Apple commits to manufacturing all iPhone, Apple Watch cover glass in Kentucky |

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Apple announced Wednesday its commitment to build every iPhone and Apple Watch cover glass in Kentucky.

The $2.5 billion commitment will be made to Corning's plant in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, increasing Corning's manufacturing and engineering workforce in the state by 50%.

"Corning is a storied American company, and we’re thrilled to work together to build the largest and most advanced production line ever created for smartphone glass," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a news release. "Thanks to the power of American manufacturing, any customer anywhere in the world who buys a new iPhone or Apple Watch will be holding precision glass made right here in Kentucky. We’re grateful to the President and his administration for their support for American manufacturing, and we’re excited for the innovation this investment will unlock."

This will mark the first time 100% of all cover glass for iPhones and Apple Watches will be made in the U.S.

Apple also announced Wednesday that it'll work with Corning to open a new Apple-Corning Innovation Center at the plant, aimed at "developing and engineering advanced materials and next-generation manufacturing platforms for Apple's future generation of products."

"Apple is an amazing partner for American manufacturers like us, and together, we’ve innovated and pushed the boundaries of what’s possible," Corning CEO Wendell Weeks said in a news release. "We developed and made the glass for the very first iPhone in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, 18 years ago. With this new multibillion-dollar commitment from Apple and the lighting of our most advanced manufacturing platform, we are hiring more people and bringing 100 percent of Apple’s cover glass needs for iPhone and Apple Watch to the original home of the innovation."

No timetable was given Wednesday about when investment will begin or new jobs will be created.

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