‘The timing on that depends on the time in which they get a customer, because the customers are the ones who pay for a lot of the machinery and equipment that goes in these facilities,” Husted said in the Dayton area Friday. “And as soon as that happens, you’ll see the pace pick up.”
Last month, the Trump administration took a 10% stake in Intel, which some have criticized as movement towards socialism.
But Husted said Intel leaders have assured him they intend to continue with the Ohio site.
“Intel will invest another billion dollars this year in that site,” the senator said. “They have over 1,000 people out there working right now. Construction is still going, but this is a fight for America’s future. China doesn’t want to compete with us. They want to defeat us. And we need to make sure that we are building chips on American soil.”
Last December, Intel officials told this news outlet that they remained committed to building the Columbus-area factory. The U.S. and Ohio have each invested billions of dollars in the plant, including Ohio investing $65 million to ensure people will be ready to work in Intel jobs.
Husted said one of the pathways to make sure chips and AI were built in the U.S. was making sure the workforce is ready to do those jobs. He has long promoted career tech education, which includes jobs like manufacturing and construction, key skills that are needed to build and maintain the Intel plant.
Despite delays, Intel currently plans to begin manufacturing in the Ohio facility in 2031, according to an announcement on the Intel website.
