By JOHN PIEKARSKI
John@TheBallstonJournal.com

MALTA – You don’t have to be a large corporation to become a GlobalFoundries supplier. Plenty of small businesses are needed to provide goods and services for the semiconductor industry.

But you need to know what you’re doing.

To help, the New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership is holding two seminars next month on supply-chain opportunities in the semiconductor industry. While the seminars will be focused on supplying GlobalFoundries, the knowledge gained applies to selling to most chip makers.

“We’ll teach how to prepare you your business to do business with the semiconductor industry,” said Bob Incerto, director of engineering consulting services for the Hudson Valley Technology Development Center in Fishkill. “While GlobalFoundries has global connections of suppliers it is very used to dealing with, local businesses can meet needs by providing quick turnaround and on-site services.”

HVTDC is holding the seminars along with the Center for Economic Growth in Albany and Mohawk Valley Applied Technology in Utica. The Capital Region seminar will be 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Sept. 15 at the Century House in Latham.

As trial runs for the upcoming seminars, the groups held two prototype versions earlier in the year with about 10 companies participating in each event.

Since then, three of those companies – two machine shops and a sealing technology business – have undergone assessments to see how prepared they are to sell to a company such as GlobalFoundries. Incerto said the assessments are necessary because GlobalFoundries has high standards and strict guidelines for its suppliers. There are certifications, control systems, quality programs and proactive maintenance systems that need to be in place.

Still, it can be worth it. HVTDC executive director Tom Phillips said the group helped one company go from the third tier to a top 20 supplier at the IBM semiconductor facility in Fishkill.

“People can become their primary supplier if they have the right costs and turnaround,” Phillips said.

And don’t think you have to be in high tech to be a GlobalFoundries supplier.

“We have targeted all aspects of their needs, not just their technological needs,” Incerto said.

Those needs include everything from high-tech machine shops to maintenance and building services, clean-room and office supplies, paint shops and uniform providers.

Not only will the seminars teach you what to do, but the extension partnership members will help introduce businesses to the proper contacts at GlobalFoundries.

GlobalFoundries officials “identify their needs,” Incerto said. “We can help them by matching their needs to various companies.”

For more information, call the Center for Economic Growth at 465.6681.