Intel has announced a $7 billion investment into its previously scrapped Arizona factory. While that in itself would be surprising, even stranger is the fact that the announcement was made straight from the White House with Intel CEO Brian Krzanich announcing it while standing behind US President Donald Trump.
Apparently, Krzanich had called Trump a few weeks ago to arrange for the event. As per Trump, the Intel CEO had told him that he wanted to meet and make a big announcement. The investment is expected to create 3,000 new jobs once the factory starts running.
As per Krzanich, the unconventional venue for the announcement was chosen to exhibit Intel’s support for the:
tax and regulatory policies that we see the administration pushing forward.
Interestingly, Intel was one of the companies that had together filed a amicus brief against Trump’s executive order that temporarily banned US entry for people from seven Muslim-majority nations. In light of that lawsuit, Intel’s “support statement” is pretty curious.
Meanwhile, the Arizona plant was started back in 2011 and had a tentative opening date that lay somewhere in 2013. However, after increasing demands for smartphones and tablets cut into sales of personal computers, Intel decided to shutter the plant. Now though, the plant would be completed in 3 to 4 years and will manufacture chips for data centres and smart, connected devices.
Meanwhile, the announcement pertaining to job creation comes in face of the company’s contradictory statement from last year, in which it talked about removing almost 11 percent of its global workforce. The company had said that the job cuts were part of Intel’s shifting focus from personal computers and towards manufacturing chips for data centres and Internet connected devices.
Of course, President Trump quickly took to Twitter to announce what can be seen as a strategic victory for his self-proclaimed goal of bringing jobs back to the US.
Thank you Brian Krzanich, CEO of @Intel. A great investment ($7 BILLION) in American INNOVATION and JOBS!#AmericaFirst
