Corning traces its origins to a glass business established in 1851. The present corporation was incorporated in the State of New York in December 1936. The Company’s name was changed from Corning Glass Works to Corning Incorporated on April 28, 1989.
Corning is a global, technology-based corporation that operates in five reportable business segments: Display Technologies, Telecommunications, Environmental Technologies, Specialty Materials and Life Sciences. Corning manufactures and processes products at approximately 60 plants in 13 countries.
Display Technologies Segment
Corning’s Display Technologies segment manufactures glass substrates for active matrix liquid crystal displays (LCDs), that are used primarily in notebook computers, flat panel desktop monitors, and LCD televisions. Corning’s facilities in Kentucky, Japan, Taiwan, and China and those of Samsung Corning Precision Glass Co., Ltd. (Samsung Corning Precision) develop, manufacture and supply high quality glass substrates using a proprietary fusion manufacturing process and technology expertise. Corning owns 50% of Samsung Corning Precision, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. owns 43% and three other shareholders own the remaining 7%. Samsung Corning Precision sells LCD glass to panel manufacturers in Korea, while those panel manufacturers in other leading LCD-producing areas of the world - Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and China - are supplied by Corning. Samsung Corning Precision’s financial statements are attached in Item 15, Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
Corning is a technology leader in this market introducing new large-sized glass substrates used by our customers in the production of larger LCDs for monitors and television. We are recognized for providing product innovations that help our customers produce larger, lighter, thinner and higher-resolution displays more affordably. In industry language, glass sizes advance in what are called generations. Glass substrates are currently available from Corning in sizes up to Generation 10 (2,850mm x 3,050mm). Generation 10 glass substrates are produced at our newest manufacturing facility which opened in October 2009. This advanced facility, located at Sharp Corporation’s plant in Sakai City, Japan, eliminates the need for traditional packaging, shipping, and delivery methods. Large substrates (Generation 5 and higher) allow LCD manufacturers to produce larger and a greater number of panels from each substrate. The larger size leads to economies of scale for LCD manufacturers.
Corning invented its proprietary fusion manufacturing process, which is the cornerstone of the Company’s technology leadership in the LCD industry. The automated process yields high quality glass substrates with excellent dimensional stability and uniformity - essential attributes for the production of increasingly larger, high performance active matrix LCDs. Corning’s fusion process is scalable and has proven to be among the most effective processes in producing large size substrates. In 2006, Corning launched EAGLE XG™, the industry’s first environmentally-friendly LCD glass substrate that is free of heavy metals.
LCD glass manufacturing is a highly capital intensive business. Corning has made significant investments to expand its LCD glass facilities in response to customer demand. The environment is very competitive. Important attributes for success include efficient manufacturing, access to capital, technology know-how, and patents.
Patent protection and proprietary trade secrets are important to this segment’s operations. Corning has a growing portfolio of patents relating to its products, technologies and manufacturing processes. Corning licenses certain of its patents to Samsung Corning Precision and other third parties and generates royalty income from these licenses. Refer to the material under the heading “Patents and Trademarks” for information relating to patents and trademarks.
The Display Technologies segment represented 45% of Corning’s sales for 2009.
The Telecommunications segment produces optical fiber and cable, and hardware and equipment products for the worldwide telecommunications industry. Corning invented the world’s first low-loss optical fiber 40 years ago and now offers a range of optical fiber technology products and enhancements for a variety of applications, including premises, fiber-to-the-home access, metropolitan, long-haul and submarine networks. Corning makes and sells InfiniCor® fibers for local area networks, data centers and central offices; SMF-28e+™ single-mode optical fiber that provides additional transmission wavelengths in metropolitan and access networks; SMF-28® ULL fiber; LEAF® optical fiber for long-haul, regional and metropolitan networks; ClearCurve® ultra-bendable single-mode fiber for use in multiple dwelling units and fiber-to-the-home applications; ClearCurve® ultra-bendable multimode fiber for data centers and other enterprise networks; and Vascade® submarine optical fibers for use in submarine networks. Corning has two large optical fiber manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and another facility in China. As a result of lowered demand for optical fiber products, in 2002 Corning mothballed its optical fiber manufacturing facility in Concord, North Carolina and transferred certain capabilities to its Wilmington, North Carolina facility. In 2007, Corning reopened a portion of the Concord, North Carolina facility primarily as a result of volume growth in the optical fiber market.
