SUGAR LAND, TX--(Marketwired - Jun 12, 2014) - Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- If you own any kind of personal computer, chances are good that it contains an Intel chip or other Intel-made components. In fact, the history of Intel (the name is an abbreviation for "Integrated Electronics") dates all the way back to the 1960s, years before average consumers had even dreamed of owning personal computers.
Today, Intel is one of the largest manufacturers of semiconductor chips as well as memory modules (RAM). As the company expands its semiconductor fabrication plant, it will be adding as many as 8,000 employees while spending somewhere in the neighborhood of $3 billion on construction and refurbishment. The first phase of the expansion, the DIX 1 Intel Expansion, has recently been completed as work on the next phase, DIX 2, goes forward. During the entire expansion process, Intel is realizing the benefits of hiring the union craftsmen of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and their employer counterparts at the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). The contributions and professionalism of the NECA-IBEW team and the high standards of union productivity are highlighted in Electric TV's most recent video documentary .
"We have very high standards at Intel," says Jill Eiland, who directs corporate affairs at Intel's Oregon plant, located in the city of Hillsboro, twenty miles west of Portland. "We want to look for partners who are going to be able to deliver that same kind of exemplary work product." Because this new facility is the largest and most complex of its kind anywhere in the world, it is of paramount importance that the workers and contractors responsible for installing the vital electrical systems share that same commitment.
That NECA-IBEW promise, which has always been part of the ethical code of the union craftsman, has now been codified in an official written document called the "Code of Excellence," an explicit and formal agreement between workers and contractors. It provides the employer (in this case, Intel) a written assurance that the job will be done to the highest principals of quality the first time, as well as outlining standards of electrical construction safety. "[It] provides the owner with a comfortable feeling that says, 'I know I'm going to get my money's worth when I pay these guys the money I do,'" says Bryce McLaughlin, a journeyman wireman for IBEW Local 48.
"Our electricians... in Local 48 are top-notch," says Mark Weinbender, Vice President of Oregon Electric, a Portland electrical contracting firm hired by Intel to complete the expansion. "The Code of Excellence gives us standards, not only that the contractors expect, but that our customers do, too."
"My construction colleagues... are consistently providing high marks to the IBEW folks," adds Ms. Eiland.
In this edition of "Industry Today," learn more about the IBEW Code of Excellence and why high-tech industry leader Intel Corporation chose the NECA-IBEW team to help construct its most sophisticated production facility yet.
ABOUT NECA: The National Electrical Contractors Association , or NECA, has provided more than a century of service to the $130 billion electrical construction industry that brings power, light, and communication technology to buildings and communities across the United States. NECA's national and 119 local chapters advance the industry through advocacy, education, research, and standards development.
ABOUT THE IBEW: The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers , or IBEW, represents approximately 725,000 members who work in a wide variety of fields, including utilities, construction, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, railroads and government. The IBEW has members in both the United States and Canada and stands out among the American unions in the AFL-CIO because it is among the largest and has members in so many skilled occupations.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and ten international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. To contact an office in your area, visit the www.industrialinfo.com " Contact Us " page.
Contact: Joe Govreau (713) 783-5147
