Following weeks of speculation, the buyer of the former Hynix manufacturing plant in Eugene has been announced. Avago Technologies-- a developer of semiconductor products-- will close the deal sometime this month.
The $21 million dollar purchase was made in an online auction. The company has not said how much they will spend to retrofit the plant. But Avago officials do plan to apply for enterprise zone tax breaks, which would waive property taxes on improvements for 3 to 5 years.
Avago searched more than 20 sites worldwide before settling on the 1.2 million square foot facility in West Eugene. The plant will manufacture chips used in mobile phones.
As for how many jobs the new manufacturing facility will create, Eugene Chamber of Commerce President Dave Hauser says it's still too soon to tell.
Hauser: "I think we know from past experience that the industry itself, the semi-conductor industry, provides a breadth of job opportunities that range from engineers to operators. And that they will be quality jobs for our region. The number and types and breakdown we'll define over the next few weeks."
Hauser says Avago is considered an environmental leader. The Eugene plant will be Avago's second production site. The other is in Fort Collins, Colorado.