Corning to Employ 200-Plus at Plant in Fountain Valley

Corning Inc., the No. 1 maker of fiber-optic cables, said Tuesday it will build an optical-networking devices plant that will employ more than 200 people in Fountain Valley.

The company had said in August it planned to add more manufacturing capacity in the area in addition to spending more than $20 million to remodel and expand a Garden Grove plant.

The company, based in Corning, N.Y., is increasing its capacity to make components used in equipment that extends the reach of optical-fiber networks. Growth in high-speed Internet access has driven up demand for Corning switching devices that control computer data transmissions.

Construction of the plant will begin immediately, and production is scheduled to start in the third quarter, the company said.

Corning also said it plans to buy closely held Tropel Corp. for about $196.5 million in cash and stock to increase sales of optical lenses used in the semiconductor industry.

The stock rose $2.38 to $70 a share on the New York Stock Exchange.