To: Paul Engel who wrote (37444 ) 10/24/1997 2:13:00 PM From: Aaron Cooperband Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 186894
Paul - Re: fab delay news Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that the delayed opening of the Fort Worth fab is a blessing in disguise for Intel. Because of weakness in the flash memory market the Texas fab can now be used for "production of the latest and smallest versions of its microprocessor chips." Also, the fab in Israel "will now be used to turn out logic memory chips originally slated for Fort Worth." It looks to me as if Intel is unexpectedly getting an additional fab to produce its next generation of chips (merced?), while the Israeli fab can be used to offset the demand for cheaper chips. Although the market is taking this announcement negatively, it seems like good news. What do you think? Aaronbiz.yahoo.com Friday October 24 10:53 AM EDT Intel delays Texas plant opening FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Citing weakening demand for ''flash'' memory chips, Intel Corp has postponed by a year the opening of a $1.3 billion Texas semiconductor plant, affecting the hiring of some 1,000 workers. The plant designed to make the next-generation successor to Intel's Pentium family of microprocessors will not open until late 2,000 due to shifting product demand. The original schedule was to begin production in the third quarter of 1999 and to hire about 1,000 workers at the plant near Alliance Airport in North Fort Worth, Texas. Intel spokesman Howard High said the decision was made because of weakening demand for ''flash'' memory chips which can store memory even when power is turned off. They are used in high-end computers, digital cameras and cellular phones. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company had planned to make logic memory chips at the Fort Worth facility, and use its plant in Israel for production of flash chips. But as a result of the reduced demand for flash chips, the Israel facility will now be used to turn out logic memory chips originally slated for Fort Worth. Logic chips power the operating systems of most personal computers. Intel says its commitment to the Fort Worth plant has not changed and that the construction of the plant on 530 acres in Denton County next to Alliance will proceed on schedule. Alliance is owned by Fort Worth. Intel officials said the Fort Worth plant may be assigned the production of the latest and smallest versions of its microprocessor chips. Fort Worth already has approved property tax abatements for Intel, but that may be reviewed to determine the impact of the delay.