Dive Brief:
- Apple on Tuesday said it will bring Mac mini production to Houston later this year, expanding its compact desktop computer capacity to the United States for the first time.
- The Cupertino, California-based company also plans to expand production of its advanced artificial intelligence servers and provide hands-on worker training at its Advanced Manufacturing Center, which is currently under construction.
- Apple’s Houston expansion, altogether, is expected to create thousands of jobs, according to a news release. The company began building a factory in the city last year for server production. The Mac mini expansion would double Apple’s manufacturing footprint in the area.
Dive Insight:
The expansion is part of Apple’s $600 billion investment to boost domestic manufacturing and AI infrastructure over the next four years.
Since August, the company said it has sourced more than 20 billion U.S.-made chips from suppliers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Broadcom and Texas Instruments. It has also invested in partner facilities in Sherman, Texas; Peoria, Arizona; and Harrodsburg, Kentucky, that produce wafers, packaging and cover glass for iPhone and Apple Watch.
“Apple is deeply committed to the future of American manufacturing, and we’re proud to significantly expand our footprint in Houston,” CEO Tim Cook said in a statement Tuesday. “We began shipping advanced AI servers from Houston ahead of schedule, and we’re excited to accelerate that work even further.”
The company began mass producing advanced AI servers in Houston last year at its 250,000-square-foot facility after conducting initial tests in July. The servers, which were previously manufactured outside the U.S., are used to power Apple data centers around the country.
In addition to production expansion, Apple is investing in workforce development. The company is scheduled to open its Advanced Manufacturing Center in Houston later this year. The 20,000-square-foot facility will provide hands-on training for students, supplier employees and U.S. businesses of all sizes, according to a news release.
Apple also recently opened its manufacturing academy in Detroit. The company said more than 130 small- to medium-sized businesses have participated in the program, which offers training in AI, automation and smart manufacturing. It added online classes to its program in December.
