Corning to open LCD glass plant in Beijing

Corning is already the world’s largest maker of glass for large liquid crystal displays, or LCDs, but they have yet to establish a presence in China. That’s about to change. The Chinese market is growing quickly, so Corning will be establishing an LCD glass plant in Beijing. There is, as of yet, no specific information about the exact location or the timeline. Corning had previously alluded to their interest in building in China, but this is the first time they have indicated that it will be in Beijing.

This isn’t an inexpensive move for Corning. The cost of establishing a fully functional plant is $1 billion or more. In order to soften the impact of that investment on their bottom line, the company will likely follow the same pattern that it has established for other manufacturing locations. It will initially open a glass-finishing facility, which comes with a price tag of $100 million, and then gradually ramp up the facility with additional investments until the full operation is in effect.