What the Big VACOM News Means for Lewistown, Montana

We got a nice surprise phone call from State Rep. Jerry Schillinger (R-Circle). Normally, he calls in from a tractor or a combine while farming in Circle. This time, he called in from somewhere in the middle of Montana, as he was on his way to the big VACOM grand opening ceremony in Lewistown.

What is VACOM, and what does the big news mean for Lewistown and Central Montana? 

According to a press release from Gov. Greg Gianforte's office: "VACOM plans an estimated $90 million investment by 2030 and expects to create up to 500 good-paying Montana jobs that support the production of vacuum mechanics, electrical feedthroughs, vacuum measurement technology, vacuum optics, and high-purity parts cleaning technology. The new facility represents an initial $10 million investment and is expected to create up to 50 high-tech Montana jobs by 2027."

The governor was on hand for the grand opening of VACOM Montana in Lewistown, the new U.S. headquarters for the leading European supplier of vacuum technology for the semiconductor industry. “It was just over a year and a half ago, in December of 2023, that we stood together and announced the plans for this facility,” Gov. Gianforte said. “That day, we celebrated a bold investment and a big commitment from a global company that saw something special in Central Montana. Today, we open the doors on VACOM’s new U.S. headquarters.”

Rep. Schillinger told us Friday morning on the radio that he is very excited about the opportunity for Lewistown.

Rep. Schillinger: "Senator Bartel and Director Osterman worked really hard to sell Central Montana to VACOM, and they recognize the work ethic of the people in that area and just all that the area had to offer. So it was a really big deal landing the only manufacturing spot that VACOM will have in the United States is right there in central Montana. So pretty cool, and like you said, really good paying jobs- it's a industry that isn't looking for tax breaks and handouts. They're a prosperous, privately owned company, actually a family in Germany that owns them. And so they're going to be there today to help celebrate this great event.

He also added this.

Rep. Schillinger: "There isn't an engineering school in the country that actually trains engineers to do what VACOM needs them. So they'll hire engineers, but then they train them for the specific technology that they have, which is, I think you might have mentioned, integral to the manufacture of computer chips. So this is a huge thing that actually President Trump started back in his first term of bringing the chip manufacturing industry to America, so we're not vulnerable to countries like the Communist Chinese and things like that. So it's a really big deal, and perhaps an opportunity for, say, like Montana State University or one of our universities to broaden their educational offerings, to cater to people just like VACOM, to train engineers for technology that is coming right here to our state today...VACOM intends, at least that's what they said in their last announce, their big announcement, was they intend to actually educate and offer education to youth right there in Lewistown, daycare for their employees, and then education right there on site, so they may train up people right from the very get go."

Rep. Schillinger called in at the very end of the below podcast: