Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D-Utica/Rome) announced that she, Sen. Joseph Griffo (R-Rome) and Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul to discuss the importance of Wolfspeed’s Mohawk Valley Fab and SUNY Poly’s Marcy campus to the Mohawk Valley’s future. The letter also reiterated Buttenschon’s request to forge a formal relationship between the advanced manufacturer and the SUNY school.

“The recently opened Wolfspeed factory represents a significant investment in the future of our Mohawk Valley communities, creating good-paying jobs and further cementing our region’s positions as a leader in advanced manufacturing,” said Buttenschon. “I was pleased that Gov. Hochul joined us for the grand opening, but we must do more to develop public-private partnerships between companies like Wolfspeed and our local colleges and universities. I look forward to having further discussions with the governor, elected leaders and local stakeholders to craft a long-term strategy for our communities’ success.”

Wolfspeed, a firm based in North Carolina, announced plans to construct the fabrication plant in Marcy in 2019. The facility was built through a combined public-private effort, as a $500 million grant from Empire State Development complemented the company’s $1 billion investment. The new plant produces 200mm silicon carbide wafers – a key computer component in the production of electric vehicles and 5G infrastructure – and is the only facility in the world that creates these large wafers. The facility is expected to create 600 jobs over eight years.