Apple Shifts Some Mac Mini Production To Texas In Major US Manufacturing Push
It's been half a century since Apple's humble beginning as a garage-based operation that saw co-founders Steve Job and Steve Wozniak crank out the Apple 1, a computer that was hand-built in Los Altos, California (and now fetches enormous sums at auction). A lot has changed since then, with the bulk of Apple's products now assembled overseas and shipped back to the U.S. However, some Mac mini models are going to be built in the U.S. for the first time ever as part of what Apple is calling a "significant expansion" to its factory operations in Houston, Texas.
That is the same location where Apple's longtime manufacturing partner Foxconn began producing advanced Apple Intelligence servers last year for the first time. Those servers include logic boards that are produced onsite and then deployed around the world. Apple says its server production is ahead of schedule, and it's possible that the accelerated timeline played a role in bringing some Mac mini production to the site as well.
"Apple is deeply committed to the future of American manufacturing, and we’re proud to significantly expand our footprint in Houston with the production of Mac mini starting later this year," said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. "We began shipping advanced AI servers from Houston ahead of schedule, and we’re excited to accelerate that work even further."
As part of the expansion, Apple is building a new factory at its Houston site, which will effectively double the footprint of its Texas campus. It's at that new factory where some Mac mini production will shift over to on future models. Production at the site presumably will not include the current-generation M4 Mac mini models, which by the way are on sale.
The expansion is not just about making Mac mini models in the U.S. As part of the broader effort, Apple says it plans to open the doors to its 20,000 square-foot 'Advanced Manufacturing Center' in Houston, where the dedicated facility will offer students, supplier employees, and American businesses of varying sizes the opportunity for hands-on training in advanced manufacturing techniques.
"Apple experts will teach participants the same innovative processes that are used to make Apple products, allowing American manufacturers to take their work to the next level.
A worker stands in front of a large American flag inside the under-construction Apple Advanced Manufacturing Center in Houston.
An overhead shot of the under-construction Apple Advanced Manufacturing Center in Houston," Apple says.
This latest effort plays into Apple's $600 billion U.S. commitment that was also announced last year. Apple has already made some headway in that regard, with the company saying it has sourced more than 20 billion U.S.-made chips from 24 factories across a dozen states.
Somewhat poetically, news of the expansion come on the day that Jobs would have turned 71 years old.
Images courtesy of Apple
