Kentucky ‘uniquely positioned’ for Apple investment, leaders say

KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — Corning Incorporated may not be a household name, but its partnership with Apple, a multinational tech corporation, is a long one. Corning’s Harrodsburg facility has produced glass for Apple products for about 18 years, including prior iPhone and Apple Watch models.

“This is for the first time ever, every single new iPhone. And every single new Apple Watch sold anywhere in the world will contain covered glass made in Kentucky,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

Not only will manufacturing expand at the facility, but the opening of a new innovation center is something Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe believes is promising for rising Kentucky graduates.

“We do know they’re going to help to create the next and best products. And what would be the next generation for an Apple anything could be created right here,” she told FOX 56.

Bledsoe represents the Harrodsburg community in the State Senate. She explained many reasons she sees for why Apple would invest $2.5 billion expanding operations here instead of in Silicon Valley.

“I think Kentucky is in a really unique position geographically. We can move items in and out pretty quickly, especially having access to the airport right here. Not to mention, we’re going to have a great quality of life in Lexington and central Kentucky, which allows you to maximize kind of rural areas, manufacturing areas, as well as the high tech and university right here at University of Kentucky,” she said.

Bledsoe says central Kentucky’s position as a logistics hub is unique in the sense that most of the country is reachable from here within 6 hours.

With many seats at the table, there’s plenty of credit to go around. “Our team at the Cabinet for Economic Development has been working with Corning over the past few months. Though I think the project grew significantly, and we’re grateful for that,” Gov. Andy Beshear said at Thursday’s Team Kentucky.

“When you’re working from the federal government to state government to local government, rarely these things happen in a bubble. Typically, all the things have to match and have to be really accelerated to see this kind of investment. And so in this case, I think everyone wins,” Bledsoe said.