Hemlock Semiconductor will invest $327 million in a two-phase expansion of its operations in Hemlock. The project will create 463 new jobs, including 150 directly by the company. Assistance offered through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation helped convince the company to choose Michigan over a competing U.S. site.

“We received excellent support from Governor Granholm’s office, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Thomas Township, the city of Saginaw, Saginaw Future Inc., the Department of Environmental Quality and Consumers Energy,” Donald E. Pfuehler, president and CEO of Hemlock Semiconductor said. “We appreciate the support of these groups which enabled our expansion to remain at this site.”

The MEDC approved a Single Business Tax credit valued at more than $5.1 million over 15 years to win the project. Thomas Township and the city of Saginaw have partnered to propose a 30-year abatement of the company’s personal property tax worth an estimated $52 million. The township is also considering an additional abatement on the company’s real property valued at approximately $2.4 million over 12 years

The expansion is one of nine economic development projects the Governor announced today. In all, they are expected to create a total of 1,573 Michigan jobs.

Hemlock Semiconductor was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Corning Corporation in 1979. In 1984, the company formed a joint venture with two of Japan's largest silicon wafer manufacturers, Shin-Etsu Handotai Company Limited and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation.

HSC is the world's leading producer of polycrystalline silicon, a component of photovoltaic cells used to produce solar energy and various electronic devices for the semiconductor industry.