Intel Raises the First Major Steel Truss at Its Ohio Chip Plant, but the First Fab Is Not Due Until 2030

Intel says workers have installed the first major structural truss at its new chip factory in New Albany, Ohio, a milestone for a project that has run years behind, Breitbart News reports, citing CNBC.

The site. The plant, just northeast of Columbus, was announced in 2022, with production first expected in 2025. Intel now says construction on the first fab will finish in 2030 and a second fab at the site in 2031. The company envisions a "Silicon Heartland." Naga Chandrasekaran, who heads Intel Foundry, called the truss "another significant step toward expanded U.S. leading-edge semiconductor capacity."

Why the delay. The slower schedule reflects a more cautious foundry strategy under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took over in 2025. The Ohio build began under former CEO Pat Gelsinger, and Tan prefers to wait for confirmed customer demand before committing to new fabs. Intel said Oct. 21 that its next Arizona fab should start operating by the end of 2028. It is already making 18A chips in high volume at an existing Arizona fab, but Breitbart says it has not signed a major outside customer for them.

Possible customers. In September, reports said SK Hynix could lease foundry space in Ohio for memory chips, though neither company has confirmed a deal. TechInsights analyst Dan Hutcheson said big chipmakers want a second source so they can press Taiwan Semiconductor on pricing, and that "all the big ones have been testing there."

The government stake. Breitbart notes that Trump negotiated a 10 percent U.S. stake in Intel in 2025, and includes a Breitbart Business Digest passage by John Carney arguing that this is not socialism.

Note for readers: "Trump Effect" is Breitbart's headline framing. The reporting itself shows a slower schedule than first announced, and we did not see CNBC's original story.