Apple will invest $2.5 billion to expand it's glass production in Kentucky for iPhones and Apple Watches. (Getty Images)
Apple announced Wednesday it would spend $2.5 billion to fund the expansion of glass manufacturing for iPhones with Corning, a Harrodsburg-based company. Apple said the glass for all iPhones and Apple Watches would be made at the Corning facility.
Apple CEO Tim Cook joined President Donald Trump in sharing the news Wednesday at the White House. Apple plans to spend $600 billion on U.S. companies and suppliers over the next four years.
Kentucky Republicans were quick to boost the news. State Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, who represents the district that includes Corning, called it “a major win for Kentucky and a proud moment for Harrodsburg.”
Mays Bledsoe called the news evidence that Kentucky is earning a place in advanced manufacturing and technology. “It’s a seed of growth toward a future where Kentucky leads on the world stage,” she said, adding that “our workers and communities are becoming a core part of a thriving ecosystem of innovation and opportunity.”
The top GOP candidates in Kentucky’s U.S. Senate race also praised the move, crediting Trump with the expansion. The three — former Attorney General Daniel Cameron, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr and businessman Nate Morris — have been vying for the president’s endorsement.
Cameron said on X Trump “talked about bringing jobs back, and he’s doing it right here in Kentucky,” calling it a “win for Kentucky workers thanks to America First policies!”
Barr, whose congressional district includes Harrodsburg, said in a statement the expansion was possible because of incentives for domestic manufacturing in the GOP megabill that Trump signed into law last month. Barr added, “we are Making Manufacturing American Again!”
Morris warned Kentuckians to not “let anyone else take the credit for these new jobs coming to Kentucky” but the president.
“It’s also a good reminder that RINOs who have openly attacked Trump’s tariffs over the years, like Andy Barr and his ‘mentor’ Mitch McConnell, couldn’t have been more wrong,” Morris said. On the campaign trail, Morris has been openly critical of the outgoing senator and has tied his opponents closer to McConnell.
Kentucky’s highest ranking Democrat, Gov. Andy Beshear, said during his Thursday press conference that the total number of new jobs is not yet known, but called Apple’s announcement a “huge investment.” He said the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development has been working with Corning for the past few months.
“Apple’s substantial commitment is a major win for Mercer County and for the Commonwealth,” Beshear said. “I want to personally congratulate everyone in Harrodsburg, in Mercer County and the surrounding region who will benefit from the continued growth of this longstanding Kentucky company.”
Corning has been in Kentucky for more than 70 years and has more than 400 employees.
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