Gov. Whitmer Delivers Road Ahead Address in Flint on Semiconductor Chips, Creating & Retaining Good-Paying Michigan Jobs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

May 21, 2025  

Contact: press@michigan.gov

Gov. Whitmer Delivers Road Ahead Address in Flint on Semiconductor Chips, Creating & Retaining Good-Paying Michigan Jobs 

Governor advocates for landing a chip manufacturing plant, adding better tools to economic development toolkit to attract and retain good-paying, high-skill jobs 

LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered the latest in her series of “Road Ahead” speeches in Flint at Kettering University, focused on securing advanced manufacturing investments and making it easier to create and keep good-paying jobs in Michigan. She set an ambitious, attainable goal for the state to start building a semiconductor manufacturing facility, also known as a “fab,” by the end of her term.

“Right now, we have an opportunity to set Michigan up for decades of growth and success,” said Governor Whitmer. “By working together to secure a fab, help businesses bring high-skill jobs home, and reward companies that keep good jobs in Michigan, we can design and build the technology we need to lead the 21st century. Let’s build on our momentum to make sure that families in Flint and across the state have a fair shot at a good life by landing a once-in-a-generation project and doubling down on our comprehensive economic strategy that centers people.”

“I am grateful to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for presenting a bold, aspirational vision of securing a semiconductor fab facility by the end of 2026,” said Quentin L. Messer, Jr., CEO of the MEDC. “Alongside her and the Michigan Legislature, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation has been building Michigan’s footprint in the semiconductor industry. From welcoming investments by SK Siltron, Hemlock Semiconductors, KLA, and more, to a designated Semiconductor Talent Action Team working with Michigan universities and companies to create a talent pipeline, to supporting industry 4.0 technologies and beyond, Team Michigan is semiconductor investment ready. As more and more components of our daily lives require semiconductor chips and other advanced technologies, it is more important than ever to make these technologies in America. We have the receipts:  There is no better place in America than here! Let’s Make it in Michigan!”

“From economic revitalization to workforce development, Kettering University understands that lasting impact is forged when mission-driven institutions work in concert with visionary public leadership,” said Kettering University President Dr. Robert K. McMahan. “The Governor focus on innovation, talent cultivation, and preparing Michigan for the future aligns directly with the heart of Kettering’s mission. Since our founding, we have stood at the crossroads of industry and innovation. This year, we’ve expanded our focus in industries of the future, announced a new Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Semiconductor Materials and Devices program, and are working on new curricula in semiconductors, hydrogen, software, and more. We believe, as Governor Whitmer does, that Michigan’s next chapter will be written where innovation drives growth and talent fuels progress. Here at Kettering, we’re proud to be such a place and look forward to defining Michigan’s next chapter.”

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery 

Hello! Excited to be in Flint for the latest in my series of speeches about “the Road Ahead.” I want to thank Kettering University for hosting us at the GM Mobility Research Center and for all the work they do to train the next generation of builders and innovators.

Today, let’s talk about the future of our economy. I wanted to focus on the future in Flint because this is a place that has the potential to be on the cutting-edge of manufacturing for decades to come.

People outside of Michigan know that Detroit is the Motor City, but this is Vehicle City. GM was founded here in 1908. The UAW was strengthened here by the Sit-Downers. Flint has a rich history, but we know that it’s been left out or left behind for far too long.

I want the world to hear the name Flint and think about the things that are made here and not the things that happened here. If we work together this year, Flint will be known as a place that leads, builds, and grows.

Right now, there’s an ongoing race to mine the minerals, make the components, and assemble the products the world will need for decades to come. That includes everything from medical devices and drones to solar panels and semiconductor chips.

Michigan is well positioned to lead this race, but we need to use every resource we can to win. This isn’t a partisan issue… it’s just commonsense. We can and should disagree about the details, but we have to get on the same page. At a high-level…

Let’s help business bring high-skill jobs to Michigan.

