A high-tech laundry facility is coming to Licking County as the area continues to develop following Intel’s commitment to building a pair of computer chips factories in the area.

Prudential Cleanroom Services announced Tuesday it’s investing $35 million to transform an empty 68,000-square feet warehouse in Heath into a cleanroom laundry processing facility.

The California-based company operates seven other “ISO Class 3” cleanroom laundry sites across the country that clean the protective clothing worn during semiconductor manufacturing, along with pharmaceutical, bioscience, and aerospace industries.

MORE | Intel to build $20 billion semiconductor plant in Licking County

“It's just like you do laundry at home. We wash it we dry it, and then we package it, and we deliver it to our customers except we're doing it in a high-tech environment,” Prudential’s VP of Sales and Marketing Jerry Martin explained.

Martin wouldn’t say Intel was the sole reason the company chose the Heath location, but he said the expansion of the semiconductor industry in the Columbus area got Prudential’s attention.

“We'd certainly like to talk about specifics for certain companies, but that's not really our place to do that. We're here to make sure we serve the market,” Martin said. “With all the investment coming into Central Ohio, it seemed like the right opportunity for us.”

The Heath location will employ at least 80 full-time employees with a variety of jobs, including drivers, production, maintenance and more.

Mayor Mark Johns said the city is thrilled to welcome Prudential and additional businesses related to supporting Intel’s investment.

“There are other pieces of ground here in the city that are available for development. So, this is most definitely a beginning this is not the end by any means,” Johns said. “We are looking forward to the possibilities that the future holds.”

Prudential plans to start accepting applications in 2023, and the facility is expected to be operational late next year. It’s the first location for the company in Ohio, and it will be among the largest facility of its kind in the country, the company said.