Industry News

Samsung Semiconductor LLP broke ground in late July 2004 on the second expansion phase of its Austin , Texas, chip manufacturing plant. The 34,000-sf, $500-million project will increase the plant’s capacity to produce nanoscale semiconductor memory technology. Completion is expected in three years.

Bridgestone Metalpha USA will expand its 690,000-sf production facility in the Clarksville-Montgomery County Corporate Business Park with the addition of 125,000 sf. The plant produces steel cord used as reinforcement in radial tires. Construction will begin on the $45-million project in February 2005 with increased production to begin in the first quarter of 2006. The expansion will include the addition of highly automated equipment, raising production capacity to 58,000 metric tons of steel cord annually.

Bank of America Corp., based in Charlotte , N.C. , will break ground on the Bank of America Tower in New York City on August 2, 2004 . Developed by New York real estate firm The Durst Organization, the 54-story, 2.1 million-sf facility will be located at One Bryant Park on West 42nd Street. The tower will serve as the headquarters for the bank's New York operations. Completion is expected in early 2008.

Troy, Mich-based auto parts supplier Delphi Corp. broke ground on the China Technical Center in Shanghai , China, in July 2004. Slated to open in 2005, the research and development facility will employ 500 engineers, scientist, and technicians developing components and providing customer support for applications and systems engineering. Delphi plans to employ up to 1,900 people at the center by 2009. Additionally, Delphi has also opened a second technical center in Seoul , South Korea .

Williams Communications (WilTel) has completed its 750,000-sf technology center in Tulsa , Okla. The 15-story vertical campus features 52,000-sf floor plates, allowing office floors to function as self-contained mini-campuses. Designed by HOK, the energy-efficient facility uses natural light, 16-foot-high ceilings, and a vertical “solar well” circulation core that acts as a return air plenum, natural ventilation shaft, and thermal buffer. At the center of the building is a secure three-story, 47,000-sf Network Operations Center and the Executive Center .