Corning to build pharma glass manufacturing plant in North Carolina

Corning, the global glass manufacturer, said it will build a new pharmaceutical glass plant in North Carolina as part of its plan to spend $500 million to create thousands of new jobs in the U.S.

The facility, to be located in Durham County, will be a high-volume operation to produce Valor Glass, which is a damage-resistant glass that reduces particle contamination, breaks and cracks while significantly increasing throughput.

It’s expected the facility will create more than 300 new jobs in the area. It will be built next to a Corning Life Sciences manufacturing facility, allowing for interaction and cooperation between the two businesses, the company said.

“Making this next-generation product requires a new, advanced manufacturing platform. We are proud to build this high-volume manufacturing facility for Valor Glass in Durham County,” Wendell P. Weeks, Corning’s chairman, CEO and president, said in a statement.

The facility is expected to be open by the end of 2019.