Apple Awards Corning First Advanced Manufacturing Fund Investment

Friday May 12, 2017 4:25 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

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.

"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.

Tags: Corning, Gorilla Glass, Advanced Manufacturing Fund

Top Rated Comments

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Pupi

34 months ago

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.

Rating: 18 Votes

gnasher729

34 months ago

That's quick. Usually you have a big announcement, and then nothing happens for ages, and then everything forgets about it, and still nothing happens. In this case, Apple promised to invest $1bn, and now they've done the first 20% of that plan already. Good job.

Rating: 17 Votes

NT1440

34 months ago

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.

Rating: 15 Votes

citysnaps

34 months ago

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.

Rating: 15 Votes

InfoTime

34 months ago

Corning needs the investment??? It's not like they're some new startup.

Rating: 11 Votes

jaymie1983

34 months ago

I wish Corning a better fate than GT advanced

Rating: 10 Votes

Kaibelf

34 months ago

I wish Corning a better fate than GT advanced

Unlike GT, Corning doesn't lie about what they are able to produce.

Rating: 9 Votes

69Mustang

34 months ago

Yeah, this is the one aspect that makes me go "Abuah?"

I thought the money was supposed to be for encouraging innovation and new ideas. not to give money to other multi-billion dollar companies who are perfectly capable of funding their own R&D and manufacturing resources

the Cynic in me feels like this is a "pay off" for something. it sure as hell isnt going to "spurr new innovation" because Corning isn't in a position to need such injection for help.

If Apple really REALLY wanted to help with furthering new ideas and innovation, this money should be going to universities, who are the ones who do the majority of scientific research, which goes on to further our technological advances. or give it to smaller shopps that'll help build / design their computers (instead of you know, the garbage PC's they've released lately)

I'm usually the biggest cynic in the room, but I can think of a pretty simple reason for Apple investing in Corning. That reason? There could be something specific that Apple wants Corning to explore.

Apple: Hey Corning. We'd like you guys to look at the possibility of manufacturing X.

Corning: We'd love to that for you bud. Cool idea, just not in the budget right now.

Apple: Don't worry about the budget. We got it covered.

That makes it a win-win for both companies. Apple potentially gets a component that furthers their plans and Corning potentially gets a new product and revenue stream. This is just me hypothesizing but it works from a simplicity and common sense standpoint.

Rating: 9 Votes

Return Zero

34 months ago

This is great news. Corning is a solid company that has proven itself over the years. I live very close to Harrodsburg and have several friends who work at the facility there. While $200M may not sound like a lot in the grand scheme of things, it will be a big shot in the arm to our relatively small (but growing) community. Hopefully it will mean a few more jobs and a lot more R&D to make better stuff!
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Corning needs the investment??? It's not like they're some new startup.

This isn't a venture capital fund. It's an advanced manufacturing fund. Corning is well-deserving of this investment and will almost certainly be able to provide better products because of it. Don't be fooled; Apple isn't exactly playing the risk game with their money here. They are simply doing what's in their best interest (it happens to be a win-win here).

Rating: 8 Votes

Wowereit

34 months ago

Hopefully people will finally understand that the Ion Glass Apple uses is just Gorilla Glass and stop doing stupid comparisons between 2 identical products

Rating: 7 Votes

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