Corning To Expand Hickory Operation

Corning is planning a significant expansion at its Hickory manufacturing plant as part of a multiyear deal with Meta Platforms that could increase the company’s North Carolina workforce by up to 20 percent.

The expansion is tied to a multiyear agreement with Meta Platforms Inc. worth up to $6 billion, according to the companies. The company plans to significantly expand manufacturing capacity across North Carolina, resulting in close to 1,000 additional jobs statewide, according to Corning.

Corning already employs more than 5,000 workers in North Carolina and operates a headquarters in Charlotte. In Hickory, the deal adds to an expansion plan Corning Optical announced in October, which includes hiring at least 132 people and investing between $170 million and $268 million.

Under the deal, Corning will supply optical fiber, cable, and connectivity products to support Meta’s growing network of U.S. data centers, the companies said. Meta will serve as the anchor customer at Corning’s optical cable manufacturing facility in Hickory, located at the Trivium Corporate Center in Catawba County. Corning said the agreement is designed to speed up the development of advanced data centers needed to support Meta’s expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure.

As part of that plan, published reports say Corning Optical will take over nearly 33 acres at the Trivium Corporate Center, according to the company. Average annual salaries for the new positions are expected to exceed $65,000.

Story: Rob Easstwod-WHKY