure and further strengthen America's technology stronghold. We want to thank Senate Majority Leader Schumer for his leadership on the CHIPS and Science Act, which is directly supportive of and aligned with our plan to onshore our manufacturing capabilities. We look forward to continuing to work with Sen. Schumer, Gov. Hochul, Sen. Gillibrand, Rep. Molinaro and the entire New York delegation as we begin ushering in the next generation of electrification, delivering unprecedented cost and energy savings to essential U.S. industries. We believe this fab modernization project is in 100 percent alignment with the presidential directive on bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States."
Schumer and Hochul said that the retrofitting of Menlo Micro's new Ideal fab has already begun in the Village of Lansing. Menlo Micro has pioneered next generation switch technology. These hyper-efficient switches have broad base application, including aerospace, energy, communications, critical infrastructure and more. These switches are also a vital component of the microelectronics industry, supporting the growth of the domestic semiconductor industry that is being driven by Schumer's CHIPS and Science Act.
To support the construction of Menlo Micro's new fab, Empire State Development will provide $6.5 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credits in exchange for 122 new jobs at their Ithaca facility. As with all Excelsior Jobs projects, Menlo Micro will receive the credits after demonstrating that they have met their job and investment commitments.