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HomeNewsFour-Lane county road opens to improve access to Solar Manufacturing Plant

Four-Lane county road opens to improve access to Solar Manufacturing Plant

Construction Workforce More Than Doubles Since March

Hemlock SemiconductorHemlock Semiconductor Group and the Tennessee Department of Transportation today dedicated and opened Solar Way, a new four-lane county road leading to the Hemlock Semiconductor site in northeast Montgomery County. County Mayor Carolyn Bowers cut the ceremonial ribbon.

Meanwhile, construction workforce at Hemlock Semiconductor’s site in Clarksville continues to grow with more than 650 people working to build the new facility each day, which is more than double the approximately 300 workers who were on-site in March. The total construction workforce is expected to top 1,000 by early 2011. 

The two mile public road provides more convenient access for vehicles travelling between the Hemlock Semiconductor site and Interstate 24. Solar Way connects Highway 79 to the site and continues to Jim Johnson Road.

The road represents a construction milestone as Hemlock Semiconductor builds the $1.2 billion facility to meet a 2012 start-up date. The plant will produce polysilicon, the base material for solar panels. This project reflects the worldwide demand for solar energy and represents one of Tennessee’s largest manufacturing investments.

“This new road is a critical infrastructure improvement,” said site manager Terry Strange. “Hemlock Semiconductor appreciates the state of Tennessee’s efforts to build Solar Way. It is a key element for site development and on-going construction efforts.”

“Transportation infrastructure plays a vital role in Tennessee’s success in attracting industry to the area,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “TDOT is pleased to initiate and complete projects that improve industrial access and keep our state competitive in a global economy.”
 
Current site construction activities include installation of caissons for the foundations, building roads, utility improvements and structural steel installation on the front campus.

Local and regional firms are well-represented at the construction site. At this early date in the construction process, approximately half of construction packages awarded have gone to companies based in Tennessee and Kentucky.  More than twenty states are represented on the prequalified contractor list.

Hemlock Semiconductor will ultimately hire approximately 500 full-time operations employees. The majority of this hiring will take place starting in 2011 through early 2012. Job postings will be listed at www.hscpoly.com. The types of positions that will be available are as follows:

  • Degreed and experienced chemical, electrical and mechanical engineers;
  • Experienced and certified journeypersons in various skilled trades disciplines, including: electrical, instrumentation, power pack/power distribution, process information control systems, pipefitters/welders, millwrights and machinist trades;
  • And specially-trained chemical process operators.

About Hemlock Semiconductor Group

The Hemlock Semiconductor Group (hscpoly.com) – Hemlock Semiconductor – is comprised of two joint ventures: Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation and Hemlock Semiconductor, L.L.C. The companies are joint ventures of Dow Corning Corporation, Shin-Etsu Handotai and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. Hemlock Semiconductor is a leading provider of polycrystalline silicon and other silicon-based products used in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices and solar cells and modules. Hemlock Semiconductor began its Michigan operations in 1961 and broke ground at its Tennessee location in 2009.

HSC and HEMLOCK SEMICONDUCTOR are trademarks of Dow Corning Corporation.

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