Corning plans to expand fiber-optic cable manufacturing in North Carolina after signing a multi-year supply agreement with Meta worth up to $6 billion.
The deal is expected to support a 15-20 percent increase in jobs at Corning’s facilities in the state, according to the companies.
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Under the agreement, Corning will supply fiber-optic cables used in Meta’s U.S. data centers. The cables support the high-speed data movement needed to run large data centers and power Meta’s growing artificial intelligence infrastructure.
As part of the deal, Corning will expand manufacturing across its operations, including a major capacity increase at its Trivium Corporate Center in Catawba County, North Carolina.
“Building the most advanced data centers in the US requires world-class partners and American manufacturing,” said Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Meta. “We’re proud to partner with Corning — a company with deep expertise in optical connectivity and commitment to domestic manufacturing — for the high-performance fiber optic cables our AI infrastructure needs. This collaboration will help create good-paying, skilled US jobs, strengthen local economies, and help secure the US lead in the global AI race.”
Corning said the agreement will increase employment at its North Carolina operations, which already include some of the world’s largest optical fiber and cable manufacturing facilities.
“This long-term partnership with Meta reflects Corning’s commitment to develop, innovate, and manufacture the critical technologies that power next generation data centers here in the US,” said Wendell P. Weeks, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Corning Incorporated. “The investment will expand our manufacturing footprint in North Carolina, support an increase in Corning’s employment levels in the state by 15 to 20 percent, and help sustain a highly skilled workforce of more than 5,000.”
Meta said it currently has 26 data centers under construction or already operating in the U.S. Those projects have supported about 30,000 skilled trade jobs during construction and around 5,000 ongoing operational jobs, including electricians, network technicians, engineers, and safety staff.
