Showcase Projects
Rio Rancho Plant
Albuquerque, NM

When a world leader in the manufacture of semiconductor products said "Jump," University's Arizona Division didn't just ask how high. We asked how fast and how far, too.

For more than 30 years, our client has been at the forefront of the Internet revolution. In May 2001, the company broke ground on an expansion of its semiconductor fabrication plant in Rio Rancho, just outside Albuquerque, N.M. The facility, which is the largest such plant in the world, is the company's first high-volume producer of microchips on 300mm wafers.

University's Phoenix Division was called upon to install all of the process exhaust and waste systems for the expansion - and to complete the project in less than eight months. Jump fast? No problem. Working two 10-hours shifts, six days per week, University crews installed more than 25 miles of process waste systems and more than 8,000 feet of process exhaust. Satisfying the time-sensitive requirements of our client is crucially important when that client is a leader in a highly competitive environment such as the semiconductor industry.

Jump far? That was no problem, either. All of the piping was fabricated by University crews in our shop in Phoenix and then shipped from Arizona to New Mexico. Our sheet metal shop manager, Rob Adair, with support from the CAD department, arranged the ductwork releases and then coordinated ductwork delivery to Rio Rancho. As many as 14 tractor-trailer loads of just-in-time ductwork were hauled to the site each day.

During the past two decades, Rio Rancho has emerged at the "City of Vision," becoming known as the home of the latest technological and industry-leading innovations in a world-class environment. Putting the University stamp on major facilities there was a challenging, and highly satisfying, experience for the entire team.

The Rio Rancho Fab Team:
Mechanical engineer: Jacobs Engineering
General contractor: Hoffman New Mexico
Mechanical contractor: University Mechanical & Engineering Contractors
University project manager: Karl Thompson
Piping superintendents: Tim Carlin; Kevin Corley
Piping lead general foremen: Gil Chambers; Mark Spadafore
Sheet metal superintendent: Kevin Huber
Sheet metal lead general foreman: Tom McDermott
Project engineer: Ron Davies
Assistant project manager: Michelle Gibbons
CAD detailers: Dwight Roberts; Tim James
Tools and transportation: Terry Cooney

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