CONSTRUCTING CAREERS: Corning's hefty presence in North Carolina expands into Edgecombe County.

• Author: Saylor, Teri
• Position: SPONSORED SECTION: REGIONAL REPORT: NASH AND EDGECOMBE COUNTIES

Corning Inc., a 168- year-old material-science company, is increasing its footprint in North Carolina by adding a distribution center in Edgecombe County.

The $89 million project will create 111 jobs to support operations at the large, state-of-the-art warehouse, according to Joseph Dunning, corporate sustainability manager.

Corning, a Fortune 500 company, touts itself as one of the world's leading innovators. It has 70 manufacturing facilities worldwide, in addition to research centers in North America, Europe and Asia that employ a total of 50,000 people. Its three core technologies are glass science, ceramic science and optical physics. Sales totaled $11.4 billion in 2018.

Corning started construction on the warehouse last October, and officials anticipate it will be up and running in 2020, but there's no exact timeline.

"Construction has begun," Dunning says. "We expect progress on the facility and infrastructure to be paced with market adoption of valor glass." Valor is a type of glass mainly used in pharmaceutical packaging and requires special Food and Drug Administration approval.

The company will coordinate with Edgecombe Community College and NCWorks, an online resource for job seekers and employers, to hold job fairs and fill positions locally. Annual wages will average $33,771.

The new distribution center will be located next to the Kingsboro CSX Select Megasite, a 1,449-acre industrial park in Edgecombe County. The 18-year-old site is located adjacent to U.S. 64 and eight miles from Interstate 95. The new CSX Intermodal terminal, currently under construction, will also aid its transportation needs.

"The site is a great asset because Corning will be a distribution center here and it will take advantage of both trucking and rail capabilities." says Norris Tolson, CEO and president of the Carolinas Gateway Partnership. Corning looked at a variety of locations for its new warehouse within and outside North Carolina. In addition to the Kingsboro Megasite's convenient location, other advantages factored into the company's decision, Dunning says.

"We chose Edgecombe County because of the benefits it offered, such as its educational system, a highly skilled and dedicated workforce, good infrastructure, quality of life, and the business-friendly environment that makes it especially welcoming for Corning," Dunning says.

Founded in 1851, Corning's global headquarters is in Corning, N.Y., but the company has had a presence in the Tar Heel...