Apple awards Corning Inc. $45M to expand manufacturing capacity

Apple has awarded Corning Inc. an additional $45 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund.

The money will expand Corning’s manufacturing capacity in the United States, as well as support research and development. Corning currently supplies the precision glass for iPhones, Apple Watches and iPads.

The local company has already received $450 million from Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund over the last four years. According to Apple, this investment has supported more than 1,000 jobs across Corning’s US operations. The investment has also supported research and development into “state-of-the-art glass processes”, including the Ceramic Shield.

“Apple and Corning have a long history of working together to accomplish the impossible,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “From the very first iPhone glass, to the revolutionary Ceramic Shield on the iPhone 12 lineup, our collaboration has changed the landscape of smartphone cover design and durability. Ceramic Shield is a prime example of the technologies that are possible when deep innovation meets the power of American manufacturing. We’re so proud to work alongside Corning, whose 170-year-old legacy is a testament to the ingenuity of the US workforce.”

Every generation of iPhone glass supplied by Corning Inc., has come from Corning’s plant in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. The new iPhone 12 uses the Ceramic Shield glass, which Corning and Apple say is “tougher than any smartphone glass”.

“We are incredibly proud of our collaboration with Apple on Ceramic Shield, made possible in part through the Advanced Manufacturing Fund and the hard work and dedication of hundreds of individuals at Corning and Apple,” said Wendell P. Weeks, Corning’s chairman and chief executive officer. “We thank Apple for our longstanding product-development partnership and for their continued commitment to supporting the American workforce. The deep investment they’ve provided for new manufacturing technology in our Harrodsburg, Kentucky, facility is not only fueling life-changing innovation, it’s also helping us sustain vital communities where we live and work – a fundamental objective at both of our companies. Together, we’re developing a world-class workforce, engaging them in new technologies, and creating opportunities for learning and training.” WENY News