A significant portion of Corning’s optical fiber is sold to subsidiaries such as Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Cable Systems), and Corning Cable Systems Polska Sp. Z o.o. Optical fiber is cabled prior to being sold to end users in cabled form. Corning’s remaining fiber production is sold directly to end users or third party cablers around the world. Corning’s cabling operations include facilities in North Carolina, Poland, and Germany and smaller regional locations and equity affiliates.
Corning’s hardware and equipment products include cable assemblies, fiber optic hardware, fiber optic connectors, optical components and couplers, closures and pedestals, splice and test equipment and other accessories for optical connectivity. For copper connectivity, Corning’s products include subscriber demarcation, connection and protection devices, xDSL (different variations of digital subscriber lines) passive solutions and outside plant enclosures. Each of the product lines may be combined in Corning’s fiber-to-the-premises solutions. Corning has manufacturing operations for hardware and equipment products in North Carolina, Arizona, and Texas, as well as Europe, Mexico, and China. In addition, Corning offers products for the cable television industry, including coaxial connectors and associated tools.
Patent protection is important to the segment’s operations. The segment has an extensive portfolio of patents relating to its products, technologies and manufacturing processes. The segment licenses certain of its patents to third parties and generates revenue from these licenses, although the royalty income is not currently material to this segment’s operating results. Corning is licensed to use certain patents owned by others, which are considered important to the segment’s operations. Refer to the material under the heading “Patents and Trademarks” for information relating to the Company’s patents and trademarks.
The Telecommunications segment represented 31% of Corning’s sales for 2009.
Environmental Technologies Segment
Corning’s environmental products include ceramic technologies for emissions and pollution control in mobile and stationary applications around the world, including automotive and diesel substrate and filter products. In the early 1970’s, Corning developed an economical, high-performance cellular ceramic substrate that is now the standard for catalytic converters worldwide. In response to tightening emission control regulations around the world, Corning has continued to develop more efficient substrate products with lower resistance to flow and greater surface area. In addition, Corning continues to develop new ceramic substrate and filter technologies for diesel emission control products to meet the tightening emission control regulations around the world. Corning manufactures substrate and filter products in New York, Virginia, China, Germany and South Africa. Corning sells its ceramic substrate and filter products worldwide to manufacturers of emission control systems who then sell to automotive and diesel engine manufacturers. Although most sales are made to the emission control systems manufacturers, the use of Corning substrates and filters is generally required by the specifications of the automotive and diesel engine manufacturers.
Patent protection is important to the segment’s operations. The segment has an extensive portfolio of patents relating to its products, technologies and manufacturing processes. Corning is licensed to use certain patents owned by others, which are considered important to the segment’s operations. Refer to the material under the heading “Patents and Trademarks” for information relating to the Company’s patents and trademarks.
The Environmental Technologies segment represented 11% of Corning’s sales for 2009.
Specialty Materials Segment
The Specialty Materials segment manufactures products that provide more than 150 material formulations for glass, glass ceramics and fluoride crystals to meet demand for unique customer needs. Consequently, this segment operates in a wide variety of commercial and industrial markets that include display optics and components, semiconductor optics components, aerospace and defense, astronomy, ophthalmic products, telecommunications components and a protective cover glass that is optimized for portable display devices. Semiconductor optics manufactured by Corning include high-performance optical material products, optical-based metrology instruments, and optical assemblies for applications in the global semiconductor industry. Corning’s semiconductor optics products are manufactured in New York. Other specialty glass products include glass lens and window components and assemblies and are made in New York, Virginia, New Hampshire, Kentucky and France or sourced from China.
The Specialty Materials segment represented approximately 6% of Corning’s sales for 2009.
