The multiyear agreement will supply optical fiber, cable, and connectivity solutions for Amazon's expanding U.S. data centers
JEFF KOWALSKY / Getty Images
Amazon $AMZN announced a multiyear, multibillion-dollar agreement with Corning Incorporated to supply the optical fiber, cable, and connectivity solutions powering Amazon's data center infrastructure across the United States, a deal that will create 1,000 jobs at Corning's manufacturing facilities in North Carolina.
The agreement also includes hundreds of construction jobs to expand Corning's facilities, the company said. As part of the deal, Amazon and Corning will expand Corning's Fiber Optic Technician Training Program with Catawba Valley Community College, preparing students for roles in fiber optic manufacturing and related technical fields.
"Amazon's investments in North Carolina have created more than 26,000 jobs across the state," AWS CEO Matt Garman said in a statement. "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."
Corning chairman, CEO, and president Wendell Weeks called the agreement "a significant milestone for Corning and for American manufacturing." Weeks described the pact as opening a path toward a more durable domestic manufacturing foundation, and said Amazon's commitment would enable Corning to scale up production.
Corning's share price climbed 9% on Monday, while Amazon's stock edged up roughly 1%.
The Amazon deal is the latest in a series of large supply agreements for Corning. In prior coverage of Corning's first-quarter earnings and hyperscaler deal momentum, Weeks said the company had finalized two hyperscaler agreements similar in size and duration to a previously announced up-to-$6 billion arrangement with Meta $META. Nvidia $NVDA's commitment totals as much as $3.2 billion and will fund three new advanced manufacturing plants dedicated entirely to the chipmaker. Meta, for its part, struck a deal earlier this year worth up to $6 billion to help Corning develop an optical cable facility in Hickory, North Carolina — a project that carries a similar jobs target of roughly 1,000 positions.
Corning's optical communications segment — which covers fiber optic cables, hardware, and connectors — posted net sales of $1.85 billion in the first quarter, a 36% increase from the prior-year period, the company said.
The new pact builds on a separate pledge Amazon made last year to invest $10 billion in North Carolina data center infrastructure. Amazon has invested more than $20 billion in the state since 2010, creating over 26,000 jobs across logistics, cloud infrastructure, and renewable energy, the company said.
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