April 9, 2003 — MEMSIC Inc. plans to build a new manufacturing facility in China for its MEMS-based accelerometers.

The North Andover, Mass.-based firm bought eight acres of land in Wuxi, China, and plans to have a 43,000-square-foot plant up and running by year’s end. The plant will be larger and more modern than its existing Wuxi plant, which the new one will replace, a MEMSIC spokesman said.

The new facility, nearly three times the size of the current plant, will include a new Class 100 clean room and a process pilot line devoted to packaging development and product testing. MEMSIC is investing $3 million in the project, the company said.