Prysmian Group this month announced it is investing $85 million in major equipment and technology upgrades at plants in North America, enabling the company to meet growing production needs for telecom customers.
Prysmian said it is investing in the plant upgrades to support broadband development and 5G wireless uptake in North America.
The fiber and cable manufacturers’ plant in Claremont, North Carolina, will see the most attention, which will result in increased production capacity.
Headcount at the facility is expect to grow by up to 70 in the next 18 months, which would see employment there approach 620.
The Claremont facility produces both optical fiber and fiber cable products, including Prysmian’s FlexTube and ezMicroduct cables, high-density products with bend-insensitive fibers. The facility also is home to an R&D center.
“Prysmian Group is committed to support the growth necessary to expand access to high-speed broadband in North America,” commented Andrea Pirondini, CEO of Prysmian Group North America.
Pirondini continued, “The U.S. Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and the Canadian Universal Broadband Fund will also help build local economies and provide access to healthcare services and education opportunities. Prysmian Group continues to experience strong demand in North America for optical fiber in the telecom sector and is proud to play a lead role as an enabler of the digital transformation across the country. With these investments, we can continue to meet customer needs in support of 5G development in the U.S. and Canada.”
“North America is a strategic market for our Group, and these investments are inserted into a global plan to increase our capacity to support the digital transformation with innovative products, going through the development of new ultra-broadband fiber optic telecommunication networks” observed Philippe Vanhille, executive vice president, Telecom BU of Prysmian Group.
He concluded, “These critical infrastructures must be based on high quality and designed to provide high performance over time so as to be ready for the services of the future like 5G, smart cities, smart transportation, smart homes.”