Reading Works
Industry | Electronics Manufacturing |
---|---|
Predecessor |
|
Founded | 1876 |
Founder | Elisha Gray |
Fate | Closed in 2003 |
Headquarters | , |
Owner | Western Electric (1952–1984) AT&T Technologies (1984–1996) Lucent Technologies (1996–2000) Agere Systems (2000–2005) |
Number of employees | 5,000 (1985) |
1952: From Allentown to Laureldale
The origins can be traced back to 1876, when
In 1951, just four years after the invention of the
In 1952, operations in Reading began when
On January 12, 1956, a diffused base transistor was unveiled at Laureldale before top military brass at a solid-state diffusion symposium. That was the same year that Bell Labs' scientists Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley received the 1956 Nobel Prize in physics for the invention of the transistor. "Bell Laboratories scientists in Murray Hill, N.J., may have won the Nobel Prizes and gotten most of the press, but Allentown and Reading delivered the goods," notes Stuart W. Leslie, a historian of science at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.[8]
In 1958, a group of
1962: From Laureldale to Reading
By the late 1950s, the increased demand for its products necessitated Western Electric building a larger facility, so plans were developed for a 200,000-square-foot (20,000 m2) building at the North 11th Street site. The Greater Berks Development Fund built the Reading plant at the end of 11th street for $2 million to lease to Bell Labs and Western Electric.[3]
Ground breaking took place in November 1960, and on January 2, 1962, Western Electric took possession of the new building, Building 30 (the manufacturing building).[3]
In 1964,
In 1967, when the Reading Works celebrated its 15th anniversary in
1984: Western Electric to AT&T Technologies
In 1984, the
1996: AT&T to Lucent
Under the 1996 restructuring of
The Lucent Reading Plant was unique in the semiconductor industry because it manufactured both optoelectronic and integrated circuit components. The facility received a $6 million renovation to boost its optoelectronics manufacturing capacity.
In addition to serving the traditional communications markets, the Lucent Optoelectronics portion of the facility provided a family of transmitters and receivers for use in
The Lucent Microelectronics portion of the facility produced linear bipolar, high voltage and gallium arsenide integrated circuits. These
In 1996, the Reading Works' work force stood at 2,450 including AT&T Microelectronics and Bell Labs as it made the transition from AT&T into Lucent Technologies.[16] The spin off of AT&T manufacturing units as Lucent Technologies became necessary as these units increasingly found that their prospective customers were AT&T competitors. The divestiture of the manufacturing units made them suppliers rather than competitors, opening up new markets to Lucent and to the Reading Works. At the same time it caused the anxiety that comes with change.[17] On October 1, 1996, Lucent Technologies became independent of AT&T. The Reading Works became Lucent Technologies Reading Facility. It employed 2,177 people, down considerably from 4,900 in 1985.[18][19] By the end of 1997, the Reading Facility workforce had declined and remained stable at 2,000.[20] By the end of 1998, the Reading Facility workforce had rebounded to 2,177.[5] In 1999 a pickup in Lightwave business caused expansion of both the Reading Facility and the Breinigsville plant.[21]
2000: Lucent to Agere
The Reading Plant's heritage, combined with constant innovation and product quality, positioned the Reading site as one of the largest
2003: From Agere to Closure
On January 24, 2002, Agere Systems announced that it would be closing the 1,300,000 square feet (120,000 m2) Reading Works in 12 to 18 months. The planned changes involved closing the Breinigsville, Pennsylvania plant in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, which was opened in 1988;[25] selling the Orlando plant in Florida; and consolidating several locations in New Jersey. All operations were consolidated at the Allentown, Pennsylvania, headquarters location and the New Jersey locations. About 1,500 workers were transferred from Reading to Allentown where 3,200 workers were employed prior to the relocation. As Agere was leaving, Legerity, Inc. assumed some of the operations formerly done by the Muhlenberg plant in the old Building 10 on North 13th Street. In this facility Legerity assembled 40 former Agere circuit-design, physical-design, application-design and process development engineers to support the analog line card integrated circuit business it purchased from Agere. Legerity is a design facility that uses other companies foundries to manufacture its products.[26] In May 2003, Agere Systems ended all manufacturing and began decommissioning its Muhlenberg plant. The last 346 manufacturing employees were laid off. About 50 employees — mostly maintenance — remained at the plant until a buyer was found.[27]
Agere built a $165 million World Headquarters building in
