Apple awards $410M to II-VI Inc.
Saxonburg's II-VI Inc. received more than $400 million from an Apple manufacturing fund to produce laser-containing components for the tech behemoth's devices.
Apple Inc. awarded $410 million to II-VI from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund to aid in creating additional manufacturing capacity and the acceleration of future component deliveries for iPhones.
Ths $410 million award adds to a $390 million disbursement Apple made to II-VI in 2017. Apple expects much of the job impact from the funds to be in Sherman, Texas; Warren, N.J.; Easton, Pa.; and Champaign, Ill. The manufacturing fund, according to Apple chief operating officer Jeff Williams, was established “to support American businesses creating next-generation technology and the jobs of tomorrow.”
According to Apple, II-VI's vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser, or VCSEL, manufacturing helps power the tech giant's Face ID, along with photo features such as Memoji and portrait mode pictures. II-VI also produces lasers Apple uses in its LiDAR Scanner, helping “deliver faster, more realistic augmented reality experiences” and improving cameras' performance in low-light scenarios.
“The partnership between Apple and II-VI sets the stage for a new wave of breakthrough technologies that we believe will enable a wide range of applications that will benefit our world for decades to come,” Vincent Mattera Jr., II-VI's CEO, said in a Wednesday statement.
II-VI is also part of Apple's Clean Energy Program, meaning it uses 100% renewable energy across its Apple manufacturing in the United States.
