THE owners of a North-East microelectronics plant, who are pulling production out of the region, say they are committed to finding a buyer for its factory.

RF Micro Devices (RFMD) last week revealed it was leaving the former Fujitsu factory, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, and transferring work to the US, despite seeing increased demand for its products.

It employs about 200 workers at the fabrication plant, on Heighington Lane Business Park, who make semi-conductors for mobile phones.

Bosses from RFMD, which recently secured a deal to make 4G parts for a major phone manufacturer, yesterday met with Phil Wilson, MP for Newton Aycliffe, and Stewart Watkins, from regional economic investment body, Business Durham, to discuss the plant's future.

Mr Watkins said the company was upbeat about finding a buyer for the factory, where RFMD will phase down production during the next 12 months.

He said: “This is a specialist and vital facility for the North-East economy and they want to find a buyer.

“This plant is an iconic workplace for the region and it supplies the high-tech jobs that we want for the North-East's future economy.

“Over the last 20 years, it has helped build the skills and training in workers for the wider benefit of the region's economy, right from the days of Fujitsu, through to Filtronic and now RFMD.

“Cleanroom technology is not easy to find and here is a world-class example of it.

“If a firm was making the exact same products, they would not need to make any changes to the facility, and Business Durham and the county council will assist in any way we can to help with the future of the factory.”

RFMD, which is now in a 90-day consultation with workers over the plans, said it was moving work to North Carolina in the US, which it expects will save £13m a year.

The plant was opened by The Queen in 1991, and was the world's most advanced microelectronics plant with Japanese electronic company Fujitsu employing hundreds of workers.

However, the firm closed the factory in 1998, axing about 600 jobs, following a worldwide collapse in memory chip prices, and it was eventually bought in 2000 by mobile phone transmitter and chip maker, Filtronic.

RFMD moved into the plant in 2008 after paying Filtronic £12.5m for the factory.