At the end of 1999, shares of Lucent stock hit a high of nearly $80. After spinning off Agere Systems, Lucent shares dropped to around $4.50 and later dropped to $0.55 in October 2002. After being spun off, Agere shares were about $4 and dropped to a low of $0.50 in October 2002. Agere started 2000 with 18,000 employees. By the end of the year it had only 10,000 employees. By the end of 2001 the number of employees had dropped to about 7,000. The last wafer starts at the Reading Works were scheduled for April, 2003 and the last shipments were scheduled for May, 2003. The doors locked on May 16, 2003. Starting May 17, the Reading work force consisted of 100 employees who cleaned up the facility and disposed of equipment. In July the work force was down to 50 maintenance employees who manned the 1,300,000-square-foot (120,000 m2) facility while attempts were made to sell or at least rent or lease it. On December 13, 2005, it was announced that Agere had signed an agreement with a
2006: Greater Reading Expo Center
Audubon Land Development of Oaks, Pennsylvania, bought the old Reading Works in December 2005 for an undisclosed amount. Agere Systems had been asking for $8 million for the property. The assessment of the property was lowered to $9.5 million from $26.3 million after Agere Systems appealed. On Tuesday, March 14, 2006, Urban Expositions, a Georgia-based trade show company, announced it would hold the 10th annual Philadelphia Gift Show at the Reading Center July 23–26, 2006, the facility being called the Greater Reading Expo Center. A company press release called the event, with an expected 1,400 booths, the largest regional gift show in the country. Gene Call, an Audubon spokesman, said Audubon's subsidiary, Stonepoint Management Corp., which was leasing the 1,000,000-square-foot (93,000 m2) Agere Systems building, would run the expo center. Stonepoint would use 350,000 square feet (33,000 m2), he said. Stonepoint was exploring other uses but had not made firm plans.[10]
Crystal Seitz, president of the Greater Reading Convention & Visitors Bureau, said a typical convention center with a steady stream of shows generates about $150 million for a local economy, including money spent for lodging and meals. Jon C. Scott, president of the Berks Economic Partnership, said he has met several times with Audubon officials and was excited about the prospects for the center. “It opens up the type of exhibits that would never have been available before,” Scott said. “It leads to other intriguing possibilities.” Some of the shows scheduled for the facility included: Philadelphia Gift Show which includes Birdwatch America-Philadelphia, Great Train Expo, Bead Fest Philadelphia, Greater Philadelphia Pet Expo, Great American Guitar Show, Sports Card & Memorabilia Show,[29] Home & Garden Show,[30] and The Greater Reading Sport, Travel & Outdoors Show.[10]
Success of the Expo Center was in part due to the closing of the Fort Washington Exposition Center in Montgomery County and the Pennsylvania Expo Center in Lehigh County and in part due to the 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2) of inside space, several auditoriums, numerous meeting rooms, 13 loading docks, ample parking and a full-service cafeteria among its amenities.[31] Muhlenberg Township waived the 10% amusement tax on admission to the Expo Center from January through September 2007. This was an attempt to allow the Expo Center to become better established. The township estimated future revenues at $50,000 per year.[32]
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development included the StonePointe Center, which includes the Greater Reading Expo Center, as part of the Greater Reading Keystone Innovation Zone and invested $235,000 to fund its operations. Also included in this zone is TEK Park, the former home of Lucent/Agere Optoelectronics in Breinigsville, Lehigh County, which houses a number of industrial tenants and the Kutztown University Innovation Center.[33] Building 30 is now called the "Flex Building" and building 20 is the "Office Building". Stonepoint pitched the center: "Imagine a state of the art business center, with more than one million square feet of available space for office, manufacturing and distribution; a facility with high-tech infrastructure and easy access to transportation. Imagine a convenient location near Reading, Pennsylvania, with professional on-site management to support your business. Imagine your business at StonePointe Center."[10]
The Expo Center was the latest in venues that mark a renaissance in Reading. It started with the opening of the Sovereign Center and its sister the Sovereign Performing Arts Center. Now it includes the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts.[34]
The Greater Reading Expo Center closed in 2013.[35]
References
- Prescott C. Mabon (1975). Mission Communications: The Story of Bell Laboratories; Murray Hill (NJ), US; Bell Laboratories.
- Bell Telephone Laboratories Incorporated (1977). Engineering and Operations in the Bell System; Murray Hill (NJ), US; Bell Telephone Laboratories LCCN 77-84418.
- Western Electric Pamphlet (1983) Reading Works; 20 Pages, Public Relations Department, Western Electric Reading Works; Reading (PA), US
- North American Company Profiles 1996 Pages 189-194
- North American Company Profiles 1997 Pages 205-210
- William F. Brinkman, William W. Troutman (1997). Key Steps to the Integrated Circuit; Bell Labs Technical Journal, Volume 2, Issue 4, Pages 15 – 28.
