Corning breaks ground on North Carolina cable plant
Corning Incorporated and Meta Platforms, Inc. have started construction on an expansion of optical cable manufacturing capacity in Hickory, North Carolina, aimed at supporting the growing buildout of AI-driven data centres in the United States.
The project forms part of a previously announced multi-year agreement worth up to USD 6 billion between the two companies. Under the deal, Corning will supply Meta with optical fibre, cable, and connectivity solutions for next-generation data centre infrastructure, with Meta acting as the anchor customer for the new capacity.
The Hickory site will manufacture optical cable designed for high-performance AI applications, reflecting increasing demand for advanced connectivity as operators scale up infrastructure for generative AI workloads.
Corning said the investment represents a step toward strengthening domestic supply chains for critical data centre components. The company already employs more than 5,000 people in North Carolina and expects the expansion to increase its regional workforce by 15 – 20%, further reinforcing the state’s role as a hub for optical manufacturing.
The companies highlighted the importance of high-capacity, low-latency connectivity in enabling AI infrastructure. The partnership is also positioned as part of a broader push to expand US-based manufacturing tied to strategic technologies.
Construction in Hickory marks the latest development in the collaboration, which was first announced in January. Further details regarding production timelines or output capacity have not been disclosed.
