Back in February of 2011, then Apple CEO Steve Jobs was among a number of tech luminaries to attend a dinner with President Barack Obama. Famously, Jobs had told Obama "those jobs aren't coming back," in reference to building iOS devices in the United States. But according to a new report, Apple supplier Foxconn may open new facilities state-side.
Asian tech site, DigiTimes, states "market watchers" have reported Foxconn is interested in opening manufacturing plants in the United States. The company is allegedly evaluating options in areas including Detroit and Los Angeles.
According to the same report, Foxconn chairman Terry Guo recently announced the launch of a training program to bring US engineers to Asian Foxconn facilities, training them on the company's manufacturing and design systems. Apparently, Gou also stated Foxconn is working with MIT to establish the training program.
But while Foxconn is a major -- sometimes infamous -- manufacturer of Apple products like the iPhone, the report states these US facilities may focus primarily on LCD TV production.
Still, the potential to help a struggling American manufacturing industry is encouraging. And while Gou recently referred to iPhone 5 production as "not easy," Foxconn's entrance into the US could lead to other opportunities; maybe even Apple products.
Foxconn will face some new challenges in the US, however. The company is notoriously known for implications of worker abuse, including allegations of underaged workers, forced internships, and union suppression. Beyond the obvious differences between China and the US in regards to environmental protection, such labor abuses won't go over so well state-side.
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(Image Source: AP/Kin Cheung)
