Posted on 07/08/2009 10:56:34 AM PDT by Domandred
The final chips are rolling out of Micron Technology Inc.'s fabrication plant over the next few weeks, ending a nearly three-decade run that helped launch Micron into an international, multibillion-dollar powerhouse and put Boise on the global high-tech map.
Now, the Treasure Valley will have to cope with the loss of at least 3,500 Micron jobs in 10 months during one of the nation's worst economic crises.
Micron announced in February that it would lay off 2,000 people by August as it stops making its primary product, dynamic random-access memory chips, at its outdated Boise plant.
That announcement came on the heels of another Micron layoff of 1,400 to 1,600 employees announced in October.
After the layoffs, about 5,200 Idahoans will still be employed at Micron, down from more than 10,000 about four years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at idahostatesman.com ...
Posting it mostly because of the sidebar article pointing out a portion of porkulus money:
-start
As Micron jettisons its outdated memory-chip division, it is embarking on a new endeavor - light-emitting diodes.
Commonly called LEDs, this new breed of high-efficiency lighting uses far less energy and can last many times longer than traditional electric lights.
The Idaho Department of Energy Resources intends to spend $5 million in federal economic-stimulus money so Micron can convert idled fabrication plants in Boise and Nampa to LED manufacturing.
Micron plans to begin work on prototype LED lighting modules this summer and produce the prototypes by the first half of 2010. Full production is expected by 2011, according a Labor Department report.
-end
Yep, stimulus is saving some "green jobs" at a net loss of others right here in Idaho.
However! On a good note this means that LED light bulbs are picking up. I'll take those over CFLs, though still not as good as good old fashioned Edisons.
0bama’s fault.
Maybe they shouldn’t have started making junk.
Idaho BTT. I’m sure the current price of memory didn’t help although we consumers love it. A couple of my friends saw the writing on the wall and scooted. One’s in Arizona now...man, if he thought the Treasure Valley was hot in the summertime...
LED lighting is truly the future. In a way, CFL’s are just not going to see a maturity the way the incandescent bulb did. LEDs are more efficient, and basically last for a tremendously long period of time. I wonder though if they are as environmentally friendly, given that they take a lot of nasty chemicals to produce.
It's been strange, but it really hasn't seemed like it's been that hot here in Boise this summer. Of course, today it's cool and windy, but it just hasn't seemed like it's been that hot this summer. Oh, well, must be global warming.
I wonder if it’s a good time to look for real estate near Boise...?
True.
There was a point in time that if you wanted good, fast, and reliable chips you went to Micron, but spent an extra 10 to 30% for them.
Their new products haven’t seemed to be up to par on quality in an effort to bring prices down.
Last time I bought memory the Micron chips were sitting right next to the kingston refurbs/rebranded for the same price.
Except for the 4th of July weekend it’s been a pretty cool summer up in the Panhandle, too. My friend in Tucson is looking at 109 Fahrenheit on Saturday. But it’s a (snork!) dry heat...
The forecast high today is in the high 70s. We're burnin' up here!
Real Estate is pretty cheap here right now. Not that it’s an invitation or anything ;)
While LEDs are certainly the most efficient way to go and I see them becoming the norm in certain applications, the white LED light spectrum still seems off to me, at least in the white LEDs that I’ve seen.
Micron announced in February that it would lay off 2,000 people by August as it stops making its primary product, dynamic random-access memory chips, at its outdated Boise plant.
And move production to their new, modern, state-of-the-art plant in....oh, I dunno.............China?
They still have plants here in the U.S.
Currently, LEDs are made on sapphire substrates and, as a result, the “lights” cost a small fortune at the end-user level. But the energy saving is far better than CFLs and they don’t have the “mercury” issues. Some people don’t tolerate LED light well, however.
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