Onsemi Acquires Central New York Cleanroom for Gallium Nitride Production

A state-built fab in DeWitt gets a Fortune 500 owner and a new mission: scaling next-generation power transistors

Gallium nitride, or GaN, is the material behind a new generation of power semiconductors, capable of handling higher voltages more efficiently than silicon in electric vehicles, data centers, and industrial power systems. In December 2024, onsemi purchased a fully equipped GaN fab in DeWitt, outside Syracuse, giving the company dedicated domestic capacity to develop and scale the technology.

The 82,200-square-foot facility at 50 Collamer Crossings Parkway was built by New York State and previously leased to NexGen Power Systems, a startup focused on vertical GaN devices. When NexGen ceased operations, onsemi acquired its intellectual property and equipment, then approached the state to buy the building outright. The purchase closed at $20 million, and onsemi is receiving no tax breaks in connection with it.

Two phases

In March 2025, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon announced onsemi’s plans for the site: a nearly $120 million investment and up to 80 to 100 new jobs. The project unfolds in two phases. The first is research and development, using the existing cleanroom and tools. The second is renovation to accommodate manufacturing of onsemi’s own semiconductor technology. Hiring for technicians and engineers began almost immediately.

“Onondaga County and Central New York have become the hub for companies looking to expand and grow in the semiconductor space.”
Ryan McMahon, Onondaga County Executive

Why it matters

onsemi is a Fortune 500 company with roughly 30,000 employees worldwide and a manufacturing network that already includes a Trusted Foundry-accredited 300mm fab in East Fishkill, New York. The DeWitt acquisition extends that footprint into Central New York, a region whose semiconductor profile has risen sharply since Micron committed $100 billion to a megafab campus in nearby Clay.

The story of the DeWitt building, from state investment to startup tenant to a global manufacturer with a long-term plan, is a reminder that infrastructure built for the semiconductor industry tends to find its use. In New York, the fabs, the tools, and the trained workforce are already in place. What changes is who arrives to put them to work.

Source: Onondaga County press release, March 6, 2025 and Syracuse.com / ThisIsCNY on the $20 million purchase

View all case studies