Numonyx B.V., which bills itself as the world’s third-largest supplier of memory technology and the No. 1 provider of memory chips for mobile phones, formally opened its new North American headquarters Thursday in Folsom.
Regional and state business leaders and public officials were on hand for ceremonies to open about 100,000 square feet of office and laboratory space at 2355 Iron Point Road.
Numonyx, headquartered in Switzerland, was formed in March 2008 when Intel Corp. and Swiss tech giant STMicroelectronics joined their flash memory businesses to create an independent company focused solely on memory technologies.
Previously, local Numonyx employees were housed at the nearby Intel campus in Folsom.
“We wanted to make sure that as we established the Numonyx North American headquarters, we would be set up for success, and we came right back to where we started,” said Glen Hawk, Numonyx vice president and Folsom’s executive manager. “We knew there is a tremendously talented and highly skilled work force in Folsom that will help us continue to innovate, design and deliver our future-generation memories around the globe.”
Barbara Hayes, executive director of the Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization, said the company’s decision to stay in Folsom was a welcome development amid the wobbly economy.
“The economic downturn of the last couple of years has affected our area like it has nearly everywhere else,” she said. “Numonyx choosing to stay in our region is certainly welcomed news, which we hope will be the first of more to come in 2010.”
With nearly 450 employees, Numonyx said it is the largest privately held, global technology company in the Sacramento region.
The company said most of its office employees are in the process of moving into the new headquarters. Others are scheduled to move in March once construction is completed on labs.
The Folsom site will house the company’s business group, corporate technology office, product research and development, testing/validation labs and North American sales and marketing services.
Numonyx chips are fabricated in Israel and Singapore.
The company says that one out of every two mobile phones shipped around the world today contains Numonyx memory technology. Its memory products are also used in cars, televisions and other consumer electronics.
More information on Numonyx is available at www.numonyx.com.