Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) and Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) marked the start of construction on an expansion of Corning's optical cable manufacturing capacity in Hickory, North Carolina.

The groundbreaking represents part of a multiyear agreement worth up to $6 billion between the companies, announced in January, under which Corning will supply Meta with optical fiber, cable, and connectivity solutions for data centers supporting artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Meta will serve as the anchor customer for the Hickory expansion, which will produce optical cable for AI infrastructure. The facility will manufacture technology developed in the United States.

"As America advances its lead in AI, the infrastructure we build today will determine whether we stay ahead tomorrow," said Dan Sachs, Meta's Vice President of Public Policy – State and Local.

Corning currently employs more than 5,000 people in North Carolina. The expansion could increase the company's employment levels in the state by 15 to 20 percent, according to the press release.

"Today we are breaking ground on a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in a critical next step for strengthening the domestic supply chain for AI data centers," said Hal Nelson, Chief Operating Officer at Corning Incorporated.

Corning will expand manufacturing capabilities across North Carolina to support the Meta agreement. The company has operated optical manufacturing facilities in the state for decades.

The expansion aims to support Meta's data center buildout for its applications, technologies, and AI objectives. Corning describes the partnership as focused on deploying advanced data centers in the United States.