WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced one of the world’s leading manufacturers of chip-making equipment ASML is this week's "Murphy's Monday Manufacturer." Founded in 1984, ASML sells its hardware and software solutions to all the world’s leading chipmakers. ASML has a design engineering and manufacturing facility in Wilton, Connecticut, which is one of its 60 offices in 16 countries. The local factory was acquired in 2001 and has more than a 45-year history in the optical lithography field.
In Wilton, ASML specializes in designing and manufacturing high-performance sensors, as well as highly sophisticated modules that operate at high speed and with high accuracy. The Wilton facility is also ASML’s only in-house optics fabrication factory worldwide, and is a leader in designing and fabricating precision glass and ceramic structures used in ASML’s chip imaging and measurement systems.
ASML employees more than 1,600 people at its 297,000 square foot Wilton facility. Over the last two years, the local workforce has expanded more than 50%. The company continues to hire in many areas, including development and engineering, advanced manufacturing and assembly, and optical fabrication. As its workforce has grown, so has its facility. Last year, ASML opened a new state-of-the-art Testing and Measurement Lab in Wilton as part of a major renovation, adding 16,000 square feet. The new space includes different testing stations for engineers to create new ways to assess the ability of ASML machines to pattern nanometer-scale circuits. In 2019, they’ve already built a new six-story parking garage that will add 550 spots to the site, with several other workspace and manufacturing floor expansions planned for the rest of the year.
ASML actively supports numerous Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education initiatives, like the CT STEM Foundation. ASML believes it has a responsibility to help train and boost interest in science and technology among young people, so they have the high-demand skills necessary to obtain employment in the new digital age.
“ASML is a leader in technology, and I thank them for their nearly 20 year commitment to manufacturing in Connecticut. I am particularly proud of the work they are doing to invest in STEM education so our students are prepared on day one for these good-paying jobs,” said Murphy. “I’m proud to highlight the great work ASML is doing in Connecticut, and look forward to working with them as they continue to grow.”
“At ASML Wilton, the co-location of design engineering, procurement and manufacturing creates an inspiring environment. We have a culture of continuous improvement focused on improving quality, cost and delivery time,” said Bill Amalfitano, vice president of ASML Wilton factory. “In our business, time to market is very important. This means eliminating waste and inefficiencies, which we achieve by practicing a best-in-class lean manufacturing philosophy.”
The manufacturing industry plays a crucial role throughout Connecticut communities, creating new jobs and accelerating the state’s economic recovery. Today, Connecticut’s 4,600 manufacturers account for 10% of the state’s jobs and 87% of the state’s total exports. In order to protect and grow manufacturing jobs in Connecticut, Murphy has introduced two pieces of legislation that aim to strengthen existing standards and prioritize the purchase of American-made goods, the BuyAmerican.gov Act and the American Jobs Matter Act.
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