CORNING, N.Y. (WENY) - Corning Inc. is celebrating the opening of a new manufacturing facility in Poland.

The company's new plant manufactures optical fiber and is located just southwest of Warsaw. Corning Inc. says it will help meet the growing demand for high-speed connectivity in the European Union and surrounding regions.

The new facility adds 250 new employees of more than 3,000 already working in Poland.

"Corning is expanding its fiber manufacturing operations in Europe as our customers accelerate investments in future-ready networks," said Corning Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Wendell P. Weeks. "From broadband to 5G to cloud computing, tomorrow's networks all depend on optical fiber. This facility will ensure we can continue to efficiently serve our customers in Europe and beyond. We appreciate the support of state and local officials, and the dedication of our skilled workforce."

Corning is also expanding manufacturing capacity in the United States to meet growing bandwidth demand in North America.

In August the company announced it will open a cable manufacturing plant near Phoenix, Arizona. A cable manufacturing expansion announced last year in North Carolina is currently ramping up.

By adding fiber manufacturing capacity in Poland, Corning will be able to increase local supply and manufacturing to serve global markets.