Global Planning Intern

Business leaders, NAM honor Corning CEO Wendell Weeks. By NAM Newsroom October 1, 2026 More than 100 executives in manufacturing, technology, media and finance, among other fields, gathered to honor Wendell Weeks, chairman, president and CEO of Corning Incorporated, at the Yale CEO Caucus last week. * The caucus, a marquee gathering of U.S. business leaders, is helmed by Yale School of Management Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a leading authority in executive thought leadership. The event also featured wide-ranging discussions on artificial intelligence, China and the midterm elections, focusing on changing policy dynamics and the role of business leaders in navigating them. NAM on stage: As one of the award presenters, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons praised Weeks - who has led Corning for more than 25 years - as a "titan of manufacturing." * Speaking alongside presenters Apple Executive Chairman and former CEO Tim Cook, Motorola Solutions Chair and CEO Greg Brown and Snap-on Chairman and CEO and NAM Tax and Finance Policy Vice Chair Nick Pinchuk, Timmons tied Weeks' leadership of the iconic, 175-year-old American brand to the vision and values that make manufacturing strong in a dynamic and evolving world. A pillar of manufacturing history: Timmons discussed Corning's long history of glass production and evolution across the decades, from contributing to innovations like Edison's lightbulb and the iPhone to producing the physical components powering America's AI leadership today. * Timmons said that Weeks takes the "long view," noting that Corning follows a 150-year plan that can adapt to new inventions and technologies. He pointed out that Corning is now a key player in the age of AI, producing "the optical fiber - the very arteries of the AI buildout" and partnering with such companies as NVIDIA. A standout leader: "Wendell, you are an inspiration to us all," Timmons said. "You help the 13 million people who make things in America stand taller. For all you have built - and for everything still to come - congratulations on this high honor." The word from Yale: "Wendell Weeks practices the rarest form of leadership at the rarest kind of company," said Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean for leadership studies and Lester Crown professor in the practice of leadership at the Yale School of Management. * "He is the steward of an iconic 175-year-old American institution - the firm that supplied the glass for Edison's lightbulb, made the glass for the first television tubes and in 1970 invented the low-loss optical fiber that now carries the world's information - and in his third decade at its helm, he has carried it to the very center of the AI revolution." * "Institutions with such iconic legacies seldom reinvent themselves to this extent, and Weeks' success is a singular story of how to balance innovation with legacy." A final note on leadership: In a ceremony at the end of the day, Sonnenfeld presented the inaugural Yale Patriot Public Service Award for Executive Leadership to former Vice President Mike Pence and the Yale Patriot Public Service Award for Legislative Leadership to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), recognizing them for transcending partisan roles during the events of Jan. 6, 2021 and standing up for the rule of law and the values that make America exceptional. Photo credit: Donovan Marks

Corning reported revenue of nearly $15.6 billion in FY 2025, representing 19.1% year-on-year growth, with net income reaching roughly $1.6 billion and a net margin of 10.2%. The specialised glass and optical-physics manufacturer supplies optical fibre to Verizon and durable cover glass to Apple, whilst partnering with Amazon, Nvidia, and Qualcomm for AI and data centre architectures. Its debt-to-equity ratio stood at approximately 0.9x, with a current ratio of 1.6x. Honeywell International, operating across aerospace technologies, industrial automation, and building automation, reported FY 2025 revenue of approximately $37.4 billion, reflecting 7.8% growth. The diversified industrial technology company achieved net income of roughly $4.7 billion, resulting in a 12.6% net margin. Honeywell maintains strategic agreements with Bombardier for propulsion and avionics systems whilst refining its portfolio through divestments.

NYPA awards back $89 million in western and northern New York projects. * September 30, 2026 3:49 AM * Staff Report The New York Power Authority approved hydropower and funding awards expected to support nearly $89 million in private capital investment in western and northern New York, according to a Tuesday announcement from Gov. Kathy Hochul. The projects include transformer manufacturing in Cheektowaga and a ceramic manufacturing conversion by Corning Inc. in the North Country. The largest project is Niagara Power Transformer's more than $71 million Cheektowaga expansion. NYPA approved $4.5 million from its Western New York Power Proceeds program for the initiative, which the state says would add 96,000 square feet to the company's manufacturing campus and increase production capacity by 50%. The company projects 73 new permanent jobs and retention of 146 existing jobs. Western New York manufacturers receive power and funding. The power authority also allocated 210 kilowatts of low-cost Niagara hydropower to Sigma Advanced Materials, an advanced ceramics manufacturer in Cheektowaga. The allocation supports a $238,000 equipment and processing expansion. Unlike a direct grant, a hydropower allocation provides access to a lower-cost electricity supply under the program's terms. In Lockport, cabinetry manufacturer Candlelight Curated received a $1 million funding award toward a $4.25 million rehabilitation of a 200,000-square-foot industrial facility. The work includes production equipment and workflow upgrades. State officials say the project would restore 70 jobs; that is a projection, not a reported count of jobs already returned. The Jacobs Institute, a nonprofit medical technology center on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, received $658,503 for facilities modernization and expansion. The institute plans to increase clinical training and research capacity and improve its ability to commercialize medical technologies. Together, the three Western New York Power Proceeds awards total nearly $6.2 million. The governor's release says the western projects will drive nearly $79 million in investment and create nearly 150 jobs. Most of that anticipated spending and job growth is associated with the Cheektowaga transformer expansion. Geographic Reference Discover more advertising Headline News Feed Geographic Reference Empire State Development previously approved performance-based tax credits of up to $3.4 million for Niagara Power Transformer and up to $2 million for Candlelight Curated, as well as a $1 million capital grant for the Jacobs Institute. Those earlier awards are separate from the new NYPA decisions and are contingent on their respective program conditions. Corning Inc. warehouse conversion planned in North Country. NYPA also approved $1.8 million in Northern New York Power Proceeds funding for Corning Inc. to convert an existing warehouse into a ceramic manufacturing facility. The state said that project would retain 344 jobs and create five more. The announcement identifies the project as being in the North Country but does not specify the warehouse's municipality or county; Corning Inc.'s name does not establish that it is in the Finger Lakes city of Corning. The state said Empire State Development had previously supported Corning Inc.'s growth with up to $7 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits. The release did not give a construction schedule, total project cost or date when the new jobs would be filled. NYPA's Power Proceeds funds draw on net earnings from sales of unused hydropower generated at the Niagara and St. Lawrence-FDR power projects. The Western New York and Northern New York funds were created under separate state laws in 2012 and 2014, respectively. The allocations and awards have been approved by NYPA's board, but the projected investments and employment effects remain future commitments. The projects named in the announcement are in western and northern New York; the release identifies no Finger Lakes project receiving one of these awards. Central New York FingerLakes1.com is the region's leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].