MESA, AZ — In a few years, JX Nippon Mining & Metals USA Inc. expects a quiet, empty field in southeast Mesa to be a busy manufacturing plant, supporting the semiconductor industry at home and overseas.
JX broke ground Wednesday on its new electronics materials plant in Mesa at the northeast corner of Germann and Crismon roads. The groundbreaking came months after JX acquired the more than 60 acres for $29 million in April. The company will produce so-called "sputtering targets" used in the fabrication of semiconductors at the new plant. The company is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based JX Nippon Mining & Metals.
As of now, the company's planned manufacturing plant and office account for just a fraction of the size of its new acreage. That makes up the first phase of the project, which is expected to be completed in early 2024. By 2025, JX Nippon expects to bring another 100 employees, adding to its current count of 125. Although no timeline was announced for future phases, the company said it can expand further on-site down the line.
