Wolfspeed, the Durham semiconductor maker, hopes to take full occupancy of its under-construction factory in Chatham County in March and begin production in June, the company told Axios.

Why it matters: Wolfspeed's $5 billion Siler City plant, which will make silicon carbide crystals used in electric vehicles, is part of a wave of large expansions that North Carolina landed in the past four years. Along with Toyota in Randolph County and Fujifilm Diosynth in Holly Springs, Wolfspeed's facility is one of the few that is nearing completion.

• State and local governments have pledged more than $700 million in incentives for the project.

Driving the news: Wolfspeed gave Axios a tour of its facility on Wednesday, where hundreds of construction workers were still putting the finishing touches on the 2.2-million-square-foot factory.

• The facility will produce 200-millimeter silicon carbide crystals, a larger and more efficient structure than it currently produces.
• The large property, about 60 miles west of Raleigh, has enough room to handle an expansion of the existing site by another 2 million square feet, said Chris McCann, the vice president of global project management at Wolfspeed.

Zoom in: The site could ultimately employ around 1,800 workers in the coming years, and during peak construction around 3,800 people were on the site, according to McCann.

• Some testing of its crystal production is already underway at the facility — but once the site is completed the factory will be able to produce silicon carbide crystals and ultimately refine them into wafers.
• So far, Wolfspeed has hired more than 200 workers at its Siler City facility, a company spokesperson told Axios.

State of play: Wolfspeed, founded on technology built at N.C. State University, has undergone some turbulent times in recent months.

• Last year, the company trimmed its headcount by 20%, closed one of its existing factories in Durham, shelved plans for a factory in Germany and fired its CEO after the company stock price suffered large declines.

At the same time, the company remains in negotiations with the incoming Trump Administration to finalize a $750 million CHIPS Act grant for boosting semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S., according to a company spokesperson.

See inside the factory

The potential shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by the Trump administration could have a significant effect on some large employers in the Triangle that receive major funding from the agency.

Why it matters: RTI International, a nonprofit research institute in Research Triangle Park, and FHI 360, a nonprofit organization in Durham, were both among the largest recipients of USAID funding for nongovernmental organizations, according to Congressional Research.

• Between the fiscal years of 2013 to 2022, FHI 360 was obligated to receive around $3.8 billion from USAID, the third most among NGOs, according to the report.
• Over the same period, RTI was obligated to receive $2.3 billion, the sixth highest among NGOs.

What they're saying: "Halting foreign assistance programs disrupts funding streams to North Carolina-based institutions, leading to immediate job losses and economic instability," the N.C. Global Health Alliance said in a statement on funding freezes for foreign aid.

What's happening: The Trump administration has focused on freezing federal aid in its first weeks as it seeks to trim the federal government's spending.

• USAID has been in the crosshairs of that effort, with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency hoping to eliminate the agency entirely.

Go deeper on FHI 360 and RTI International

✈️ Breeze Airways will launch direct flights from RDU to Memphis, Tenn.; Albany, N.Y.; Rochester, N.Y.; Orlando and Pensacola, Fla., later this year. (Triangle Business Journal 🔒)

🗣️ The Raleigh City Council made changes to its public comment period at meetings, banning speakers from broadcasting digital media but allowing them to submit PDFs or JPEG files as visual aids. (INDY Week)

🌀 A new bill in the N.C. General Assembly would put another $500 million toward Hurricane Helene relief. (News & Observer 🔒)

• Gov. Josh Stein had previously called for $1 billion more in relief funding.

🥙 Chapel Hill favorite Mediterranean Deli will reopen this spring after a 2023 fire damaged the restaurant. (WCHL)

The Swing Bays — an indoor golf facility that offers lessons, fittings and fitness classes — plans to soon open its first location in the Triangle.

The latest: The Colorado-based company says it wants to open five locations in North Carolina, with its first Triangle location to open later this year.

• The company did not yet have an address to share for its first location.
• The company's North Carolina franchisees are Phil and Nancy Gugliotta, Swing Bays said in a release.

What to expect: A membership to Swing Bays will get you access to multiple golf simulators, golf lessons from instructors as well as fitness programs.

• The company also provides club fittings and repairs and a bar at each of its locations.