ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - Intel’s $20 billion investment in Ohio has created a ripple effect throughout the state including in Allen County. Chemtrade Logistics is ready to grow their Cairo facility. With the help of Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Ohio Speaker of the House Bob Cupp they announced a $50 million expansion project to increase production of Ultrapure Sulphuric Acid, which is needed to clean semiconductor chips during the production process. With more companies looking to make chips in the United States, Chemtrade says the time to grow is now.
“In the total demand in North America will triple over the next 5 years, based on the number of expansions from Intel, Samsung, and others,” says Scott Rook, Pres. CEO of Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund. “Our demand has been growing very rapidly, our plant is sold out. We are selling everything that we can make. But with our investment here, we are adding to our capacity, we are improving the quality and we are also improving our reliability.”
As Ohio looks to become the Silicon Heartland with the Intel investment, more and more opportunities will present themselves in every corner of the state.
“All parts of Ohio are going to benefit from this,” says Ohio’s Speaker of the House Bob Cupp. “Right here in Allen County, we are seeing a very visible, tangible, symbol of what that means. This really is a good thing for the state of Ohio and all of our communities for a long time to come.”
As more companies sink their investment dollars in the Buckeye State, Ohio is ready to make some investments of their own, to make sure there is a workforce ready to fill the thousands of jobs that come with it.
“You will see us investing in people,” says Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. “Helping kids leave high school career ready. Going to career centers getting industry credentials. Helping adults retrain and upskill. Community colleges playing a bigger role in growing talent and reskilling people once they are already in the workforce. It is going to be that continuous process of us investing in Ohioans and Ohioans continuing to upskill themselves to earn better pay and earn job security.”
Construction has already started on the Chemtrade expansion, and is expected to be up and running by 2024.
