£500,000 prompts relocation for Ichor

ICHOR Systems, the electronics manufacturer, has shifted its Scottish operation to Blantyre from Hamilton following a £500,000 investment.

The switch to the 36,600 sq ft site at Hamilton Business Park, backed by a £175,000 Regional Selective Assistance grant, has resulted in Blantyre becoming the European head office for the Oregon headquartered company.

The new facility, where the company holds a 10-year lease, will employ 36 of the 85 staff employed by Ichor’s European operation.

Ichor first moved into Scotland with the acquisition of East Kilbride-based Semi Scenic, a semiconductor company, in April 2012.

Managing Director Don Nicolson said the move to Blantyre has enabled the company to increase its production capacity five-fold, paving the way for “substantial further growth.”

Last year the company received a major boost when it secured a global product licence from industry giant Lam Research. The deal enables it to supply Single Chamber Etch (SCE) licensed legacy products directly to wafer manufacturers around the world.

Fergus Ewing, Scottish minister for business, energy and tourism, who officially opened the Blantyre site, said: “Don Nicolson and his team at Ichor Systems are to be congratulated on the knowhow, vision and sheer hard work which has made the company a highly-successful player in the global semiconductor market.

“By delivering real valueadded products and services to its customers throughout the world and exploiting further growth opportunities, Ichor Systems is a great example of what Scotland’s businesse s are capable of achieving.”