Austin, TX
Samsung Employee Describes Decades of Commitment to the U.S. and Texas
In 2021, Samsung Austin Semiconductor announced the construction of a new semiconductor fabrication facility in Taylor, Texas. The project is the second of its kind in Texas — with the first being in Austin. To a longtime employee such as Rafael Lainez, Director of Manufacturing Engineering at Samsung Austin Semiconductor, the new fabrication plant is the latest indication of Samsung’s longtime commitment to the U.S. For Lainez, much has changed over the years at Samsung. Despite the many changes Lainez has witnessed, however, some things have remained the same: Samsung’s commitment to being a proud U.S. employer and a good neighbor and upstanding corporate citizen of Central Texas and its dedication to serving the local community.
A Samsung Employee Since 1997
In 1997, Rafael Lainez started his career at Samsung at the Austin campus. Lainez recalls that as he drove an hour and a half from his home in San Antonio, he was excited to begin his first day of work and that the environment at Samsung was immediately welcoming. “When I got to the office, I was lucky in the sense that I had friends waiting for me and ready to show me around,” he said.
Rafael Lainez holding a 12-inch wafer at Samsung Austin Semiconductor.
As a skilled engineer who already had valuable experience, Lainez says he was drawn to Samsung because at the time, the company’s operations in Austin were being launched as the biggest and strongest in Texas. The company provided an opportunity for Lainez to work on cutting-edge DRAM memory products with 8-inch wafers, with which he did not have previous experience. The chance to learn something new and be a part of the most advanced technology around was a key point in him joining the Samsung team.
Rafael Lainez examining a wafer using a semiconductor inspection microscope.
“Never a Dull Moment”
In early 1997, construction on the first Samsung Austin Semiconductor fabrication plant was underway. As Lainez recalls, the site was originally a corn field. “Because it was originally farmland, there were absolutely no trees around,” Lainez says. “Samsung planted every single tree on the property!” For Lainez, perhaps the clearest indication of the scale of the operation was the constant construction taking place. He says, “It was impressive — a massive undertaking. I think at one point, Samsung had all the cranes in the city working on our site 24/7.”
At the time, there was a lot of local excitement over Samsung’s investment in a U.S. semiconductor fabrication facility – the first foreign-owned company to build a fab here – and entry into Central Texas. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on March 28, 1996, and featured the University of Texas Longhorn Band and a rodeo. It truly was a big Texas welcome. A lot of time has passed since the first shovel hit dirt, but Lainez has been at Samsung Austin Semiconductor for nearly the entire journey. Over the years, he has remained at the company not only because of the opportunities it has presented him, but also because of the culture Samsung has cultivated.
Lainez started as a Capacitor Module Engineer on the Process Architecture Team before moving to Product Introduction, where he brought memory products from 0.35µm technology to 100nm products to market. Over the years, he’s worked on SRAM, DRAM and Flash memory products, as well as application processors and other products at System LSI. Most recently, he has been involved in Foundry Operations, which includes manufacturing for a wide range of customers. Lainez says that working at Samsung Austin Semiconductor means there is “never a dull moment.” He adds that “Samsung has always been an innovative company, and I’m proud to work for a company that can adapt and respond to the needs of our customers and the marketplace.”
Rafael Lainez leading a meeting at Samsung Austin Semiconductor.
He has also been through the Samsung Leadership Program and had the opportunity to lead new departments on several occasions, which has given him a fuller perspective of his work and Samsung’s uniqueness. These departments include Metrology, Defects, Integration, Materials and Analysis. For as dynamic as his career has been, Lainez believes the most meaningful part of working at Samsung Austin Semiconductor has been the people. About his colleagues, he says, “A lot of them are still here, and I have met people that started out of college, married Samsung teammates and formed families. That is what has made Samsung Austin Semiconductor special to me.”
An Everlasting Bond
Rafael Lainez with a colleague at the Samsung Austin Semiconductor office.
For Lainez and his team, Samsung Austin Semiconductor’s profits exceeding $1 million and turning a profit at a fabrication plant outside of South Korea for the first time was meaningful milestone. However, they were surprised by the reaction they received when they reported the news back to headquarters: how much of that profit had they shared with the local community? To Lainez, this was a defining moment. Recalling the memory now, he says, “It reinforced Samsung’s values and that Samsung cares, not just about operating profits, but also about the well-being of the entire community and everyone associated with the company. And that is a very memorable and proud moment that I will always carry with me.”
AUSTIN (KXAN) — As flood threats continue across parts of South Central Texas, Austin Pets Alive! has activated emergency response efforts to support animal shelters affected by the inclement weather.
In a social media post, APA! wrote, “We began offering aid last night, working to secure fosters for 10 dogs in the Castroville shelter, an open-air shelter that sits at the bottom of a valley.”
APA! said the situation escalated overnight with additional shelters reporting flooding. One shelter confirmed that floodwaters reached its facility, APA! added.
Communities overwhelmed due to weather include Uvalde, Castroville and Sabinal.
The nonprofit is asking the Austin community to foster, adopt or donate to free up capacity for animals displaced by the disaster. APA! needs to clear out its facilities to assist the animals in need of shelter.
Here are ways you can help:
- Adopt: APA! is offering a “Name Your Own Adoption Fee” on all animals.