Life Sciences Segment
As a leading developer, manufacturer and global supplier of scientific laboratory products for more than 90 years, Corning’s Life Sciences segment collaborates with researchers seeking new approaches to increase efficiencies, reduce costs and compress timelines in the drug discovery process. Using unique expertise in the fields of optics, materials science, surfaces, and biology, the segment provides innovative solutions that improve productivity and enable breakthrough discoveries.
Life Sciences laboratory products include general labware and equipment as well as tools for cell culture and bioprocess, genomics and proteomics, and high-throughput screening. Corning manufactures these products in Maine, New York, New Jersey, California, Utah, Mexico, France, Poland, and China. The products are marketed worldwide, primarily through distributors, to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, hospitals, government entities, and other research facilities. In addition to being a global leader in consumable glass and plastic laboratory tools for life science research, Corning continues to be a leader with the development and production of unique technologies such as the Corning® HYPERFlask® Cell Culture Vessel for increased cell yields, and novel surfaces, such as the Corning® CellBIND® Surface and the Corning® Osteo-Assay surface.
In September 2009, Corning acquired Axygen BioScience, Inc. and its subsidiaries (Axygen). Axygen is a leading manufacturer and distributor of high quality plastic consumables, liquid handling products and bench-top laboratory equipment. The acquisition of Axygen, which will be integrated into Corning’s Life Sciences segment, supports Corning’s strategy to expand its portfolio of life sciences products and enhance global customer access in this business. In addition to its existing Corning, Costar and Pyrex brands, Corning now sells life science products under the Axygen, Sorenson BioScience, Labnet, HTL, and ALP brands.
Patent protection is important to the segment’s operations. The segment has a growing portfolio of patents relating to its products, technologies and manufacturing processes. Brand recognition, through some well known trademarks, is important to the segment. Refer to the material under the heading “Patents and Trademarks” for information relating to the Company’s patents and trademarks.
The Life Sciences segment represented approximately 7% of Corning’s sales for 2009.
Other products primarily include development projects and new product lines, certain corporate investments, Samsung Corning Precision’s non-LCD business, and Corning’s Eurokera and Keraglass equity affiliates with Saint Gobain Vitrage S.A. of France which manufacture smooth cooktop glass/ceramic products in France, China, and South Carolina. Development projects and new product lines involve the use of various technologies for new products such as synthetic green lasers, silicon-on-glass, advanced flow reactors, thin-film photovoltaics, and mercury abatement. In 2006, Corning announced the commercial launch of the Epic™ system, a high-throughput label-free screening platform based on optical biosensor technology. The system offers drug developers the ability to evaluate promising new drug targets through both biochemical and cell-based drug discovery applications.
In September 2009, Corning and Samsung Corning Precision formed Corsam Technologies LLC (Corsam), a new equity affiliate established to provide glass technology research for future product applications. Corning and Samsung Corning Precision each own 50% of the common stock of Corsam and Corning has agreed to provide research and development services to Corsam.
Until December 31, 2007, Corning had a 50% interest in Samsung Corning Company, Ltd. (Samsung Corning), a producer of glass panels and funnels for cathode ray tubes for televisions and computer monitors, which had manufacturing facilities in Korea, Germany, China and Malaysia. Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd. and affiliates owned the remaining 50% interest in Samsung Corning. On December 31, 2007, Samsung Corning Precision acquired all of the outstanding shares of Samsung Corning. After the transaction, Corning retained its 50% interest in Samsung Corning Precision. As noted above, equity earnings from the non-LCD business of Samsung Corning Precision are included in the All Other category.
All Other products represented less than 1% of Corning’s sales for 2009.
Additional explanation regarding Corning and its five segments is presented in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition under Operating Review and Results of Operations and Note 20 (Operating Segments) to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
At December 31, 2009, Corning had approximately 23,500 full-time employees, including approximately 10,200 employees in the United States. From time to time, Corning also retains consultants, independent contractors, and temporary and part-time workers. Unions are certified as bargaining agents for approximately 26% of Corning’s United States employees.