Photo by Howard Owens.
With the groundbreaking for Edwards Vacuum's new plant at WNY STAMP in Alabama, it's all going according to plan.
In August 2020, Schumer traveled to WNY STAMP to propose a bill that eventually became law, funding the semiconductor industry in the United States to the tune of $50 billion. He said ramping up domestic semiconductor production was a matter of national security. He also wanted to create jobs in Upstate New York, including rural counties. At another news conference in 2022, he said chip manufacturing "belongs in Batavia, not Bejing."
"What makes us so happy about this project is J-O-B-S," Schumer said at Tuesday's ceremony. "Jobs, right here. In just over a year, hundreds of local workers will be employed at this factory behind me, where they will build some of the most sophisticated, cutting-edge equipment for the semiconductor industry, not just in New York and not just in America, but in the world. This will be one of the world-class plants right here in Genesee County."
In November 2022, Schumer announced that Edwards Vacuum had committed to building a $319 million dry-pump plant in WNY STAMP, which would provide a critical tool to semiconductor manufacturers in New York and beyond. Edwards is building a 240,000-square-foot campus that includes manufacturing, a warehouse and administration. The company is expected to employ 600 people.
Schumer said Edwards will pump $300 million into the Genesee County economy.
"This story is going to be repeated over and over again across upstate New York, over and over again, of what we now call the 'Semiconductor Superhighway,' which is I-90, as it runs from Albany all the way to Buffalo, through Rochester and Syracuse.
Mark Masse, CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, thanked all the agencies—from Gov. Kathy Hochul and Empire State Development to Genesee County and the town of Alabama—for their efforts to collaborate and help make Tuesday's groundbreaking possible.
"It requires collaboration at all levels of government to make an economic development project like Edwards Vacuum a reality," Masse said.
The work to build out STAMP is ongoing, Masse said, and it isn't easy.
"The competition to develop sites like STAMP and bring companies such as Edwards to New York has never been more challenging," Masse said. "The opportunities for communities across New York State, particularly upstate, are unlimited in terms of creating generational wealth that we have not experienced in a very long time."
Alabama Town Supervisor Rob Crossen said the town welcomed the opportunity for economic growth.
"Why would we accept such a thing in a very small town? It's about jobs. It's about good-paying jobs," Crossen said. "I spent my entire life growing up here, as many of us did, watching everybody move from Genesee County and from Western New York. Now, we're going to start seeing license plates from other states coming here."
During his speech, Schumer recalled watching WNY companies such as Kodak, Bausch and Lomb, Xerox, Bethlehem Steel, Bell Helicopters, and more either reduce manufacturing locally, move away, or close up shop.
"It pained me to see jobs leave Upstate New York to hear the stories and actually witness some parents at airports waving goodbye to their kids in their early 20s who wanted to stay here," Schumer said. "They liked the good life here, but they couldn't find a job here. Now, the reverse is going to be true. Parents will be going to airports in the rest of the country and waving goodbye to their kids as they come to Upstate New York for the good paying jobs."
Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
