POCATELLO — Before ON Semiconductor acquired AMI Semiconductor in 2007, increasing trepidation left many employees wondering about the future of the Pocatello fabrication site.

Nearly 10 years later, ON Semiconductor is now one of the top five largest private enterprises in Pocatello, and earlier this month it hosted an open house to showcase a recently completed $1.4 million expansion of the Pocatello facility.

“Everybody here buckled down and worked really hard, and as a result of that we’re seeing tons of investment from the corporate side,” said Beth Johnston, the marketing and communications manager for ON Semiconductor’s Pocatello location. “Coupled with a growing market, our fabs are working at capacity, which is a good sign for Pocatello.”

The Pocatello fabrication site, formerly known as AMI Semiconductor, set up shop in Pocatello in the early 1970s, and with it came the typical shake shingles and lava rock décor. The new expansion included a face-lift for the exterior of the building and a revamped entrance lobby, which was something that Todd Corsetti, director and general manager of the Pocatello site, said was a much-needed change.

“We bring in tons of large companies including automotive, medical and technological businesses,” Corsetti said. “We needed to look modern to offer a more professional experience.”

Prior to the expansion, the facility was also not ADA compliant with only stairs leading into the facility and handicap parking too far from the entrances.

“We were able to put some ADA-compliant parking out front and an elevator that goes to each level of the building,” Corsetti said.

In addition to the facility expansion, Corsetti said several other corporate acquisitions have bolstered the company’s growth and outreach opportunities, including a $2.4 billion cash purchase of Fairchild Semiconductor, based out of San Jose, California, in November 2015.

While ON Semiconductor remains competitive in a global market, Corsetti said the recent acquisitions have allowed the corporate headquarters to begin investing more into the Pocatello site, which will amount to more than $30 million this fiscal year.

While most of the semiconductor industry relies heavily on the use of machines to fabricate the semiconductors used around the world, those machines are still operated and maintained by people.

“It’s a complex process, but basically we make integrated circuits, or semiconductors that are the heart, brains and soul of every electronics device that you use from your cellphone to your car, laptop, tablet or hearing aids,” Corsetti said. “We hosted the open house to let people know that 750 high-paying jobs exist at this facility and what we do is important.”

Corsetti continued, “Our circuits go all over the planet and I think people in Bannock County really need to know what we do. We’re growing and increasing the number of jobs available and are hiring right now.”

Currently the third-largest private employer in Pocatello, ON Semiconductor is currently hiring fabrication technicians, engineers and robotics experts, Corsetti added.

In recent years, ON Semiconductor has quadrupled the capacity of the Pocatello site and expect additional future growth for years to come.

In addition to showcasing the remodeled facility, the open house allowed family and friends of current employees to tour the building, something they normally don’t have the chance to experience based on the sensitive nature of some of the contracts and expected level of cleanliness at the facility.

Further, attendees had the chance to try on the protective bunny suits that fabrication technicians wear daily as well as participate in guided tours of the fabrication rooms.

Coupled with the open house, ON Semiconductor’s corporate office awarded a $9,000 grant to the Pocatello Free Clinic to cover the cost of bloodwork labs conducted by the company.

The Pocatello Free Clinic is an organization that provides free medical and dental care to low-income, uninsured residents throughout Southeast Idaho.

“This will provide free labs to our patients,” said Kristina Jordan, the Pocatello Free Clinic’s executive director. “This will help out tremendously because it’s predicted that we will have $13,000 worth of lab costs in 2017 because our patient demographic has increased by 33 percent since 2016.”

Aside from showcasing the new facility during Thursday’s open house, Corsetti said that at the end of the day he would like the residents of Pocatello to know what ON Semiconductor has to offer to the community and to reinforce that the work being completed at the facility really is just like rocket science.

“We are approaching 40,000 employees worldwide and we have about 750 here,” Corsetti said. “This site, its success and its longevity is critical to this community and it’s important that we continue to thrive and grow.”