Corning Plans $450-Mil Expansion at Optical Fiber Plant

CHARLOTTE-Corning Inc., a 149-year-old Corning, NY-based manufacturer, is starting construction this month on a $450 million expansion at its optical fiber plant in Concord, NC 20 miles northeast of Downtown. The expanded operations will make Corning the world’s largest manufacturer of fiber optics, the firm says in a prepared statement. The expansion will also strengthen North Carolina’s reputation as a high-tech products leader.

This will be the company’s second expansion this year in Concord, boosting its total investment in North Carolina to $2.5 billion. Corning will receive a package of state and county incentives. The firm expects to add about 500 jobs by 2004 and eclipse the capacity of its own Wilmington, NC plant, which had been considered the world’s largest. The firm also said it is scouting sites for another US facilities and would announce the location in a few months.