Applied Will Double Plant Space in Texas

Applied Materials Inc., the largest U.S. manufacturer of chip-making equipment, said it will double its manufacturing space in Austin, Texas, within the next year to meet demand for its products. The completion of a 258,000-square-foot building and the construction of a 310,000-square-foot facility will bring the company’s total manufacturing space in Austin to more than 1 million square feet. The company expects to complete the smaller building by August and will begin construction on the larger building--expected to cost $45 million--in September. Applied plans to begin manufacturing there in the first half of next year. Applied said it will add several hundred workers to the 1,800 employees already there. Austin is one of Applied’s major manufacturing sites. Santa Clara-based Applied Materials shares rose $1.8125 to close at $77.375 on Nasdaq.