Corning's Wilmington, N.C., Optical Fiber Manufacturing Facility To B

Corning's Wilmington, N.C., Optical Fiber Manufacturing Facility To Be Recognized as an Environmental Steward

    Business Editors/Technology Editors

    CORNING, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 2, 2005--

N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources recognizes Corning for superior environmental performance
    Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) announced today that its Wilmington, N.C., optical fiber manufacturing facility has been named an Environmental Steward by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The award recognizes the Wilmington facility's superior environmental performance, commitment to continued reduction of its environmental impact and demonstrated commitment to go beyond compliance. Corning is today being recognized by DENR Secretary William G. Ross, Jr. and Assistant Secretary Jimmy Carter at a ceremony in Wilmington.
    "At Corning, we are firmly committed to protecting the environment through continuous improvement of our processes, products and services," said Tom Nettleman, division vice president and plant manager for Corning's Wilmington optical fiber manufacturing facility. "Through our rigorous environmental management system, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of excellence and are honored to receive this state-level recognition of our efforts."
    "Corning continues to set the bar in the development of management systems for efficient and environmentally friendly manufacturing," said DENR Secretary William G. Ross Jr. "The company serves as an example that industry can be both successful in commerce and a steward of the environment in which it operates."
    The state's Environmental Steward initiative began in 2002 and was designed to promote and encourage superior environmental performance by N.C.'s regulated community. An Environmental Steward is an organization that has demonstrated environmental leadership through its commitment to exemplary environmental performance beyond what is required by regulation. Stewards are required to set aggressive environmental performance goals that include pollution prevention, a commitment to exceed compliance and annual improvements to performance, as well as annual reports on its environmental performance. The Steward is the highest level of recognition and is reserved for those organizations that have demonstrated and pledge a continuing commitment to achieve high environmental performance. For more information on this initiative, please visit www.p2pays.org/esi/.
    Corning Optical Fiber has a time-honored history of total quality and has established itself as a leader in Total Quality Management. In 1995, Corning Optical Fiber was awarded the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and remains the only optical fiber manufacturer to have received this national recognition. Corning completed registration for TL 9000 Release 3.0 certification in 2001.
    Additionally, Corning has continually met or exceeded industry standards, including ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, and participates in international and national industry standards organizations, including the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Electronics Industry Alliance (EIA), the Alliance for Telecom Industry Solutions (ATIS) and the Quest Forum.

    About Corning's Wilmington, N.C. Fiber Facility

    Corning invented the world's first low-loss optical fiber in 1970 and is the only remaining U.S.-owned fiber manufacturer. Corning's Wilmington, North Carolina, fiber facility was the world's first fiber manufacturing plant and today has the largest capacity in the industry. Wilmington employs several hundred employees and manufactures a full portfolio of fiber products to meet the demands of different network applications from the desktop to the ocean. Continued excellence in manufacturing process control, automation and productivity in Wilmington allows Corning to remain the highest-quality and lowest-cost producer of optical fiber in the world. For more information on Corning optical fiber, please visit www.corning.com/opticalfiber.

    About Corning Incorporated

    Corning Incorporated (www.corning.com) is a diversified technology company that concentrates its efforts on high-impact growth opportunities. Corning combines its expertise in specialty glass, ceramic materials, polymers and the manipulation of the properties of light, with strong process and manufacturing capabilities to develop, engineer and commercialize significant innovative products for the telecommunications, flat panel display, environmental, semiconductor, and life sciences industries.

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CONTACT: Corning Incorporated Media Relations Contacts: Lisa A. Burns, 607-974-4897 burnsla@corning.com or M. Elizabeth Dann, 607-974-4989 dannme@corning.com

KEYWORD: NORTH CAROLINA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENVIRONMENT MANUFACTURING TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOURCE: Corning Incorporated

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