Let’s reward companies that continue to keep jobs in Michigan.

And let’s make it as easy as possible to build in Michigan, whether that’s housing, schools, roads, or factories.

If we deliver on these goals, we can become…  

The Great Lakes State where anyone can live the good life… 

An international destination where the world’s most innovative companies want to invest… 

A Michigan that does not rest on its past, but the Michigan of tomorrow, where the future is built every single day.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen a glimpse of that bright future. By working together, we’ve secured game-changing projects to design, test, and manufacture next-generation products right here in Michigan… 

Electronics, drivetrain, steering, and brakes suppliers statewide.

A chip component company in the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Batteries in Lansing, Holland, and Big Rapids.

A ticketing start-up in Grand Rapids.

Energy efficient glass in Litchfield.

Advanced chemicals in Ann Arbor.

Solar panel parts in Saginaw.

I want to tell you about two more projects around here.

In 2022, Michigan won a $300 million investment from SK Siltron, creating 150 good-paying, high-skill jobs in Bay City. SK Siltron is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of wafers. These ultra thin pieces of silicon are the building blocks of electric vehicles, smartphones, solar panels, and more. Their technology improves our lives by increasing driving range, improving battery life, and lowering the cost of energy production.

SK Siltron chose to build their cutting-edge facility in Michigan over Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, and both Carolinas because of our workforce, growing economy, and business-friendly environment. Beyond that, they know the values that guide their work—reliability, quality, and performance—are hallmarks of Michigan manufacturing.

The products we’re making here matter, but this is ultimately about people. People like Bryan, an R&D tech at the facility. Bryan was born and raised around Bay City, and his entire family is in the area. It’s home. Bryan has a good-paying job with great benefits in his hometown. Isn’t that what we all want? To do meaningful work and be close to our loved ones? That promise helped Michigan build the middle class, and if we do our jobs right, we can give future generations the same chance.

Next, let’s talk about Hemlock Semiconductor. Founded in 1961, they are the largest producer of high-purity polysilicon in America and one of the largest in the world.

Nearly every electronic device in the world contains Hemlock polysilicon. Think about that. This material, made by extracting crystals from quartz, goes into our phones, TVs, tablets, refrigerators, and laptops. As they like to say: “you are never more than 6 feet away from Michigan-made polysilicon.”

Last year, Hemlock announced a significant expansion of their presence in Michigan, building a new, $375 million facility in Saginaw Township, creating 180 good-paying, high-skill jobs.

Over the last couple of years, the global shortage of chips has impacted us all. It forced automakers to buy up parking lots and fill them with almost-done cars, waiting for chips. It jacked up prices on phones, computers, and appliances.

So, while the SK Siltron and Hemlock projects are vital, they are ultimately suppliers in the chip manufacturing process. We have to be able to assemble the chips here too. It’s just like the auto industry. To be the best, you need suppliers and OEMs—the whole supply chain. We need a semiconductor chip assembly plant, also known as a “fab.” 

Fabs are the most advanced factories on the planet. All the action happens in the clean room, where chips are made using multi-hundred-million-dollar machines with sci-fi names… ion implanters, photolithographs, and vapor depositors.  

These clean rooms are hyper-controlled environments. An atomic speck of dust, let alone a sneeze or a loose fiber on someone’s sweater, can throw off the entire process. It’s why they have some of the most purified air on the planet—1,000 times more sterile than the operating room in a hospital—and are bathed in yellow light, to eliminate disruptive wavelengths. All the pipes, ducts, and pumps are made and transported to the highest possible standards.  

Manufacturers go to these extreme lengths because chips are both incredibly small and incredibly difficult to manufacture. Each chip is made up of billions of transistors—tiny electronic switches—stacked on top of each other in a precise grid. These transistors can be as wide as 2 nanometers. For context, human hair is 100,000 nanometers. Human DNA is 2.5. 

