ON Semiconductor Sees Strong Upturn in Business

7/19/2010
Other local business officials might have a hard time empathizing with the challenge facing ON Semiconductor.

As the economic slump lingers on for most, managers with the local ON plant are pushing forward on a strategy to keep pace with customer demand.

On Thursday, the Phoenix-based company, whose local semiconductor plant is one of Southeast Idaho’s key manufacturers, announced a $336 million deal to buy Sanyo Electric Co.’s semiconductor unit.

ON is also in the process of acquiring and installing $11 million in new equipment here to increase its productivity and hiring 35 new workers to provide the manpower to run the new equipment, said local plant manager John Spicer.

“The Pocatello facility, we went through that big downturn in 2009, and we’ve come out of it in 2010. Our demand has gone up tremendously, and we’re backlogged. Our lead time to our customers have been extended,” Spicer said. “All of this equipment is to reduce that and improve delivery times to our customers.”

News tag(s): Business Technology Pocatello Project_60