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CANTON  – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Thursday that Corning Incorporated has reached an up to $32 million preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) funding agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce to increase production at their Canton facility of specialized glass vital for the semiconductor industry.

The announcement came after Schumer visited Canton following the passage of his bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law and promised it would supercharge the demand for Corning’s critical technology and deliver big for the North Country,

Schumer said this expansion, which will help strengthen this vital supply chain for America’s national security, is expected to create up to 130 new, good-paying manufacturing jobs, including new union jobs, and over 175 union construction jobs.

“I am proud to announce $32 million from my bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law will go to the always innovative and cutting-edge Corning Incorporated in Canton, NY to boost their highly specialized glass critical to the semiconductor supply chain. This award will create hundreds of new, good-paying jobs, supporting our local unions and growing manufacturing right here in the North Country. The glass needed for our semiconductor supply chain should be built in Canton, not China, and today’s investment helps further realize the goal of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Law of bringing manufacturing back to America. Corning’s Canton plant has been a linchpin of the North Country’s economy, and when I visited two years ago I said my CHIPS & Science Law would help them grow even more, and today a promise made becomes a promise kept,” said Senator Schumer. “This will help usher in the next chapter of manufacturing here in the North Country. The specialized glass made right here in Canton is used in some of the most advanced machinery in the world – while making microchips we need for technology we use every day, from our phones to our computers and cars. Today Uncle Sam is giving its stamp of approval saying the North Country is ready to build America’s future, creating jobs, supercharging the economy and strengthening our national security.”

Schumer explained today’s proposed CHIPS award will support Corning’s planned $315 million investment that will boost glass production in Canton. Corning is one of the largest industrial employers in the North Country, and the project is expected to create up to 130 good-paying union jobs in addition to 175 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 important to semiconductor manufacturing, and this project will improve EUV performance with a lower carbon footprint.

“We are grateful for Majority Leader Schumer’s vision and tireless efforts to strengthen the domestic semiconductor supply chain through the direct funding award and the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit created by the CHIPS and Science Act. This strategic investment will help our Canton, New York facility continue to expand production of advanced optics components and create up to 130 good paying jobs that are critical to making the world’s most complex microchips,” said Corning Incorporated Chairman and CEO Wendell Weeks.

Schumer recently announced that following years of advocacy, Albany NanoTech would be home to the country’s first National Semiconductor Technology Center facility as the 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. Schumer said this will help boost Corning Incorporated’s manufacturing efforts at its plants across Upstate NY.

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, address inflation, strengthen national security, and specifically boost facilities like Canton’s. Corning is one of the largest employers in New York, with over 7,000 employees across the state, including over 300 in St. Lawrence County. Schumer explained that anticipation of federal investment in his CHIPS & Science Law and the tremendous impact it will have on the manufacturing and tech industries have already spurred growth for Corning Incorporated.

Schumer added, “This is good news for Upstate NY’s entire semiconductor ecosystem and all of Corning’s plants across Upstate NY. From Micron, GlobalFoundries, and Wolfspeed to the cutting-edge machinery at Albany NanoTech, the entire semiconductor industry in New York and across America needs the kind of specialized glass they make here in Canton. This continued investment is proof positive that Upstate NY is becoming America’s emerging semiconductor superhighway to power the country’s global leadership in technology and manufacturing, all thanks to the bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law.”

“For more than a century, Corning has led the way in pioneering innovation and manufacturing right here in the Empire State,” Senator Gillibrand said. “Today, we open a new chapter in that history with this federal investment in manufacturing jobs and economic development in the North Country. Thanks to the CHIPS Act, we are expanding New York’s leadership in the semiconductor ecosystem north of the I-90 corridor. I am proud to have fought to pass the CHIPS Act, and I will continue fighting to deliver these federal resources for New York.”

"Corning has been an integral part of the fabric of New York State manufacturing for more than 170 years and is a leading producer of advanced glass used for semiconductor chips," Governor Hochul said. "I want to thank the Biden-Harris administration for their ongoing support and determination to rebuilding American manufacturing and creating good jobs, especially in Upstate New York. Today's announcement complements our continued commitment to fostering the growth of innovative businesses that will move our communities forward and further cement New York as a national leader in semiconductor manufacturing."

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. 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 production of specialized glasses ideal for advanced microchip production and is the only location in the country making this critical product.