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"What's the holdup?" was a question Mohawk Valley EDGE President Steve DiMeo grew accustomed to hearing over the past decade and a half or so, as he traveled the globe, attempting to persuade multiple companies to bring a computer chip manufacturing plant, or, 'chip fab plant', to Oneida County.  Surrounded by heavy equipment and New York's Lt. Governor on Wednesday, DiMeo no longer has to answer that question.

"I know a lot of people have been wondering when is it going to happen. The bottom line is, it is happening," DiMeo said at Wednesday's groundbreaking.

While heavy equipment has been at the Marcy Nano site near SUNY POLY in Marcy for weeks, Wednesday's groundbreaking had more than ceremonial value.  Top leadership of AMS, the company building the plant, were among those tossing shovels of earth at the site on Wednesday.

"This new manufacturing plant is very signifcant for AMS. And it's our first new facitlity in the United States and we're thrilled it will be located here in Utica," said new CEO Alexander Everke. "We pledge to be a valuable contributer and ambassador of the region. To stimulate R & D in that area, to make New York proud of the innovative technology and products that will be developed and manufactured at this site here."

Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul referred to the Mohawk Valley as Tech Valley and called the groundbreaking and resulting project, 'transformative'.

"Absolutely, I mean, this is a game changer for this entire region. It's going to create jobs that we don't even know exist right now and it's important for us to use assets like our local educational institutions like SUNY POLY and the community colleges to make sure that we're training young people because there will be over 12 hundred jobs associated with AMS alone," said Hochul.

DiMeo said the project will involve about 900 construction jobs over the next 18 months.  He says the plant will be operational, making computer wafers and sensors, by the second quarter of 2018.

By Joleen Ferris Apr. 20, 2016