HARRODSBURG, Ky. (WDRB) — Apple is moving production of its iPhone and Apple Watch cover glass to Harrodsburg, Kentucky, and for longtime Corning employees Tommy and Danny Shirley, it’s a full-circle moment.
“My grandfather helped in the construction in 1952. My dad started in 1964, and he started when he was 18. I started when I was 18,” Tommy Shirley said. For the past 30 years, he and his brother Danny have worked at the Corning plant in Harrodsburg — following in the footsteps of their father and grandfather.
Danny Shirley recalls growing up around the plant.
“We walked over every day to talk to people that, when Dad would come out, get off work, we would walk back across the street with him and do those things," he said. "And so we always wanted to work here."
The Shirelys’ work has evolved over the decades, and now they’re making glass for devices that will be used around the world.
“So we’re going to make devices right here in my hometown. That’s going to affect people’s lives all over the world,” Tommy Shirley said.
Apple and Corning allowed media only in designated areas of the Harrodsburg plant but provided video of the facility. Apple also shared a few new iPhones and Apple Watches featuring the type of glass that will soon be produced locally.
The $2.5 billion investment to expand manufacturing is a big deal for the area, which has seen few new job opportunities in recent years. Corning Chief Operating Officer Hal Nelson said the expansion will increase the plant’s workforce by 50%.
“Our intent is to add to our employment level from where we are today, so we will increase that by 50 percent. That process is already underway,” Nelson said. “That will be a combination of scientists, engineers, trades, and production workers — it runs the whole gamut as we increase capacity and capability of this facility.”
Currently, the plant employs around 350 people. The expansion is expected to add roughly 250 new jobs. Nelson himself started at this plant 30 years ago as a shift supervisor.
Apple CEO Tim Cook attended the press event but was not available for questions. The company did provide video of Cook walking through Harrodsburg. He is no stranger to the plant, which has produced Apple products for 18 years.
Danny Shirley said the visit meant a lot to the community.
“It’s special to have somebody take time and want to come down here and show us not only how important their products are, but how important we are," he said. "The investments they put in us show that our community is just as important to them.”
The Harrodsburg facility will be entirely dedicated to producing cover glass for Apple, a transformation that will take time. The impact on the town, however, could last for decades.
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