Corning Incorporated announced on Monday a long-term, multibillion-dollar deal with Amazon to produce optical fiber for the company's data centers.
The partnership would create 1,000 new jobs at Corning's North Carolina facilities. The partnership is also expected to generate hundreds of new construction jobs to support the expansion of Corning facilities, according to a news release.
Officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how the deal will affect Corning's plant in Wilmington.
"This agreement with Amazon represents a significant milestone for Corning and for American manufacturing," said Wendell Weeks, chairman, CEO and president of Corning, in the release. "For 175 years, Corning has pioneered the technologies that connect people and transform industries. Amazon's investment will help us expand production, create 1,000 new advanced manufacturing jobs at our facilities, and lead the way toward building a resilient U.S. manufacturing base."
Amazon will also support a new workforce program at Catawba Valley Community College that will include hands-on training and expand Corning's existing fiber optic technician training program.
"This multibillion-dollar agreement with Corning continues that commitment, channeling investment into American manufacturing and creating 1,000 new jobs at their facilities near our data centers," said Matt Garman, CEO of Amazon Web Services, in the release. "We're also partnering to train North Carolinians for highly skilled roles in fiber optics and fusion splicing. These long-term investments create long-term careers and real opportunity in the communities where we operate."
Last year, Amazon announced plans to invest $10 billion in North Carolina to expand cloud computing infrastructure. According to officials, the company has already invested more than $20 billion in the state and created over 26,000 jobs.
The announcement comes as North Carolina continues to experience a data center boom. Corning, which employs over 5,000 people in North Carolina, is the major supplier of the fiber optic infrastructure that supports data centers. The Amazon partnership marks Corning's third multibillion-dollar deal tied to expansion plans in North Carolina.
In May, Corning and NVIDIA announced a $3.2 billion partnership, with plans to build three new manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Texas. Earlier this year, Corning finalized a $6 billion, multi-year deal with Meta to support the buildout of its U.S. data centers, including a planned expansion of Corning's plant in Hickory, North Carolina.
"This partnership further proves that North Carolina is the number one state in the country for American businesses to invest, build, and grow," said Sen. Ted Budd in the release. "As a leading voice in the Senate for workforce development and American manufacturing, I am proud that we are continuing to capitalize on that momentum in North Carolina."
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