Chipmaker Sirenza Relocates from California to Colorado

Semiconductor Business News ^ | May 6, 2003

[nwrep]

Sirenza relocates from California to Colorado
By Semiconductor Business News
May 6, 2003 (11:22 AM)
URL: http://www.siliconstrategies.com/story/OEG20030506S0037

BROOMFIELD, Colo. -- Radio-frequency (RF) chip maker Sirenza Microdevices Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif. today (May 6) announced plans to relocate its corporate headquarters and all manufacturing operations to Broomfield, Colo.

The move, to be completed by July, follows Sirenza's recently completed purchase of substantially all of the assets of Denver-based RF chip maker Vari-L Co. Inc. (see Dec. 2, 2002 story ).

Sirenza will lease approximately 74,000-square-feet in two buildings in a technology park located midway between Boulder and Denver. One building will serve as Sirenza's new corporate headquarters, while the other will house manufacturing operations.

Both buildings are undergoing significant tenant upgrades at a total cost of approximately $1.2 million. The move will allow Sirenza to consolidate its manufacturing operations currently located in Sunnyvale, Tempe, Ariz. and four of Vari-L's former Denver facilities into a single complex. Total workforce at the new complex is expected to be between 190 and 210 people.

"This move will improve our efficiencies, lower our operating costs and accelerate the process of integrating Vari-L's operations into Sirenza," said Robert Van Buskirk, president and CEO of Sirenza, in a statement.

Colorado Governor Bill Owens said Sirenza's decision to relocate to Colorado underscores the state's ability to attract leading technology companies. "We are pleased to welcome another high technology company to the state of Colorado," Owens said in a statement. "In addition to offering a superior quality of life, Colorado is a business friendly state that provides technology companies with a highly educated labor pool and a strong technology infrastructure."

[samtheman]

Jobs? California doesn't need no stinking jobs! They've got Big Government! Money for nothing! Chicks for free!

[friendly]

I am sure the decision was helped by the massive California taxes, third world power system, and state government run by an organized crime gang of democrats and lawyer vermin.

[So Cal Rocket]

3Com announced they're moving out of California, too.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/906587/posts

Gray Davis won't be satisfied until he runs ALL the jobs out of the state.

[Beck_isright]

With McDonald's closing a lot of stores in the coming year, what will all those people in Commiefornia do for jobs? It must be a good time to be an industrial/manufacturing realtor in Nevada.

[Tacis]

The California personal income tax is just so simple to calculate. You just send to Blackout Davis 10% of what you paid Uncle Sam. But, the reason for the move is the difference in Workers' Comp. Cost. California workers comp. can easily make you a wealthy man of leisure, allowing you to live a life of luxury without ever having to work again. Your former employer and, now, lifetime benefactor, can't do a damn thing about it because the unions own the politicians and the process.

[nwrep]

Can you give some details? Like how much they get in WC?

[Wilhelm Tell]

So how do Oregon and Washington compare with California as far as places to live or run a business? I have reasons for wondering how these two states compare with Commiefornia. I would think that a state near California could do quite well in attracting California business to relocate if that state had a saner government than California's. Next thing you know, California will build a wall to keep citizens in!

[lawdude]

"Chicks for free!"

Monica said today whe was going to start in San Fran and blow with the wind.

[heleny]

The California personal income tax is just so simple to calculate. You just send to Blackout Davis 10% of what you paid Uncle Sam.

Huh? The top tier California income tax bracket rate is about 9.3%, but the top tier US income tax bracket has a rate far lower than 93%. The personal exemptions are different, and the bracket cutoffs are different.

Besides, Davis and the democrats in the legislature are considering new state income tax brackets with 10% and 11% rates.

[goodnesswins]

Oregon and Washington are a LITTLE behind California in their socialism process.....but their working on it.....believe me. Actually, Gary Locke, in what I believe is a bid to get re-elected tried to keep HIS Democrats in the Washington State Legislature from passing a gas tax increase, etc....but could NOT.....it's not as pretty here in the NW as some might think, at least on the western side of the mountains.

[Amerigomag]

Most jest but the possibility is real. California could easily run it's productive citizens out of the state.

In 1999, the latest year avaliable on it's public web site, about 4% of the tax returns paid over 50% of the personal, state income taxes collected. That was only about 275,000 tax payers in 1999.

275,000 tax payers out of 20 million citizens. It can be done.

[GOP_1900AD]

Well, at the > $10B firm I am at, other states / geos are also doing more and more while what we've got here in Kali slowly but surely downsizes. The leased buildings will be the first to be emptied; after that, who knows? I am sure selling some land for cash in the bank would be applauded by shareholders.

[Simmy]

Sad how this once great state, is dying thanks to Davis and company. They want to make it even more expensive to do business, just as businesses are leaving the state. Brilliant plan Dims. :-/ This is one of the reasons why I support the recall effort. While it won't stop the bleeding, it will help slow it down to prevent even more people voting with their feet and leaving the state. People who say that they should leave Davis in office in the hopes that they will get back in 2006, are dreaming if all there is left are lefties sucking off what little of the state's budget is left when all the working conservative people leave the state.

While its great that this state's problems is a wonderful example for the rest of the nation on what happens when liberalism is run amock, some of us refuse to give up on this state. In my case, until I get some kind of diploma, have little choice in the matter as well.

[DennisR]

Washington (or, as I am wont to call it, "USSRW") is very business unfriendly. Think of it--we have a gutless and leaderless Democrat governor (Gary Locke), two Democrat Senators (Osama Bin Murray and Maria CantVoteWell (although she did vote to give W the right to go into Iraq), and Baghdad Jim McDermott. Washington spends about $4,000 per capita per year for what? We actually have to have citizen initiatives in order to override some of the stupid things these Dem/Com/Soc/Libs do. They are clueless. Do not know specifics about Oregon, but they do have one of the highest cumulative tax rates in the country. But sometimes I think they are better off than we are in USSRW.

[DennisR]

In the mind (if you can call it that) of the liberals, the productive citizens are for one thing--to pay taxes and thus create a legacy of Utopia for these elected officials. So they could care less that the top producers are getting screwed big time. They do, indeed, suffer from a mental disorder.

[DennisR]

Other than that, it's a great place to do business. :)

[NormsRevenge]

H-1B Visas Cost American Jobs

There will always be cheap replacements unless Congre$$ takes a stand for Americans for a change and says No to corporate robber barons.

[friendly]

California is great. The people who live there are wonderful.

It is just that they have an astonishingly bad judgment in their choice of a state government run by an organized crime gang of democrats and lawyer vermin.

In partial defense of the California people, their mass media is almost completely in the hands of the sworn enemies of the Uniteed States.