Menlo Micro plant to bring 100+ new local jobs

The high-tech manufacturing company has chosen the village of Lansing as the next hub for its microelectronic fabrication center. The company promises a $50 million investment in the area, bringing more than 100 jobs to Tompkins County.

Manufacturing of the company’s high-end switches is expected to commence in 2024, after the company – with the help of substantial state and federal subsidies – finishes retrofitting an industrial site at 36 Thornwood Dr., formerly operated by Kionix.

The seismic news dropped early Tuesday, July 11, but the plan to bring a new manufacturing giant to Tompkins County has been long in the making. Federal and state legislation approved in the last three years, which has been touted as an incentive that would bring computer chip manufacturing to the United States, has been a main draw for companies, elected leaders said in a press release announcing Menlo’s arrival in Tompkins County. 

The switches Menlo plans to manufacture in Lansing are hyper efficient and have a broad range of uses in fields such as aerospace, energy and telecommunications. In the release, issued jointly by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, officials label the Menlo switches a vital component of the microelectronics industry. The Lansing plant could produce thousands of these components per month when fully operational, officials estimate.

“With this agreement to bring Menlo Microsystems to Tompkins County, we are once again declaring New York State as chip country,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement. “Menlo Micro’s groundbreaking chip technology powers the tools and electronics that New Yorkers rely on every day, and thanks to a remarkable partnership between local, state, and federal officials, their New York production facility will create more than 100 high-tech jobs and unlock millions of dollars in investment to support the entire region.”

Menlo CEO Russ Garcia said he received a call from Sen. Schumer last year to urge him to invest in upstate New York. Schumer’s call was successful, as Menlo also committed to install its research and development hub in Albany to boost domestic manufacturing.

“Today’s announcement represents the first step toward significantly increasing the domestic production capacity of our Ideal Switch to help secure critical infrastructure and further strengthen America’s technology stronghold,” Garcia said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to work with Sen. Schumer, Gov. Hochul, Sen. [Kirsten] Gillibrand, U.S. Rep. [Marc] Molinaro and the entire New York delegation as we begin ushering in the next generation of electrification, delivering unprecedented cost and energy savings to essential U.S. industries. We believe this fab modernization project is in 100% alignment with the presidential directive on bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States.”

Schumer praised Tompkins County for leading in technological advancements.

“The greater Ithaca area is unquestionably leading the charge in research and development and building the future of technology, and Menlo Micro will help further supercharge the region’s leadership, while helping secure America’s critical microelectronics supply chains that power everything from 5G communications to the power grid to aerospace engineering with their switch technology made right here in Tompkins County,” he said.

Legislation

Elected representatives and business leaders in the high-tech manufacturing industry have praised landmark legislation that has made the arrival of chip fabrication to upstate New York a reality.

Schumer’s office touted the federal Chips and Science Act, which has been lauded by officials at Micron, the largest company to promise computer chip fabrication in upstate New York this decade. Their gargantuan $100 billion investment in the Syracuse area has been championed by President Joe Biden as the largest and most important investment in reviving chip manufacturing in America. Micron officials have claimed the legislation provides significant financial incentives for high-tech manufacturing.

New York state’s Green Chips legislation allows New York to capitalize on a historic opportunity to attract chip manufacturers to the state, generating billions of dollars in private-sector investment, creating good, high-paying jobs and lowering greenhouse gas emissions related to chip production, Hochul said.

Additionally, to support the construction of Menlo Micro’s new fabrication plant, Empire State Development, New York’s economic development agency, will provide $6.5 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credits. The incentives will come in exchange for 122 new jobs at the proposed facility. The tax credits, the press release notes, will go into effect once the company meets its job and investment commitments.

Labor and research pipelines

Federal and state elected officials tout Menlo’s active partnerships with SUNY Polytechnic Institute in the Mohawk Valley and SUNY Albany as strategic assets in research and workforce development. They also hope that those pipelines will extend to Cornell University and other regional institutions once the plant is operational.

Other regional institutions, such as Tompkins-Cortland Community College in Dryden, are set to offer a semiconductor manufacturing certification announced after the arrival of Micron in Onondaga County.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr. said in a statement welcoming Menlo that he expects ties between education and industry to be strong.

“[Menlo] will not only be a leader in innovation but an incubator of hundreds of highly skilled, in-demand jobs for which SUNY is prepared to provide the workforce,” King said. “Already, Menlo Micro has benefited from partnerships with SUNY. These partnerships have led to onsite internships for our students, giving them the hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology that they need to succeed in the growing semiconductor field.”

Local reactions

Local dignitaries and business leaders touted Menlo’s arrival as a “tremendous investment” in 

Tompkins County.

“It’s wonderful to see a company like Menlo Micro making Tompkins County its new home,” Tompkins County Legislature Chair Shawna Black (D-Town of Ithaca) said in a statement. “Our nearby universities boast some of the most talented new entrants to the workforce in the country, and bringing high-value jobs to our area will ensure we can retain as much of that talent as possible as we build a thriving economy to serve the needs of our community.” 

Ithaca Area Economic Development President Heather McDaniel said that Menlo’s presence in the region will be a testament to business and government partners at all levels of government.

“Menlo will benefit from our dedicated and highly educated workforce, and we stand ready to support them in their efforts to create quality employment opportunities,” McDaniel said.

Lansing at Large appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com. Contact Eddie Velazquez at edvel37@gmail.com or on Twitter @ezvelazquez.

In brief:

The Lansing Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) provides school supplies to families in need every year. They anticipate the needs of families to grow this year, and they are requesting school supply donations to be dropped off at Lansing Community Library throughout July. Alternatively, people can mail a check to Lansing PTSO at 17 East Meadow Dr., Ithaca, NY 14850.