The project comes as corporate demand for data centers continues to rise.
HICKORY, N.C. – A major investment in North Carolina is underway as Corning, a major glass and optics manufacturer, and Meta break ground on a cable manufacturing expansion aimed at supporting the rapid growth of artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Once complete, the expansion in Hickory is expected to make the facility the largest optical cable manufacturing plant in the world.
The cables produced at the plant are critical to powering data centers. The optical cables allow massive amounts of information to move at high speeds.
“To enable the most gen A.I. data centers in the world that Meta is building,” Michael O’Day, vice president and general manager of Optical Communications at Corning, said.
“The demand for data centers has never been higher and it’s really unprecedented,” Dan Sachs, vice president of state and local policies at Meta, said.
In addition to expanding production capacity, the project is expected to bring jobs to the region.
“We’re going to hire well over 130 new employees,” O’Day said. “Range from advanced engineering, technicians, people helping make cables.”
The expansion is part of Corning and Meta’s multiyear, up to $6 billion agreement to accelerate the buildout of, what they say, are the most advanced data centers in the United States.
Local leaders say the investment reflects a broader shift in Hickory’s economy.
“Hickory was founded on furniture, and is still popular, but now cable and technology are getting that same kind of attention and are contributing to our economy if not more as furniture did back in the early days,” Hickory Mayor Hank Guess said.
The expansion is expected to be completed in the first half of 2027.
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