- Michael Riordan and Lillian Hoddeson (1997).Crystal Fire: The Invention of the Transistor and the Birth of the Information Age. New York: Norton. ISBN 0-393-31851-6
- Melliar-Smith, C.M.; Borrus, M.G.; Haggan, D.E.; Lowrey, T.; Vincentelli, A.S.G.; Troutman, W.W. (1998) The transistor: an invention becomes a big business; Proceedings of the IEEE, Volume 86, Issue 1, January 1998 Page(s):86-110.
- Reading Eagle Company (1999). Reading Towne: 1748-1998; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- Stephen B. Adams and Orville R. Butler (1999). Manufacturing the Future: A History of Western Electric; Cambridge, UK; Cambridge University Press ISBN 0-521-65118-2.
- Reading Eagle Company (2000). A 20th Century Journey: 1990-1999; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- T. R. Reid (2001). The Chip: How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched a Revolution; New York; Random House ISBN 0-375-75828-3.
- Lillian Hoddeson and Vicki Daitch (2002). True Genius: The life and Science of John Bardeen; Washington, DC; Joseph Henry Press ISBN 0-309-08408-3.
- International Economic Development Council
- SEC filings of AT&T Corp.
- SEC filings of Lucent Technologies Inc.
- SEC filings of Agere Systems Inc.
- SEC filings of LSI Logic Corp.
- The Reading Eagle 12/31/06 A Time of CHANGE: 2006 the Year in Business by the Reading Eagle; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- The Reading Eagle, 6/17/07 Western Electric: 'This was Silicon Valley'; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- East Penn Manufacturing Company
- Bell System Memorial Home Page
- Reading Works History Database
Notes
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 6/17/07, Our industrious roots: Western Electric, This was Silicon Valley; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ a b c Prescott C. Mabon (1975). Mission Communications: The Story of Bell Laboratories; Murray Hill (NJ), US; Bell Laboratories. Page 181
- ^ a b c d e f g h Western Electric Co. (1983). Western Electric Reading Works:; Reading (PA), US; Page 3
- ^ Michael Riordan (2006). "IEEE Spectrum, Volume 43, Issue 12, How Bell Labs Missed the Microchip"; IEEE Press, Piscataway (NJ), US; Page 36-41
- ^ a b The Reading Eagle, 12/6/98, "Once a wee mill, Western Electric now dominant employer in Berks"; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ Reading Eagle Company (1999). Reading Towne: 1748-1998; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press. Page 141
- ^ Michael Riordan and Lillian Hoddeson (1997).Crystal Fire: The Invention of the Transistor and the Birth of the Information Age. New York: Norton. Page 204
- ^ Michael Riordan (2005). "IEEE Spectrum, Volume 42, Issue 7, The End of "AT&T"; IEEE Press, Piscataway (NJ), US; Page 46-51
- ^ a b c The Reading Eagle, 2/16/92, AT&T Reading Works plans on growth; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ a b c d e The Reading Eagle, 12/31/06, A time of CHANGE:; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 12/14/89, 25 local jobs at risk in AT&T restructuring; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 1/04/04
- ^ Reading Eagle Company (2000). A 20th Century Journey: 1990-1999; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press. Page 10
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 11/09/94, Reading Works to lay off 84 workers; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 9/21/95, Reading Works will be part of manufacturing company; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 2/6/96, Reading Works to be Lucent Technologies; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 6/23/96, Lucent Technologies to focus on the future; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 10/1/96, Lucent is cut loose by parent AT&T; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 12/7/97, Reading Hospital again has largest local work force; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 12/7/97, Reading Hospital again has largest local work force; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 4/22/99, Lucent adding 100 jobs at Muhlenberg plant; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 12/17/00, Berks County's top 20 employers; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 5/9/01, Agere boosts job cuts in Berks; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 12/16/01, Berks County's top employers; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 12/8/04, TriQuint cutting jobs in Lehigh; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 2/23/03, New Berks chip operation has a familiar ring; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 5/55/03, Agere shuts down Muhlenberg plant; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 4/7/02, Agere Moves Up; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 3/01/07, Sports memorabilia show at expo center; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 3/8/07, Making value judgments; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 10/29/06, Two closed expo centers give renovated local site a big boost.; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 12/19/06, Expo center granted break on taxes; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 11/15/06, State creates local job-growth area; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ The Reading Eagle, 9/24/06, Sovereign Center, Sovereign Performing Arts Center spark area renaissance; Reading (PA), US; Reading Eagle Press.
- ^ Miller, Karen L. (October 24, 2013). "Greater Reading Expo Center vendors seek new sites". Reading Eagle. Retrieved February 28, 2017.