- Foster: The shelter is seeking foster homes for a minimum of three weeks.
- Donate: Proceeds will fund vans and response teams setting up a staging and triage center at the heart of the disaster zone, along with an expanded stockpile of preventatives, PPE and additional supplies.
If you would like to donate, click here.
AUSTIN, Texas — With heavy rain expected across parts of Central Texas this week and flooding top of mind, the city of Austin is proposing to put more money toward flood mitigation improvements in next year’s budget.
The proposal would invest in new flood infrastructure, add staff, and help move flood mitigation projects forward, according to city leaders. Austin City Councilmember Ryan Alter said the investments are aimed at keeping the city prepared for future flooding.
Residents who live near waterways say they have seen how quickly conditions can change. David Haderspeck, who lives near Shoal Creek, said the creek “fills up pretty fast” and “gets a lot higher than you’d expect.” He said he has watched the water rise dramatically after rain.
“I’ve seen it come up probably 10 to 15 feet to the ordinary high-water mark,” he said.
This week, parts of Central Texas, including the Hill Country, are expected to get heavy downpours. While Austin is not expecting the same impacts as parts of the Hill Country, leaders said the city is using this year’s budget planning to continue investing in flood safety.
Alter said the city has the expertise to address flooding risks but needs to follow through on projects.
ALSO| Central Texas urged to prepare as heavy rainfall sits in forecast over next two days
“We have the experts. We just have to put the plans into practice, and that’s what we’re doing in this budget,” he said.
Under the budget proposal, the city would provide about $134.5 million for the Drainage Utility Fund, which helps pay for flood mitigation, drainage infrastructure and watershed protection efforts.
Alter said the proposal would shift more of the funding balance toward building new infrastructure.
“What we’re going to do is shift that balance a little bit more to building new infrastructure so that when we do have large flooding events, we’ve got that infrastructure in place to keep people safe,” he said.
The proposal also adds staff and invests in both new and existing flood mitigation projects across the city.
Asked whether the proposed investments would be enough moving forward, Alter said, “I do…I think we’re doing the right thing and just making sure that our residents have the infrastructure to stay safe.”
Alter said heavy rain cannot be prevented, but the city’s goal is to have infrastructure in place to help keep people safe when it happens.
FILE – LinkedIn logos are displayed on an iPhone and computer screen. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Attorney General’s office has opened an investigation into LinkedIn over allegations that the professional networking platform misleads consumers with advertising and profiting from misleading or fake job listings, otherwise known as “ghost jobs.”
LinkedIn investigation
In this photo illustration a Linkedin logo seen displayed on a mobile phone. (Photo Illustration by Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
What we know:
Texas announced on Tuesday it has issued a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) seeking documents, data and internal communications related to LinkedIn’s advertising, marketing, job listing verification practices and its Premium subscription services.
The investigation centers on whether LinkedIn violated Texas’ consumer protection laws by promoting paid subscription services while allegedly failing to disclose that some job listings on the platform may not actually be representative of hiring opportunities.
What is a ‘ghost job’?
An image of a woman holding a cell phone in front of a LinkedIn logo displayed on a computer screen. On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Dig deeper:
LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft and the world’s largest professional networking platform, with more than 1 billion registered users worldwide.
A “ghost job” generally refers to a position advertised online that either is no longer available or that an employer has no immediate intention of filling. The attorney general’s office cited independent studies estimating that ghost jobs account for between one-fifth and one-third of online job postings.
Texas AG targets Premium Subscription Fees
Photographer: Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images
What they’re saying:
According to the office of the attorney general, LinkedIn does not independently verify the hiring status of most job listings on its platform. Ken Paxton’s office alleges that the company’s marketing for its Premium subscription services does not disclose that a significant number of postings could be inactive, unfilled or not reflect genuine employment opportunity.
“I will use every resource available to my office to help job-seeking Texans find and secure real employment opportunities,” Paxton said in a statement. “LinkedIn has a duty to provide the services it advertises and ensure that consumers paying for Premium subscriptions are receiving access to legitimate job postings.”
Texas officials said LinkedIn’s Premium Career and Premium Business subscriptions cost about $39.99 and $69.99 per month, respectively, and are marketed to jobseekers looking to improve their employment prospects.
What’s next:
The investigation does not include any formal allegations of wrongdoing, and no lawsuit has been filed.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
-
World42 seconds agoGetting Down to Business: 4 Takeaways for Argentina vs. Spain
-
Politics13 minutes ago
Fate of Blanche’s Nomination Could Rest on One Republican Senator
-
Lifestyle49 minutes agoTrump relished in being compared to dictators like Hitler and Stalin, journalist says
-
Technology1 hour agoSkullcandy’s bass-boosting Crusher headphones now come with Bose’s ANC
-
World1 hour agoWATCH: Russian soldier thrown through air as Soviet-era helicopter gun spins out of control
-
Politics1 hour agoLindsey Graham’s final act reverberates in Senate as sister is urged to “keep pedaling”
-
Health1 hour agoIs lettuce still safe to eat amid Taco Bell illness probe? Doctors answer
-
Sports1 hour agoMarcello Hernández roasts Jake Paul, Tiger Woods and Bill Belichick in ESPYS monologue
