Allegro MicroSystems Inc. (Worcester, MA) announced the closure of the wafer fab and completion of the sale of its 250,000ft² facility in Willow Grove, PA, for an undisclosed amount. The buyer will use the facility for purposes unrelated to the semiconductor industry. On October 1, 2001, Allegro announced that production at the Willow Grove wafer fab would transfer to Allegro's wafer fab in Worcester, MA. Key technical personnel will remain with the company and will work in the newly opened Pennsylvania Design Center in Warminster, PA.
"To upgrade our Willow Grove facility to larger wafers and new process technologies was cost prohibitive," said Allegro MicroSystems President and Chief Operating Officer Dennis Fitzgerald. "Ongoing upgrades to the existing Worcester wafer fab to accommodate larger wafer sizes and new process technologies are providing our customers with cost-effective, leading-edge technology products. These upgrades, combined with using external wafer fab foundries, will allow Allegro to achieve aggressive growth and financial objectives while providing the manufacturing flexibility for today's volatile marketplace."
