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Prysmian, a world leader in cable manufacturing, is investing over $1 billion and adding 385 jobs in an expansion of its facility in Catawba County, Governor Josh Stein announced today.
“This billion-dollar investment is more proof that North Carolina is leading the way on innovation and job creation,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Companies understand the value of our highly skilled manufacturing workforce that helps to power their strategic growth.”
Prysmian, headquartered in Milan, Italy, operates in over 50 countries and specializes in cabling solutions. Its North American headquarters are located near Cincinnati in Highlands Heights, Kentucky.
The company currently employs about 680 people at its Claremont facility in Catawba County, a 1.2 million-square-foot manufacturing operation where it produces both the glass used inside fiber optic cables and the cables themselves. The expansion will more than double the company’s U.S. fiber optic production capacity, including the glass preform and fiber manufacturing processes, and increase the cable production side as well. Construction is expected to take 20-24 months.
“This investment demonstrates our commitment to supporting the growth of the U.S. demand for advanced digital solutions. We are one of just three U.S. manufacturers of fiber and optical cables, and now we are committing more than a billion dollars to new innovative solutions and transformational capacity growth,” said Andrea Pirondini, Prysmian North America CEO.
At more than $1 billion, the project represents the largest capital investment announced in Catawba County in the 11 years that the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina has tracked project data.
Demand for fiber optic cable is growing across North Carolina as data centers, telecommunications companies, and other industries invest in the infrastructure needed to support the growing need for high-speed connectivity. Employment in the state’s fiber optic cable manufacturing sector has grown 84% since 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Prysmian’s continued investment in Catawba County is a strong testament to the company’s confidence in North Carolina’s workforce and business environment,” said Melissa Smith, senior vice president of Business Recruitment & Development for the EDPNC. “Fiber optic technology is critical to the economy of tomorrow, and we’re proud to support an expansion that will strengthen advanced manufacturing in Claremont and across North Carolina.”
Catawba County, about an hour northwest of Charlotte, is home to more than 170,000 people. The county is also home to about one-third of North Carolina’s fiber optic cable manufacturing facilities, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, the North Carolina Community College System, Catawba Valley Community College, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, Catawba County, the City of Claremont, and the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation.
About the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) is a private nonprofit corporation that serves as North Carolina’s statewide economic development organization. Governed by an 18-member board of business and industry leaders from across the state, the EDPNC focuses on business and job recruitment, existing industry support, international trade, tourism and film marketing. The EDPNC, which operates under contract with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, works closely with public- and private-sector partners at the state, regional and local levels. To learn more, visit www.edpnc.com.