Former Vermont IBM facility retooled for RFID inlays
03 April, 2009
category: RFID
Thanks to financial incentives offered by the state, French RFID inlay maker ASK-IntTag has moved into a former IBM assembly plant in Essex Junction, Vermont. The company, in a joint effort with Wisconsin’s WS Packaging, will adapt the facilities to produce inlays for use in drivers’ licenses, passports and transit cards.
Vermont’s Department of Economic Development lured the company with an offer of $120,000 for job training initiatives, as well a future payment of up to half a million dollars if employment goals are met. The incentives, which helped lead to Vermont’s selection over several other states, will help defray the $6 million investment ASK-IntTag has put into the project so far. The company plans to hire 90 people locally over the next three years.
Financing was not the only factor in ASK-IntTag’s selection of the Vermont site. The IBM facility had existing tech-friendly conditions which made the conversion process quicker, and IBM left behind a labor pool with a skill set which prepares them for work at the new facility.
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