Ferrotec (USA) Corporation is reported to invest more than RM500 million on its manufacturing facility in Malaysia, which also marks the first investment in Southeast Asia.
The construction of the 800,000 sq ft manufacturing plant at Kulim Hi-Tech Park is expected to begin in the next few weeks.
“Ferrotec is a global supplier of materials, components and precision systems, and a worldwide leader in quartz material fabrication for the semiconductor industry,” International trade and industry minister Azmin Ali was quoted as saying.
He also stressed that Ferrotec will provide between 250 and 500 high-skilled jobs for Malaysians.
“It is also committed to assisting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia build the supply chain and ecosystem in the semiconductor industry,” said Azmin.
“The company wants to see Malaysia continue to advance in new technologies by involving local companies, especially SMEs,” he was quoted as saying to the press after the meeting with Ferrotec chief executive officer Eiji Miyanaga.
Miyanaga said the company had nearly 40 factories globally, and the facility in Malaysia will be its first large platform manufacturing site outside of Japan, China and the US.
“We chose Malaysia because Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, has become a focal point in the supply chain for the industry. We feel compelled to invest in Southeast Asia,” he said.
“At the initial stage, we will bring in expats for a short period of time to transfer technology and train the local work force,” he said.
Azmin also met with leading US solar tracker company Nextracker Inc chief operating officer and co-founder Marco Miller.
Azmin said Nextracker would strive to enhance products from Malaysia to penetrate not only the US market, but also globally.
Miller said the company is doing US$100 million worth of business with two Malaysian companies, and is planning to expand the business in the coming years and make Malaysia a key manufacturing partner.
“We chose Malaysia for its geographical location and dedicated highly-skilled workforce, which manufactures our high-tech products.”
He said Nextracker is expected to see its Malaysian partners double the workforce from the current 400 employees in the near future to cater to its growing business.
