Corning workers brought back

DEKALB — Increased sales at Corning Inc.'s Canton plant have put back to work 10 of the company's production workers who had been on layoff.

The specialty glass factory now has a 145-member work force, according to Sarah I. Horvath, a company spokeswoman.

"These are people who were called back in over the past few months from earlier layoffs," Ms. Horvath said Wednesday.

The production startup of Polarcor, a product transferred to the Canton plant from a closed Corning plant in Danville, Va., also created a demand for a few more workers, she said.

"The Polarcor product is now shipping from the Canton plant. The complete relocation is on schedule to be finished by the end of the first quarter," Ms. Horvath said.

The positive news comes after a dismal 2008 and 2009, when Corning faced decreased sales for many of its products.

In particular, the depressed economy decreased demand for specialty glass materials used for computers, flat-screened TVs and other electronics.

During the past two years, 37 production and maintenance employees were laid off from the Canton plant, located on McAdoo Road, town of DeKalb. In February 2009, 15 salaried employees were laid off, and temporary plant shutdowns went into effect to help control costs.

"We are now receiving increased orders in our semi-conductor sector," Ms. Horvath said. "We adjust our staffing levels to meet the demands of our customer orders."

Polarcor is used worldwide in various optical networks in industries including telecommunications, military and defense, aerospace, biomedical and medical.

A second product from the Danville plant, called MACOR, will not be transferred to the Canton plant as originally planned, Ms. Horvath said.

Instead, MACOR operations relocated to a specialty plant in Bagneux, France, where manufacturing costs were lower and customers were closer.

"The move did not affect employment levels at the Canton plant," Ms. Horvath said.

Besides producing high-purity silica for the semi-conductor industry, the Canton plant produces calcium fluoride crystals used in telescopes for the aerospace industry and material for defense applications.