Big news out of the White House today where Intel CEO Brian Krzanich announced $7 billion in funding for the “Fab 42” manufacturing facility in Chandler, Arizona:
MOMENTS AGO: @POTUS meets with @intel CEO Brian Krzanich, who says the company will invest $7 billion in Arizona semiconductor factory. pic.twitter.com/UUZ8OuwnLD
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 8, 2017
This is great news, but it’s also news we’ve heard before from Intel. President Obama visited this same factory in 2012 when Intel made similar promises:
Thanks for stopping by today Mr. President! @BarackObama speaking at the #Intel Fab 42 in Chandler, AZ today pic.twitter.com/uaVvb9jQ
— Intel (@intel) January 26, 2012
This is Intel getting a 2nd bite at its Fab 42 project. Obama was there in '12 when started. Then Intel stopped. Now Trump's turn. https://t.co/Q0FoPMrU9R
— Todd C. Frankel (@tcfrankel) February 8, 2017
Obama even visited the plant in 2012, to much fanfare and applause:
The president was pretty excited to see a giant crane helping to build the factory on his visit:
Obama said he had to check out Fab 42 for himself. And to check out the giant crane. #Chandler #Intel
— Dan Nowicki (@dannowicki) January 25, 2012
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That would be this crane:
Chandler Intel FAB 42 using largest land-based crane in world – can lift/move/place massive 300 ton roof trusses. pic.twitter.com/IgpoLoGp
— City of Chandler, AZ (@cityofchandler) January 23, 2012
Transcript here:
Now, last year, I had the chance to tour one of Intel’s plants in Oregon. And basically, the engineers explained what happens inside these factories, and I pretended that I understood — (laughter) — what they were talking about. It’s true. We were on this tour and we were looking through these microscopes and you’d look at some little spots in the microscope and you’d say, well what’s that? And they’d say, well, that’s atoms. (Laughter.) Really? And it was so remarkable that my trip director who was with me — he said, this stuff is like magic. (Laughter.) How do they do this?
And while I was there, Intel’s CEO, Paul Otellini, someone whose advice I rely on as a member of my Jobs Council — (applause) — announced — he announced that Intel would be building a new factory here in Arizona. (Applause.) A factory which will turn out some of the fastest and most powerful computer chips on Earth. (Applause.) A factory so big, I’m told that right there is the world’s largest land-based crane — (applause) — can pull up to, what is it, 4,000 tons? Is that right, Preston?
MR. OTELLINI: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Four thousand. So not only that, but Paul informs me that the microscopes that they’re going to have here will be twice as good as the ones they had — (laughter) — up in Oregon. So I decided I had to check this out for myself — because, honestly — first of all, who wants to miss out a chance to see the crane? (Laughter.) That thing is huge.
Intel “mothballed” the plant in 2014 citing increased competition:
https://twitter.com/SullyCNBC/status/829392464700141570
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