Lam Research broke ground Wednesday, Aug. 26, on a $620 million cleanroom lab at its Tualatin campus, a project expected to add more than 400 research jobs paying roughly triple Oregon's average wage.
CEO Tim Archer called the 120,000-square-foot facility at 11363 S.W. Leveton Drive one of Lam's most advanced research and development centers in the world. The lab is expected to open in 2028 and will increase cleanroom space at the site by more than 50%.
The groundbreaking drew U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, Washington County Commission Chair Kathryn Harrington and Tualatin City Council President Valerie Pratt, along with senior leaders from Intel and Micron Technology.
Read announced a $22 million grant from the Oregon CHIPS Fund for the project. He said Lam currently employs 3,300 Oregonians with a combined payroll of $500 million, according to Your Oregon News.
"Practically speaking, it brings over 450 jobs right here to this location with an average salary of $173,000," Pratt said at the ceremony.
That $173,000 average salary is roughly triple Oregon's average wage across all industries, according to The Oregonian. Once the expansion is complete, a third-party IMPLAN assessment cited by Lam projects the company will support more than 11,000 jobs statewide.
The cleanroom is the first piece of a broader expansion. Lam plans to invest more than $3 billion in its global lab network over five years, according to the company's press release. The new building will connect to existing facilities via a pair of skybridges, one linking the cleanrooms directly.
During construction, the project is expected to support about 900 jobs and generate $500 million in economic output over three years, per the IMPLAN assessment cited by Lam. Once complete, the company projects its annual economic contribution in Oregon will exceed $1.8 billion.
The expansion arrives as Oregon's semiconductor employment sits at a 30-year low following thousands of job cuts at Intel and other manufacturers. Lam manufactures semiconductor equipment costing $2 million to more than $20 million apiece at its Tualatin campus, which serves as the company's major research site and a key factory hub. The company posted $23.2 billion in annual sales over the past fiscal year, up 26%.
Washington County and the Tualatin City Council have approved a Strategic Investment Program agreement allowing Lam to reinvest up to $1.7 billion over 15 years with reduced property taxes. Washington County said offsetting payments total $111 million over the agreement's life.
The deal still requires final approval from the Oregon Business Development Council.
