Apple today announced that Corning, the makers of Gorilla Glass, will be the first major benefactor of its $1 billion Advanced Manufacturing Fund, which was announced by Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier this month.
Corning is a long-time Apple Supplier, and its Gorilla Glass products have been used in the iPhone and the iPad for several years. Corning Incorporated will receive $200 million from Apple's new fund, which aims to foster innovation among American manufacturers and lead to more U.S. jobs. The investment will support Corning's research and development, capital equipment needs and state-of-the-art glass processing, according to Apple's press release.
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"Corning is a great example of a supplier that has continued to innovate and they are one of Apple's long-standing suppliers," said Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer. "This partnership started 10 years ago with the very first iPhone, and today every customer that buys an iPhone or iPad anywhere in the world touches glass that was developed in America. We're extremely proud of our collaboration over the years and we are investing further with Corning who has such a rich legacy of innovative manufacturing practices."
Apple said Corning's 65-year-old Harrodsburg facility in Kentucky has been integral to the 10-year collaboration between the two companies and will be the focus of its investment.
"Corning's longstanding relationship with Apple has not only led to significant glass innovations that have enabled new capabilities for consumers, it has also helped create nearly 1,000 American jobs and allowed us to continue growing and expanding in the US," said Wendell P. Weeks, Corning's chairman, chief executive officer and president. "This investment will ensure our plant in Harrodsburg remains a global center of excellence for glass technology."
Since the founding of Gorilla Glass in 2007, the partnership has created and sustained nearly 1,000 U.S. jobs across Corning's R&D, manufacturing and commercial functions, according to Apple, including over 400 in Harrodsburg. Corning is said to have procured enough renewable energy to cover all of its Apple manufacturing in the U.S.
Top Rated Comments
Hope that the future iPhone glass breaks less......
Can't break less than the zero times it broke in my 8 years of iPhone ownership, since the 3GS.However I don't think it will be unbreakable either.
Hopefully people will finally understand that the Ion Glass Apple uses is just Gorilla Glass and stop doing stupid comparisons between 2 identical products
It's not "just" Gorilla Glass, because Gorilla glass is a spectrum of glass products tuned to a given OEM's requirements (in this case the ion bath for surface tension is what makes it the Ion-x branding Apple uses). "Just" Gorilla glass leaves one with the impression that it's all one monolithic product when Gorilla Glass is technically the umbrella brand name that Corning uses.I wish Corning a better fate than GT advanced
There is nothing to worry about. Apple and Corning have been working together for 10 years. Corning, a highly respected company in business since the 1850s, is old school with demonstrated expertise over a wide range of technologies developed over the years. It was Corning who manufactured the 200 inch telescope mirror at the Palomar Observatory in the 1930s.GT Advanced overpromised and underdelivered. Corning, employing more that 30,000 people and with revenue around $9 billion, and GT Advanced, could not be more different.