Announcement of New U.S. Manufacturing Facility
Lumentum Holdings Inc., a global leader in optical and photonic solutions for cloud and networking applications, has announced plans to establish a new manufacturing facility in Greensboro, North Carolina. The 240,000-square-foot site will focus on producing advanced indium phosphide (InP)-based optical devices, which are essential components powering some of the world’s largest AI data centers.
Strategic Location and Acquisition
The Greensboro facility was acquired from Qorvo, a semiconductor chipmaker. The location was selected due to its skilled workforce, strong infrastructure, and favorable federal and state economic development support. These advantages position the facility as a strategic hub for scaling advanced manufacturing operations in the United States.
Facility Operations and Production Capabilities
The site is already operational and will undergo retrofitting to support the production of Lumentum’s InP-based optical products. These include continuous wave (CW) lasers and ultra-high-power (UHP) lasers, both critical for high-performance data transmission in AI-driven environments.
The acquisition also includes the transfer of an experienced workforce, enabling Lumentum to accelerate its production ramp-up and expand capacity efficiently. This transition ensures continuity in operations while strengthening the company’s manufacturing expertise.
Collaboration with AI Industry Leaders
NVIDIA will serve as a key customer for the new facility. This partnership aligns with previously announced strategic agreements between the two companies, aimed at supporting research and development as well as expanding U.S.-based critical infrastructure.
In addition to NVIDIA, Lumentum plans to serve other leading AI infrastructure customers, addressing both scale-out and scale-up optical requirements through the new fabrication facility.
Strengthening U.S. Manufacturing and AI Infrastructure
The expansion of Lumentum’s domestic manufacturing footprint reflects its commitment to enhancing supply chain resilience and advancing its onshoring strategy. By increasing U.S.-based production, the company aims to better support hyperscale cloud providers and AI infrastructure networks.
The Greensboro facility will significantly boost manufacturing capacity through the use of 6-inch InP wafers. Production ramp-up is expected to begin in mid-2028, marking a major milestone in Lumentum’s long-term growth strategy.
Executive Perspectives on Growth and Innovation
Michael Hurlston, Chief Executive Officer of Lumentum, emphasized the importance of the investment, noting that customers are building the infrastructure that will define the next generation of computing. He highlighted that the new facility will expand capacity, strengthen strategic partnerships, and ensure the delivery of high-performance, reliable solutions required for the AI revolution.
Debora Shoquist, Executive Vice President of Operations at NVIDIA, also underscored the significance of the expansion. She stated that as AI workloads grow rapidly, reliable access to high-performance optical components is essential. Lumentum’s investment in U.S. manufacturing capacity will help ensure supply continuity and meet increasing infrastructure demands.
Economic Impact and Job Creation
Lumentum plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars over the coming years to scale production and enhance advanced manufacturing capabilities at the Greensboro site. This investment is expected to preserve existing jobs while creating more than 400 new manufacturing roles in the United States.
New positions will span a wide range of functions, including fabrication process engineering, equipment engineering, manufacturing technicians, operations, supply chain management, quality assurance, IT, human resources, and finance. The project has also received support from state and local economic development initiatives.
Local and state leaders have welcomed the investment, recognizing its role in strengthening the region’s semiconductor ecosystem and workforce development. The expansion highlights Greensboro’s growing importance as a center for advanced manufacturing and innovation.
About Lumentum
Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LITE) is a global leader in optical and photonic technologies that enable AI, cloud computing, and next-generation communication networks. With decades of innovation in photonics, the company delivers high-performance lasers, optical modules, and subsystems that support scalable and energy-efficient data center connectivity, telecom networks, industrial manufacturing, and sensing applications. Headquartered in San Jose, California, Lumentum operates research, manufacturing, and sales facilities worldwide.
Source link:https://www.businesswire.com/
