Catawba County has a rich history in manufacturing with over 425 manufacturers employing 28% of the workforce.

Telecommunications

Two of Catawba County's largest employers also happen to be two of the world's largest producers of fiber optic cables. Supporting these industry giants—CommScope and Corning Optical Communications, along with Prysmian—are a number of smaller suppliers that combine to create one of the most impressive clusters of fiber companies in the world.

Founded in 1976, CommScope has a history that reaches back decades earlier by virtue of its origin as a product line within Superior Cable Corporation.