Lumentum opens new Greensboro plant, pledges hundreds of millions in investment

Lumentum’s new Greensboro plant is now operating inside a 240,000-square-foot former Qorvo building at 7908 Piedmont Triad Parkway, converting an existing industrial site into a production hub tied to the AI economy. The company celebrated the opening of its newest U.S. manufacturing facility on April 30, a sign that Greensboro is still winning large-scale industrial investment, not just preserving what it already has.

The company said in March that it plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars over the next several years in the Greensboro project and preserve and create more than 400 jobs. The plant will make indium phosphide-based optical devices, including continuous wave and ultra-high-power lasers, that are used in AI data centers and cloud infrastructure. That puts Guilford County squarely inside one of the fastest-growing corners of advanced manufacturing, where demand is being driven by data centers and the broader buildout of high-performance computing systems.

Lumentum said Greensboro stood out because of its skilled workforce, strong infrastructure and supportive economic development environment. The company also said the purchase agreement included a transfer of an experienced workforce, helping it move quickly from announcement to opening. That speed matters in manufacturing, where the ability to ramp up production without starting from scratch can determine whether a region lands the next investment or loses it to a competitor.

For Greensboro, the project reaches beyond the walls of the plant. More production means more work for contractors, suppliers and service businesses around the Piedmont Triad, while schools and workforce programs have another major employer to train for. The Greensboro Area Chamber said the project strengthens the region’s leadership in advanced manufacturing and next-generation technology, reinforcing a local identity that has been shifting from traditional factory work toward higher-value industrial production.

Lumentum chief executive Michael Hurlston said Greensboro offers the combination of workforce talent, infrastructure and collaborative leadership that advanced manufacturers need to scale quickly. The opening gives the city a visible example of how its manufacturing base is evolving, with one former Qorvo site now positioned to serve the infrastructure behind AI growth.