(AP) -- THOMAS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Production has started at Hemlock

Semiconductor Corp.'s $1 billion expanded silicon production

facility near Saginaw.

It's in Saginaw County's Thomas Township and aims to raise

output of polycrystalline silicon by 8,600 metric tons per year.

The Saginaw News says the project will bring the site's total

annual polycrystalline silicon production to 36,000 tons.

Construction continues on a second phase.

The company says it plans to increase employment from about

1,300 today to about 1,750.

Hemlock Semiconductor is a joint venture of Dow Corning Corp.

and Japan's Shin-Etsu Handotai Co. Ltd. and Mitsubishi Materials

Corp.

Dow Corning is a joint venture of Dow Chemical Co. and Corning,

N.Y.-based Corning Inc.

(Copyright ©2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)