Corning, Amazon deal to bring jobs to NC
Amazon struck a multiyear, multibillion-dollar agreement for Corning Inc. to supply fiber optic cable tech for expanding Amazon's data center infrastructure across the U.S. The deal is expected to create 1,000 jobs in North Carolina.
And while the companies did not specify where the jobs would go, Corning noted its North Carolina manufacturing operations include Concord as well as Trivium, Winston-Salem and Wilmington. Corning also has cable manufacturing plants in Hickory and Newton.
This is the latest major deal Corning has signed regarding data centers. In January, Corning announced a $6 billion partnership with Meta to grow its Hickory site to bolster its data center operations.
As part of the deal announced Monday, Amazon will work with Corning on a new program to expand a fiber-optic technician training program at Catawba Valley Community College.
Corning said the jobs will be spread across its North Carolina facilities, strengthening the domestic supply chain and manufacturing base. The companies declined to disclose the total value or the length of the agreement.
It was not immediately clear what state incentives, if any, factored into the deal.
Corning, a producer of advanced glass and fiber-optic technology, will supply the optical fiber, cable and connectivity products to Amazon.
Corning CEO and President Wendell Weeks, in a statement, called the agreement a significant milestone for Corning and for American manufacturing.
Amazon's investment in North Carolina has created more than 26,000 jobs, according to Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman. The new Corning agreement continues that path, he stated. Last year, Amazon announced plans to invest $10 billion in the state to expand cloud computing infrastructure. That's on top of the more than $20 billion the company has invested in North Carolina since 2010.
Data centers have become an increasingly controversial topic in recent years. The rise of AI has led to the rise of massive data centers to handle demand.
Corning continues NC expansion
Corning continues to expand its own footprint across North Carolina.
In January, Corning announced a partnership with tech giant Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for a project in Hickory.
That $6 billion deal was designed to accelerate the build-out of advanced data centers in the U.S. to support Meta's rapidly expanding AI infrastructure, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. At the time, Corning said it planned to expand its manufacturing capabilities across the state, resulting in close to 1,000 more jobs.
Some of those jobs are for scientists, engineers and production workers. It represents a 15% to 20% increase over Corning's current employment base of more than 5,000 workers in the state. The average annual salaries for the new jobs are more than $65,000.
In March, Corning and Meta celebrated the groundbreaking for the construction of a major expansion of Corning's optical cable manufacturing capacity in Hickory.
It would be the largest optical cable plant in the world, according to Corning Optical Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike O'Day.
The company previously increased operations in Catawba County in 2021, investing $150 million and creating 200 jobs.
About Corning Optical Communications
Corning Optical Communications is a division of New Yorkbased Corning Inc. It's headquartered in Riverbend Village in northwest Charlotte. Corning Optical has other manufacturing facilities in Wilmington, Concord, Winston-Salem and Newton.
Corning Optical builds glass components for fiber-optic cable and communications equipment.
Corning Optical was previously headquartered in Hickory but announced it was moving to Riverbend Village in Charlotte in 2016.
Corning employs more than 5,000 people across North Carolina.Company-wide, Corning has more than 60,000 full-time workers.
