Prysmian Breaks Ground on More Than $1B Expansion Project in Claremont, North Carolina

Prysmian, the leading provider of solutions for energy and digital connections, broke ground today on a major expansion of its Claremont, North Carolina, campus, marking the start of a $1.02 billion investment to more than double the company’s U.S. fiber optic production capacity and strengthen domestic manufacturing of critical digital infrastructure. 

Prysmian executives were joined by leaders from Molex, Claremont Mayor Shawn R. Brown and representatives from the NC Rural Economic Development organization, as well as the Catawba County Commissioners office for a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the start of construction. The expansion will increase Prysmian’s glass preform and fiber manufacturing capacity and create 300 new local jobs. 

Andrea Pirondini, Prysmian North America CEO: “Today’s groundbreaking represents an important milestone for Prysmian, the Claremont community and the future of optical fiber and connectivity in the United States. This investment reflects our long-term commitment to domestic manufacturing and to building the capacity needed to support the next generation of digital infrastructure. We’re equally proud that this growth will create hundreds of new opportunities for people here in Catawba County.”

In addition to the fiber facility, Prysmian is also investing approximately $48 million in its optical cable manufacturing operations on the Claremont campus. The project will increase production capacity and create an additional 85 jobs over the next two years, bringing the company’s total planned job creation in Claremont to 385 positions. 

Claremont Mayor Shawn R. Brown: “Prysmian has been an important part of the Claremont community, and this significant investment represents an exciting new chapter for both the company and our city. These new jobs will provide meaningful opportunities for local residents while further establishing Claremont as a community where advanced manufacturing can grow and thrive. We’re proud that Prysmian continues to see the value of investing here.”

Randy Isenhower, Chair of the Catawba County Board of Commissioners: “Prysmian’s continued investment in Catawba County is a testament to the strength of our workforce and our region’s ability to support innovative, world-class manufacturing. An expansion of this magnitude will have a lasting impact well beyond the walls of this facility, supporting economic growth and strengthening Catawba County’s role in building the infrastructure that will power our increasingly connected economy.” 

These projects are part of Prysmian’s recently announced investments across North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee to expand domestic fiber and optical cable manufacturing capacity and create approximately 600 new U.S. manufacturing jobs.

The additional Claremont capacity will also support Prysmian’s $6.29 billion long-term agreement with Molex to supply optical cables for advanced digital infrastructure. The agreement will help the companies address growing demand for high-performance connectivity driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other data-intensive applications. 

Joe Nelligan, Molex CEO: “Molex and Prysmian share a commitment to helping customers address rapidly evolving connectivity requirements. Prysmian’s investment in additional U.S. manufacturing capacity will strengthen our long-term collaboration and our ability to deliver the advanced optical connectivity solutions our customers need.”

Construction on the Claremont expansion is expected to be completed in about 20 months, with the facility fully coming online in 2030. 

As Prysmian grows its manufacturing operations, the company is also expanding its workforce in Claremont and across the United States. To learn more about available job opportunities, text APPLY to 57131 or visit Prysmian’s careers page.