Colorado Springs – There was no “For Sale” sign in front of the Intel Corp. complex on Colorado Springs’ Garden of the Gods Road on Wednesday, and workers were fabricating computer flash chips as usual.
But a sense of resignation hung in the air as employees went to and from the Fab 23 plant in clear, 34-degree weather.
Intel announced Tuesday it’s putting the plant up for sale, clouding the future of the plant’s 1,000 workers.
“Change is difficult for people, but they’re dealing with it remarkably well,” said local Intel spokeswoman Judy Cara.
Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel has given no timetable for the sale but said Tuesday it will close the plant if no buyer is found.
Intel workers in the Fab 23 parking lot declined to comment Wednesday, indicating the company had instructed them not to speak publicly. Workers from outside contractors, however, said Intel employees were not surprised about the news.
“They’re disappointed but not surprised,” said Caroline Styles, an administrative assistant with SBM, which provides building maintenance at the Intel complex. “They figure they’ll still have at least a year of work, maybe more.”
Styles said workers are used to news about cutbacks in the microprocessor industry.
Intel, the world’s largest manufacturer of semiconductors, said Tuesday its fourth-quarter profit of $1.5 billion was down almost 40 percent from the fourth quarter of 2005. The company announced plans last year to cut 10,500 jobs.
