Doug Hall started as a research scientist at Corning in a small upstate New York town. Corning was originally known for cookware but began looking to research and development for growth. Hall has been involved in Corning's recent success through breakthrough technologies that improved their fiber optic network products. Although many scientists prefer pure research, Hall agreed to become a development manager to commercialize his first invention and did the same for his second. Today, Hall is a vice president and technology director at Corning, and his inventions generate $1 billion in annual sales.