Foxconn, Apple’s largest supplier of parts for the iPhone 5s
and iPhone 5c, is planning to open a factory on U.S. soil. The Taiwan based
electronics company is planning on investing $40 million in the state of
Pennsylvania for a new facility and for research and development.
The Plan
According to reports, Terry Gou revealed the plan this week
to invest $30 million in a new facility in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This new
factory will be responsible for assembling components for telecommunications
equipment and Internet servers.
The remaining $10 million of the $40 million proposed for
the project will be spent on research and development at Carnegie Mellon
University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Rumors Confirmed
The announcement confirms rumors from last year that
suggested Gou had plans for expansion on U.S. soil. There is no definite answer
as to whether the American factories will be handling any Apple products at
all. But, there will be an added benefit to the Harrisburg community, with
approximately 500 jobs to be added to the 30 that are currently provided by
Foxconn.
Corporations Catching
Heat For Far East Labor
Foxconn officials mentioned last year that the idea of
making some of their products in America was interesting, simply because there
is a strong demand for it from American consumers. The electronics giant
already had plans in action for a training program for U.S. engineers through
MIT.
Large corporations like Apple have come into the microscope
of the press lately regarding the labor practices of their suppliers. With some
critics pointing out horrible working conditions and poor living arrangements
for factories in China, a move to the U.S. would be a good one in terms of
publicity.
Apple has responded to consumer complaints by making a
promise to consumers that its top of the line Mac Pro desktop computer entirely
in the U.S. The assembly of the Mac Pro will be completed by Flextronics in
Texas, while Foxconn will be relinquishing the duties to the American company.
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