SCHUMER: $32 MILLION IN FED FUNDING FOR CORNING INCORPORATED’S EXPANSION IN NORTH COUNTRY IS LOCKED IN! SENATOR ANNOUNCES CHIPS AWARD FOR 300+ JOB CANTON GLASS MANUFACTURING EXPANSION IS SIGNED & SEALED TO BOLSTER SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY
Finalized Commerce Award Will Ensure Corning Incorporated Can Tap Schumer-Created CHIPS Funding For Canton Project In Coming Years As It Meets Project Milestones
Corning Incorporated’s North Country Facility Is The Only One In The Country That Manufactures Specialized Glass Critical To The Chip Industry, And CHIPS $$ Will Fuel $315M Expansion To Help Them Grow
Schumer: CHIPS Investment Is Signed & Sealed For Corning’s North Country Expansion And New Jobs!
After visiting Canton following the passage of his bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today announced Corning Incorporated and the Department of Commerce have finalized its CHIPS award of up to $32 million for its North Country expansion. Schumer said this will lock in the funding needed to increase production for their specialized glass vital for the semiconductor industry creating up to 130 new, good-paying manufacturing jobs, including new union jobs, and over 175 union construction jobs.
“$32 million from my bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law for Corning’s job-creating expansion making specialized glass essential for semiconductors in the North Country is now locked in! Today the feds have signed the deal to say America’s future in glass for the semiconductor industry should be made in Canton, not China,” said Senator Schumer. “With the funding now signed and sealed, Corning’s $315 million, 300+ job investment can move forward knowing the funding will be secured for them no matter the administration. The specialized glass made right here in Canton is used in some of the most advanced machinery in the world critical to making microchips we need for technology we use every day, from our phones to our computers and cars, as well as to technology like AI. This finalized agreement is a win-win: for the North Country and America.”
“Leader Schumer’s visionary leadership, unwavering commitment, and relentless dedication have been instrumental in strengthening the domestic semiconductor supply chain. This strategic investment will advance the continued growth of our Canton, New York facility, enabling us to expand the production of advanced optics components while creating good-paying manufacturing jobs that will support the development of the world's most advanced microchips,” said Corning Incorporated Chairman and CEO Wendell Weeks.
Schumer explained today’s finalized CHIPS award will support Corning’s planned $315 million investment that will boost glass production in Canton to support the semiconductor industry. Corning is one of the largest industrial employers in the North Country, and the project is expected to create up to 130 good-paying manufacturing jobs, including new union jobs, in addition to 175 union construction jobs. To carry out the expansion, Corning will work with local unions, including United Steelworkers Local 1026 who represent Corning’s glass-making workforce at the Canton facility and will represent applicable new workers. Specifically, Corning plans to increase the production of High Purity Fused Silica and Ultra Low Expansion Glass, which are key components of deep ultraviolet (DUV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines and photomasks. DUV and EUV technology are essential to semiconductor manufacturing, and this project will improve EUV performance and help ensure a lower carbon footprint.
The U.S. Department of Commerce will disburse funds in the coming years as Corning meets project milestones agreed to in the final award.
Schumer recently announced that following years of advocacy, Albany NanoTech has finalized an agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce to be home to the country’s first National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) facility as the NSTC headquarters focusing on EUV research. By increasing production at Corning’s North Country plant, more American-made glass critical to the technology required by new chip fabs such as Micron, GlobalFoundries, and Wolfspeed in New York will be made available, strengthening U.S. supply chains and offering microchip producers shorter wait times and improved responsiveness from an American-made product.
To support both the company’s workforce and the broader community’s childcare infrastructure, Corning also plans to invest $300,000 per year for the duration of the proposed project to support the St. Lawrence County Childcare Training Program, which would help build and stabilize the child care workforce and increase child care supply for the community, making it easier for employees to find and obtain care and helping the company access the additional workers needed to make this expansion a success.
Schumer visited Corning in 2022 to explain how his bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law will help keep the U.S. on the cutting-edge of innovation, train a new generation of tech and manufacturing workers, lower costs for families, strengthen national security, and specifically boost facilities like Canton’s. Corning’s Canton location leverages its expertise in glass science to make some of the world’s purest glass. The plant has become a world leader in the production of specialized glasses ideal for advanced microchip production and is the only location in the country making this critical product. Corning Incorporated is one of the largest employers in New York, with over 7,000 employees across the state, including over 300 in St. Lawrence County.
In addition to this major investment in Canton, Schumer said his bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law is helping boost Corning Incorporated’s manufacturing efforts at its plants across Upstate NY. In 2022, Schumer helped announce a $139M, 270 job expansion in Monroe County by Corning Incorporated to support optic technology, which is critical in the microchip manufacturing industry. Schumer said that with further expansion of domestic semiconductor production, more and more companies will be relying on Corning Incorporated for their expertise in innovation, glass, and specialty tech to support their growth.
“The Empire State is becoming a national leader in advanced manufacturing because of the investments New York has made in this industry and the extraordinary help of President Biden. New York State has the talent, infrastructure and innovation to continue on this trajectory and the best is yet to come. My 2025 State of the State includes new initiatives to grow this critical industry, and we’ll continue doing everything in our power to great jobs and boost economic growth,” said Governor Kathy Hochul.
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