Atmel Corporation Sets Its Sights on Expansion

NORTH TYNESIDE, ENGLAND — September 21, 2000 — Officials from semiconductor giant Atmel on Monday announced plans to acquire the mothballed Siemens plant in North Tyneside, England. The sale and lease-back of the structure, which closed in 1998, will allow the electronics giant to begin producing chips in early 2001.

The U.K. facility, which boasts 43,000 square feet of cleanroom space, could be reopened by Easter with 500 new high-tech jobs created in the first year of operation, according to published reports. At least 500 additional jobs are expected to be created during the facility’s second year of operation.

Atmel officials have lauded the upkeep of the site’s cleanrooms over the last two years, saying the maintenance has been above average.

In related Atmel news, the company announced this month it plans to build a 570,000- to 720,000 square foot fab plant at its site in Colorado Springs. The new facility is expected to add 1,000 new jobs to the local area, bringing its workforce to 3,400. It will be the fourth computer chip manufacturing plant at the Colorado Springs site.

–Jeff VanPelt

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