Prysmian Pours $1B Into North Carolina Fiber Optic Plant Expansion
Prysmian is expanding its fiber optic cable manufacturing campus in Claremont, North Carolina, with an investment topping $1 billion, Plant Services reports. The project will add 385 jobs and more than double the company’s U.S. fiber optic production capacity.
Market Impact
The Claremont facility already spans 1.2 million square feet and employs about 680 workers, producing both the glass preforms used inside fiber optic cables and the finished cables themselves. The expansion will scale up glass preform and fiber manufacturing processes while boosting overall cable production, positioning Prysmian to meet rising demand tied to data center and broadband buildouts across the country.
Andrea Pirondini, Prysmian North America CEO, said the investment reflects the company’s push to support growing U.S. demand for “advanced digital solutions,” noting Prysmian is one of just three U.S. manufacturers of fiber and optical cables. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein called the project further proof the state is “leading the way on innovation and job creation,” pointing to the state’s manufacturing workforce as a draw for large capital investments.
The project has backing from a wide list of state and local partners, including the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, Catawba County, the City of Claremont, and Catawba Valley Community College. Construction is expected to take 20 to 24 months.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Site work and utility hookups will be needed early: expect civil, grading, and underground utility packages tied to Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas service upgrades to support the expanded Catawba County campus.
- With a 20-24 month construction timeline, mechanical, electrical, and process piping subcontractors should watch for EPC or GC selection announcements out of Claremont in the coming months as Prysmian scales up glass preform and fiber manufacturing lines.
- Workforce partners named in the project, including Catawba Valley Community College and the state’s Division of Workforce Solutions, signal upcoming training pipelines. Local electrical, instrumentation, and controls trades should engage now to be first in line for staffing on the buildout.
- Specialty manufacturing subcontractors experienced with cleanroom or precision glass/fiber production environments have an opening here, since the expansion covers both glass preform processing and cable production lines, not just general warehouse space.
- Given the 385 new permanent jobs and doubling of capacity, expect follow-on facility maintenance and equipment installation subcontracts once construction wraps, likely in the 2028 timeframe based on the stated 20-24 month schedule.
