Though outsourcing to China has saved Apple a lot of money, it has also earned criticisms from both labor groups and statesmen. Now, the leading tech corporation is resorting to insourcing as it opens a manufacturing plant in Mesa, Arizona.
As the company has always been secretive about its operations and strategies, Apple did not disclose the real reason behind the transfer of its manufacturing force to Arizona. But what’s important is that many Americans might see the move as favorable, and it could set the mood of many environmentalists right.
The Arizona plant promises 700 manufacturing jobs and an additional 1,300 construction-related work that has been handled for many years by China’s outsourcing sect. The plant also aims to become environment-friendly. “It will run on 100% renewable energy from day one, as a result of the work we are doing with SRP to create green energy sources to power the facility,” said Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet.
Long-term plan
The Arizona plant undertaking is actually under a multilayer partnership with GT Advance Technologies, a New Hampshire-based company that specializes in crystal growth. The company will provide furnaces for producing Apple’s high-end camera lens covers that are made from sapphire. Several reports say that the two companies want the sapphire materials to end up not only as phone camera covers, but also screens.
Many tech experts think that Apple, through its $150 billion savings, would like to embark on serious manufacturing efforts that would end its habit of outsourcing outside parties to build components for its product line.
The Arizona plant would be a milestone for Apple as it has never assembled a computer inside the United States for years; it’s like going back to being an all-American brand.
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