A 12,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Glendale switched on this week as Taiwan-based Gudeng Precision Industrial launched its first U.S. facility, a $5 million investment expected to support more than 30 jobs machining components for the aerospace and semiconductor industries. The plant, operating under the name Gudeng Aerospace, sits at 5260 W. Phelps Road and marks the company's first foray into American manufacturing, with production bases in Taiwan, China and South Korea.
Gudeng officially launched operations at the Arizona site on Tuesday, according to focustaiwan.tw, with Gudeng Chairman Chiu Ming-chien presiding over a ceremony marking the plant's completion. Chiu called the Glendale facility a critical step in Gudeng's global expansion amid the restructuring of global supply chains, per the same outlet. Gudeng currently runs production bases in Taiwan, China and South Korea, and according to ABC15 Arizona, Gudeng Precision Industrial operates two factories in Taiwan and is the parent company behind the new Glendale operation.
Located at 5260 W. Phelps Rd., the new facility encompasses 12,000 square feet, as reported by azbigmedia.com. The site represents $5 million in capital investment and is expected to support more than 30 new jobs, the outlet notes, with initial operations focused on aircraft CNC machining, precision inspection and a parts-processing production line. Per the ABC15 report, the Glendale plant will conduct hands-on manufacturing rather than service work, turning out semiconductor and aerospace components for customers within driving distance.
Why Gudeng Chose the West Valley
ABC15's reporting indicates Arizona appealed to Gudeng as the intersection between the semiconductor and aerospace industries, with the state's climate — steady temperatures and very low humidity — supporting precision manufacturing work. Glendale Vice Mayor Ray Malnar told the station that machines are assembled in Taiwan and shipped to the United States for installation at the new plant. Malnar called Gudeng a flagship business that could attract other companies to Arizona, adding that he expects additional businesses associated with Gudeng to follow.
The station's report also frames the opening as part of a broader push to move semiconductor and aerospace supply chains away from overseas shipping and into the West Valley, with the aerospace and semiconductor industries described as being in a super cycle driven by air travel demand and newer chip technology. Darren Chung, cited in the same ABC15 story, said the Airbus A350 he flew to the United States had components made in Taiwan — an illustration of how tightly the supply chain already spans the globe.
Hiring Push Targets Technicians and Machinists
Gudeng Aerospace plans to hire between 30 and 35 workers over the next two years, according to the ABC15 report, with openings posted on LinkedIn and Indeed for high-skilled technicians, CNC machinists, machine operators and electricians. The company is also seeking workers with logic or inspection backgrounds for quality control roles. Taiwan-based employees are expected to help start up the plant and train local hires, with safety cited as a top target for the operation.
West-MEC and the community college system offer fast certificate programs that the ABC15 report says support workforce training tied to the new plant. azbigmedia.com notes that future phases of the project will expand equipment capacity and further integrate the Glendale facility with Arizona's broader aerospace and semiconductor supply chain. Separately, Gudeng expects its new production site to help it provide better service to U.S. customers and grow alongside them, according to taipeitimes.com.
Part of a Bigger Arizona Build-Out
Gudeng's arrival adds to a wave of semiconductor-linked investment reshaping Greater Phoenix. The region has drawn more than $135 billion in semiconductor investment from 1949 through 2024, according to gpec.org, which also notes Greater Phoenix ranks as the fourth-largest U.S. metro area for semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing employment, with 30,499 jobs in those sectors.
The Greater Phoenix Economic Council has helped more than 50 semiconductor companies establish operations in the region since TSMC entered Phoenix in 2020, according to thecentersquare.com. That outlet reports Japanese supplier TOCALO is separately planning a 30,245-square-foot facility in nearby Chandler, expected to create 33 jobs over three years at an average salary of $63,030 — TOCALO's second U.S. site after its original location in La Palma, California. Together, the projects point to a West Valley manufacturing corridor that Glendale officials hope Gudeng's arrival will help expand further.
