Advanced Micro Devices Inc. will invest $350 million in the next two years to convert its Fab 25 processor chip plant in Austin into a flash memory plant. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based chip manufacturer hopes to equip the plant to last through the next two generations of chip technology. Flash memory enables devices to retain memory and information without active power supply to the device.
Ford Motor Company, based in Dearborn, Mich. is considering existing structures or possible development of a new facility to house a 200,000-sf distribution facility, possibly in North Carolina, slated to open within the next year. Due to a major restructuring of the company in January, Ford plans to build 11 additional U.S. distribution centers to speed replacement parts delivery to dealers nationwide. Ford currently has a 300,000-sf building under construction in Irvine, Calif.
Ford Motor Co. is considering building a parts distribution center in Mebane, N.C. Ford's preferred site is the North Carolina Industrial Center, a 550-acre Alamance County business park developed by Samet Corp. Ford plans to lease a minimum of 225,000 sf, which could expand up to 930,000 sf in the next two years. Ford dealerships within a 250-mile radius would be serviced by the distribution center, which could require from 50 to 70 acres of land. Cost of the project, which could include two buildings, is estimated as high as $35 million.
Kinetic Concepts Inc. (KCI) has relocated its national call center, credit, billing, accounts receivable and third-party payer operations to the 58,000-sf KCI Advantage Center at the University Park Tech Center IV in San Antonio. The health care products maker previously housed these operations in 28,000 sf adjacent to the KCI Tower across the street. KCI's 290 employees were relocated in early March to the new facility, which was dedicated on April 5.
Siemens Inc. has moved its Enterprise Network Division into 325,000 sf at San Jose's Skyport Plaza. The first phase of the 38-acre mixed use Skyport Plaza development consists of three eight-story buildings, two four-level parking garages providing approximately 1,760 parking spaces, a basketball court and pedestrian walkways. The second phase, a mirror of Phase I's commercial office and parking design, will progress as economic conditions improve.
Erbe USA hosted the grand opening of its new Marietta headquarters on April 5, 2002. The 24,000-sf facility accommodates 35 full-time employees and 30 independent contractors. The facility houses the North American operations of German parent firm, Erbe Elektromedizin, a privately held medical device company based in Tubingen.
Eyetel Imaging is considering Maryland as a location for expansion of its manufacturing operations. Hoping to increase production, Eyetel, manufacturer of a digital camera that captures images of the eye, will attempt to pinpoint the site of the expansion in the next few months.
GlaxoSmithKline has completed a $13-million cGMP upgrade of the Tums® manufacturing site--the only such facility in the world. McCarthy performed upgrades to the 70-year-old plant, which produces 10 billion tablets annually. Designed by architect Lockwood Greene Engineers, of Spartanburg, S.C., these upgrades affected every aspect of the manufacturing process, from raw material handling through packaging.
Endeavor Real Estate Group LLC is developing IBM's original Northwest Austin research site into The Domain, a 234-acre campus totalling over 2,000,000 sf. Purchased in December of 1999, plans for the campus included a conglomerate of office and retail facilities, manufacturing and distribution space, and possibly multi-family residential development. Located in an Austin high tech corridor, features such as high speed Internet access, telecommunication, enhanced utilities and redundant power make The Domain attractive to tenants.
Martin Marietta Materials is seeking a manufacturing and assembly plant near its Raleigh headquarters as part of a move to enter the composites business segment. If Martin Marietta's aggregate technology is licensed, the plant could manufacture a fiberglass, rope fabric and polyester resin composite product.
Oil refiner Valero Energy Corp. has contracted SpawGlass Contractors of San Antonio to build its new headquarters on the existing 148-acre Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corp. campus recently acquired by Valero.
Electroglas, maker of high-tech equipment, is relocating its wafer-prober manufacturing operations from San Jose, Calif., to Singapore. Wafer probers, used in silicon wafer manufacturing for computer chips, are slated to be produced at the Singapore plant beginning in mid-2002; all released probers will reach full production by mid-2003.
U.S. Dataport, based in San Jose, Calif., has abandoned plans to build a 3,750,000-sf, $1.4-billion data center in Gainesville in favor of a general high-tech business park housing office and light manufacturing space for products such as telecom gear or computer chips. The 192-acre site will also provide 400,000 sf of data center space, a $300 million independent power plant, and a Virginia Railway Express station for transporting the potential 3,000 workers to the business park.
Vitasoy USA Inc. is closing its offices in South San Francisco and moving its corporate headquarters to a 180,000-sf facility on 12 acres owned by Vitasoy in Ayer, Mass. Vitasoy makes tofu and soy products. The company is a subsidiary owned by Vitasoy International Holdings Ltd. of Hong Kong.
Chevron Corp. is relocating its corporate headquarters to the company's San Ramon campus. Chevron will move the remaining 200 San Francisco employees to Chevron's large corporate home in San Ramon, which currently houses 3,500 workers.
