Design and Construction Report staff writer
Micron Technology has selected Bechtel to serve as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) partner for the first phase of its leading-edge memory manufacturing complex in Clay, Onondaga County, marking a major milestone in the development of what is expected to become the largest semiconductor manufacturing facility in the United States.
Bechtel will mobilize immediately at the White Pine Commerce Park site and rapidly scale its onsite workforce as construction transitions into full EPC execution following Micron’s initial groundbreaking earlier this year. The project represents a pivotal next step in the company’s multi-phase buildout of its historic U.S. manufacturing campus.
The Clay facility is part of a broader investment that Micron has described as the largest private investment in New York state history. Once complete, the campus is projected to generate approximately $16.7 billion in annual economic output in New York and about $5.4 billion in annual personal income over the next three decades.
Micron officials said the project is expected to support roughly 50,000 jobs statewide, including more than 4,500 construction jobs at peak activity. The buildout will require thousands of skilled craft workers, including union trades, apprentices, local training program graduates, specialty subcontractors, and regional suppliers.
“As the only U.S. manufacturer of memory, we know a project of this scale and complexity is only possible through the strength of partnership,” said Manish Bhatia, executive vice president of global operations at Micron Technology. “We are entering an exciting new phase of construction, and we are pleased to partner with Bechtel—unlocking the full strength of their global capabilities, technical expertise and world-class teams—to bring this facility to life.”
Bechtel, one of the world’s largest engineering and construction firms, will lead EPC delivery for the first phase of the project, deploying an integrated execution model that combines engineering design, procurement, advanced construction technologies, modularization strategies and digital project controls. The approach is intended to support schedule certainty and manage the technical complexity associated with advanced semiconductor fabrication facilities.
Craig Albert, president and chief operating officer of Bechtel, said the project represents a generational investment in U.S. industrial capacity.
“This project represents more than the construction of a semiconductor manufacturing campus, it is part of the foundation of America’s industrial future,” Albert said. “Micron is making a generational investment in U.S. manufacturing, and Bechtel is bringing its world-class execution to deliver the foundation of long-term technology leadership and economic growth.”
Semiconductor fabs are among the most complex industrial facilities to construct, requiring ultra-clean manufacturing environments, vibration-controlled foundations, precision electrical systems, high-purity process piping, and tightly coordinated building systems to support advanced chip production.
Micron and Bechtel said the EPC strategy will emphasize close coordination with local stakeholders and industry partners to expand the regional supply chain and workforce pipeline. Planned outreach efforts aim to connect New York-based contractors, training programs, and job seekers with opportunities generated by the project’s multi-year construction timeline.
Once fully operational, Micron’s Clay campus is expected to play a central role in strengthening domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity and reducing reliance on overseas supply chains, particularly for advanced memory used in artificial intelligence, data centers, and consumer electronics.
Construction is expected to ramp up significantly in the coming months as Bechtel expands its onsite presence and transitions early site work into large-scale structural and systems installation across the White Pine Commerce Park development.
