X-FAB Sells UK-Based Wafer Fabrication Plant to Plus Semi

X-FAB UK is a semiconductor manufacturing plant that represents less than five percent of the total capacity of X-FAB Silicon Foundries Group. The latter was interested in strategically aligning its facilities in order to achieve further growth as a business and this meant either closing or selling the wafer manufacturer. By selling the plant to Plus Semi, however, both parties benefit, since X-FAB Group no longer has to manage the facility and Plus Semi can use the new factory to expand its business into analogue product sales.

“We are glad to have reached a solution that continues operation and maintains jobs at the site in Plymouth, outside the X-FAB organization,” said Hans-Jurgen Straub, CEO of X-FAB Group. “The sale is an important milestone for optimizing the X-FAB Group’s capacities.”

The deal includes a technology license agreement, which ensures the continued operation of the facility, with Plus Semi expected to take full control of the Plymouth-based factory by the end of the year. After that, X-FAB can see to its own development plans, while Plus Semi can put its new acquisition to good use, preserving the jobs of the fab's workers who will enable the Swindon-based Plus Semi to grow in the area of semiconductor design.

“This has been the culmination of an enormous effort from all concerned to bring these two former Plessey businesses, Plymouth and Swindon, together again.” stated Michael LeGoff, Plus Semi Managing Director. “We have retained our key engineering competence within a design and technology center in Swindon with approximately 20 employees. Together with the 150 people we will employ at the Plymouth facility we have an exciting opportunity to find significant growth in semiconductor design and manufacture in the lucrative analog/mixed-signal semiconductor markets.”

Although the deal will close by the end of December, financial aspects have not been revealed as of yet.