HOMETOWN, Pa. — Gov. Josh Shapiro expects a project at EMD Electronics in Rush Township to bring more than 100 jobs to the Hometown area.
“I believe in you. I believe in the workers here. I believe in the mission of your leadership here, and I believe because of investments like this, that we will be a leader amongst our peers," said Gov. Shapiro to workers at EMD Electronics.
Bill Bowman grew up in Quakake and now works at the plant a mile away.
“It's good because we're little, and we really don't get recognized for much other than for coal. And now we're on the cutting edge,” he said.
EMD Electronics is a German company. They've had a plant in Hometown for nearly 50 years. The facility manufactures specialty gases for semiconductors used in everything from cell phones and TVs to cars.
“It goes into so many things that so many people don't realize that they have,” Bowman added.
“Samsung, TSMC, Intel, Micron, all of them buy our products to power up their semiconductor chips. We also sell equipment that safely handles those special materials, and then we provide services and solutions for our customers,” explained Jeff White, the president of EMD Electronics.
The state says its investment in the plant's expansion will create about 120 jobs and help meet the growing demand in the electronic industry.
“Pennsylvania now has the opportunity to be an economic leader here. And drive innovation not just locally but on a global scale. We're seeing that here on EMD,” Gov. Shapiro said.
“Almost none of these products are consumed in Pennsylvania. They are export materials. They're exported somewhere else, and then the money to pay for them is imported back into the county,” White added.
EMD Electronics expects the expansion of its plant in Hometown to be completed by the end of next year.