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Intel's $20B Ohio factory could become world's largest chip plant

reuters.com

281–290 of 647 posts

Re: Intel's $20B Ohio factory could become world's largest chip plant

#281
Is it true that once such a plant is built, the number of skilled workers to keep it running is actually relatively low?

I.e. some operational "dev-ops" style engineers who can fix and troubleshoot highly automated lines, keep the thing running. People to supervise the systems, some workers to handle raw materials, etc. and then the packaging on the output side. But in general, quite sparse for a million square foot property, compared to other industries occupying a building of that size?

I wonder partly because the favorable tax / labor jurisdictions aren't exactly where you tend to find extremely skilled silicon engineers. But an operational plant is maybe not where those folks are needed.

Re: Intel's $20B Ohio factory could become world's largest chip plant

#282
post #95
post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn’t very charitable. When companies publish this sort of thing they’re generally committed (however tentatively) to within some reasonable percentage of the amount. Provided of course it makes financial sense after further diligence and the like.

Foxconn once said it would spend $10B building a factory in Wisconsin. Now the claim is $672M -- over next six years: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn_in_Wisconsin We'll believe it when it happens.

Anyone who believes anything said by a company from that region with respect to investments in the western world was always in for a surprise. It’s best to assume they think we’re all fat, dumb, lazy, and easily duped, and assume they’ll act accordingly.

Re: Intel's $20B Ohio factory could become world's largest chip plant

#283
post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Low geopolitical risk is probably one of the best factors.

Fun fact, Ohio was supposedly high on the Soviet nuke target list, because of Wright Patterson AFB, which houses the Air Force Research Lab (and aliens). I have an old Soviet invasion map of central Ohio, marking all potential airfields etc.

"old Soviet invasion map"

Soviets had a concrete plan to invade Ohio? Wow. How were the troops supposed to cross the ocean?

Re: Intel's $20B Ohio factory could become world's largest chip plant

#284
post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Low geopolitical risk is probably one of the best factors.

Fun fact, Ohio was supposedly high on the Soviet nuke target list, because of Wright Patterson AFB, which houses the Air Force Research Lab (and aliens). I have an old Soviet invasion map of central Ohio, marking all potential airfields etc.

Do you have a link to this map?

Re: Intel's $20B Ohio factory could become world's largest chip plant

#285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With a potential $100b investment, it's not about what they have now, it's about what will be in 20 years. Ohio is a great place for this kind of corporate gentrification. As a CMU grad, I know there was a collective desire to get students to stick around, but there was better lifestyle, more money, etc.. leaving after school and a fairly large number of us weren't from the area to begin with. Something like this can…

Do chip plants employ many engineers? Seems like they would mainly need IT and facilities staff.

From what I understand, a chip plant's workers have PhDs because when problems arise on the line, they require a lot of knowledge to fix.

Re: Intel's $20B Ohio factory could become world's largest chip plant

#286
post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Low geopolitical risk is probably one of the best factors.

Fun fact, Ohio was supposedly high on the Soviet nuke target list, because of Wright Patterson AFB, which houses the Air Force Research Lab (and aliens). I have an old Soviet invasion map of central Ohio, marking all potential airfields etc.

The small town I grew up in also had a specific Soviet doomsday theory. Which in hindsight, doesn’t feel very plausible.

In the wake of the George Floyd protests family talked about their concern that out of state “Antifa looters” were spotted driving down the interstate headed right for them.

I don’t mean to call you a liar, Im sure there indeed are some obscure targets, and your home might be one.

I do think it’s a fascinating phenomenon- this idea of small town obsession with their own destruction.

A quote from Terrence Malick’s BadLands goes something like:

> and if the reds ever do drop the bomb, well I hope they drop it right here in Rapid City (South Dakota).

Re: Intel's $20B Ohio factory could become world's largest chip plant

#288
post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, I live in Columbus Ohio and I’m friends with two of the top people in our economic development department the broker this deal. I can’t speak well to why not Cleveland but I can say that the actual city that they chose (New Albany, OH, 25 min to downtown and 15-20 to the airport) was built by Les Wexner, founder of L brands/Victoria’s Secret, is now home to data centers for Facebook, Google, and an AWS data cente…

>Les Wexner Didn't Epstein have some sort of exclusive investor relationship with Wexner? I seem to recall that was where he got his start.

I don’t know the exact details but I have heard that Epstein is a big reason that Les is not CEO anymore.

Re: Intel's $20B Ohio factory could become world's largest chip plant

#289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Building cars is also an international affair and we see those plants all over the place I moved from the Bay Area to Columbus Ohio and, funny enough, there’s a Honda factory about 30 minutes outside of downtown and 45 from the airport.

Yup, Honda has a big plant in Marysville, in the next county to the northwest. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marysville_Auto_Plant

Correct.

On a side note, counties here a little bit wonky. I live in Dublin which is about 20 minutes out of Marysville.

If you live in Dublin you could be living in one of THREE counties

Re: Intel's $20B Ohio factory could become world's largest chip plant

#290

Good luck to them! Always nice to get as much semiconducter talent in-country as possible, fabs are a pretty crucial supply line after all. I'd imagine most people would want a pretty significant pay raise to move to somewhere like Ohio, but they are nearby Ohio State University, so maybe they'll get local talent.

> I'd imagine most people would want a pretty significant pay raise to move to somewhere like Ohio Cost of living is low relative to the west coast and high relative to a lot of places in Asia, so it really depends on who you're talking about.

Rent in Columbus appears to be roughly comparable to Tokyo: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?cou...
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