Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott got a rare hands-on experience inside one of Vermontâ s largest employers today, working a â Vermont Everyday Job’at IBMâ s manufacturing facility in Essex Junction.
Scott worked at several stations throughout the production facility for IBMâ s 200mm microchips, which are found inside consumer products ranging from smart phones to tablets to high-definition TVs.
But before he could even enter the facility, the Lieutenant Governor had to suit up in a head-to-toe jumpsuit, designed to protect the product from inadvertent contamination by manufacturing personnel. The production lines are often referred to as â clean rooms’because of the need to prevent even the smallest particles from destroying chips whose individual wires are thousands of times thinner than a strand of hair.
Scott started his shift on a station that cleans the boxes in which the silicon wafers are transported during the production process. He then worked on the measurement of the overlay of images that are imprinted on the wafer as part of the chip build process. Finally, he finished up on an equipment maintenance station. In all stages of the process, accuracy is critical.
â This is precision work without the slightest room for error,’said Lt. Gov. Scott. â I was amazed to see and experience all that goes into it. It also makes me very proud to know that Vermonters are behind the technology that we depend on every day.’
Todayâ s visit also gave Scott a new perspective on the importance of IBM to the state. â As a company, IBM has always shared what theyâ ve learned, particularly about energy efficiency, to the benefit of many other Vermont companies as well as state agencies. Working alongside their employees today, I got a firsthand appreciation of the incredible amount of knowledge and experience we have here in our state. These folks were responsible for over 400 patents last year alone. IBM really is an amazing resource,’he said.
In turn, Scott said, the state needs to work hard to guarantee the affordable and reliable electricity that IBM and other manufacturers need to keep their lines running. â When we were having the Yankee debate in the Legislature, I remember hearing the comment that if the power so much as flickers for a few seconds in IBMâ s clean room, they could have to discard the entire dayâ s work,’Scott said. â Having seen that highly controlled production line up close today, I understand why.â
About Phil Scottâ s â Vermont Everyday Jobs’Initiative
Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott started his â Vermont Everyday Jobs’initiative last year to promote Vermont businesses and strengthen the relationship between the business community and state government. By finding out in a hands-on manner what it takes to make Vermont businesses work, the Lt. Governor will gain a better understanding of what state government can do to help those businesses work better.
Previous â Vermont Everyday Jobs’have included:
Dr. Alison Cornwall, DVM (Large-Animal Veterinarian) / Central VT
Smugglers’Notch Distillery / Jeffersonville
Burlington Fire Department
Vermont Rail Systems / Rutland
Vermont Foodbank / Rutland
The Addison Eagle / Middlebury
GE Aviation / Rutland
Orange County Sheriff's Department / Chelsea
Lake Champlain Ferry / Burlington
Breakwater Café / Burlington
Windjammer Best Western Inn / South Burlington
Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice / Berlin
Beekeeping with French Hill Apiaries / St. Albans
Doug Cox Violins / Brattleboro
Teaching second grade at Union Memorial Elementary School / Colchester
Assembling solar trackers at AllEarth Renewables / Williston
Stowe Mountain Resort
Porter Hospital / Middlebury
Working with a line team at Green Mountain Power / South Burlington
Vermont Quicklube / South Barre
Source: Scott's office. 7.10.2012