Once produced, these chips become the brains of devices we use every day and power the invisible systems that make modern life possible. There are two kinds of advanced chips… logic and memory. Logic chips process information, making trillions of calculations a second that allow you to send texts, write emails, play music, or order delivery. Memory chips store information, from your photos and documents to our collective medical records and financial data.  

Although the United States pioneered chipmaking, we stopped leading it. We made 0% of the world’s logic chips and just a slice of memory chips as recently as 2022. Now, thanks to fabs being built nationwide, we have momentum. We cannot let up. Let’s stay on the bleeding edge of this technology to outcompete the rest of the world.

Let’s also consider the national security angle. The computational power we need for our defense systems, from fighter planes to nuclear submarines to cybersecurity, relies on chips. They are crucial for AI and data centers.

Building a fab is a monumental task. We’re talking about moving enough soil and rocks to fill 400 Olympic pools. Bending more steel than the Mackinac Bridge. Pouring a dozen times more cement than Ford Field. Laying more miles of cable than Michigan coastline. These modern marvels take 5 to 12 thousand union construction workers around 2 years to build. Once up and running, a modern fab will support between 3 and 6 thousand good-paying local jobs.

These are jobs that Michiganders can do. Most jobs building a fab do not require a bachelor’s degree. Most permanent fab jobs, however, require a two-year degree or certificate, which a majority of working Michiganders now have. If you don’t have higher education or training yet, we’ll help you with a paid apprenticeship or a tuition-free program like Michigan Reconnect.

There are so many programs right here at Kettering University that can prepare Michiganders for jobs building or working in fabs. This includes a new, 3-year electrical engineering course geared towards semiconductor manufacturing. That’s incredible.

A fab is an intergenerational project where a dad can work on pouring the foundation, his daughter can help wire it up to the grid, and his grandchildren can work inside, making the advanced chips our world needs.

Today, I want to set an ambitious, attainable goal… by the end of next year, let’s secure a fab for Michigan.

This would be a transformational, once-in-a-century investment. It would change the destiny of an entire region, making it an economic magnet for ambitious families to move here and put down roots. It’s exactly what we need.

I’ve been working on this for several years with state and federal partners. This year, I’ve already spoken to President Trump about a fab and will continue working with the administration’s new US Investment Accelerator to bring one home.

Getting this done will be hard, but we can do hard things.

So, how do we do it? A lot of this depends on our ability to work with DC, but there are actions we can take at the state level too.

When companies bet on Michigan, they tend to cite our workforce, strong business environment, and natural resources. Our edge, especially right now, is our ability to provide certainty in the long-term. We have proven repeatedly that we can work together to get big things done.

In the months ahead, let’s keep going. We're not going to beat China by sitting on the sidelines. Let’s add more tools to our toolbox to bring jobs home and keep them here. There are some on the far left and the far right in Lansing who say we should unilaterally disarm. Just get rid of these tools and let those jobs go to Georgia… Kentucky… Arizona… or God forbid, Ohio. I say… Hell. No!

Michiganders will not accept inaction. We cannot sit on our hands while other states and countries without our manufacturing advantages pass us by. No tool is going to be perfect, and I'm open to ideas for how to make them stronger, with more transparency, accountability, and protection for workers and taxpayers. This is about delivering a big win for Michigan, and I’ll work with legislators in both parties to get this done.

I’ll also continue lobbying federal officials to bet on Michigan. In just the last few weeks, we fought for and won a new fighter mission at Selfridge and a federal commitment to build the Brandon Road Lock and Dam. We can play the long game with DC and win. Let’s do it again.

If you share these goals… if you believe that we can build a chip fab… if you want Michigan to lead and win… I encourage you to speak up. Reach out to your federal and state legislators. Let’s have spirited disagreements but keep rowing in the same direction.

Together, we can set Michigan up for decades of success. We can write the next chapter of Flint’s story as a beacon of the future. We can honor the principles that the Sit-Downers fought for and give every working family a great shot at the good life. We can do big, hard things. Because that’s who we are. Thank you.

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