Apple CEO Tim Cook: We Want to Continue Making the Mac Pro in the United States

[mikethemartian]

So, which one is it?

Given that the U.S. has trouble producing even a custom screw, I'm pretty sure he's leaning towards China. Tim's statement seems more like lip service in order to appease everyone.

I worked for a small optical communications design firm where the mechanical engineer who was originally from Vietnam used hard to source screws that had to be purchased from Asia. Why he couldn’t just use one of the million of varieties available from McMaster Carr was beyond the rest if us.

 

[anthogag]

It is good they'll 'assemble' their top computer in the US.

 

[miscend]

They're currently building just over one plane per day, approx 42 to month.

There are definitely issues. The safety record has not been as good as the Airbus A320neo series.

 

[code-m]

People (Non-Pro users) are already complaining about the price of the New Mac Pro. If they manufactured all of their products in the USA and the prices were raised accordingly, those same people would have a heart attack.

The same people wanting more jobs in America are some of the same ones fighting in the aisles to get a cheap TV on Black Friday. They don’t want to pay more than they have to.

And we all need to get used to it: Apple is a business with publicly held stock, which bonuses its top people with stock. Unfortunately it’s beholden to Wall Street, who doesn’t care about innovation or making less profit (let alone loss leaders) just to produce items in the U.S., lower prices, or allow for user repairs/upgrades.

These people don’t want to progress, they would rather work an assembly line for minimum wage and be unable to afford anything they produce. Yet they will complain about higher wages and benefits when in fact should complain to their local officials to change the tax code.

 

[Asarien]

I just want the MP and XDR display to have a cheaper options. $11k entry point is a no-no.

Not that I want to justify Apple's actions, but if you're concerned with the high cost of entry, you're not a professional. Professionals pass the cost of high-end equipment to their companies or clients.

 

[ssgbryan]

The sad thing a lot of people think so.
Honestly, there is no way Americans can compete with 3rd World countries in large scale manufacturing. Standard of living, red tape, insurance costs, taxations, etc. It's way more costly in USA.
It's an illusion that is bestowed in order to get votes.

By way more costly, you mean about 10%.

Gotta remember, the south believes in the right to work (for less). Insurance is the employee's problem, not the company - no taxes to speak of on businesses (which is why here in Tennessee we have the highest sales tax in the nation.) There ain't much in the standard of living, either.

Manufacturing was moved overseas for tax breaks as well as slightly lowered costs.

 

[miscend]

As many others have done, I've disassembled Macbooks, iPhones and other mobile devices from different brands belonging to me and family members to fix cracked screens, change lcds, change micro usb ports... Assembling the parts back together is very straightforward. It requires absolutely zero technical skills. Anyone with half a brain and a couple of screw drivers can assemble a Macbook, iPhone or any Android phone given the parts.

The whole notion that apple can't find people capable of doing this type of work in the US is simply utter nonsense and anyone who has done repair work on MacBooks, iPhones already knows this.

The real question is: Can they find people in the US willing to do this type of work for $500/month?

Machines will be doing all jobs very soon anyway. Manufacturing jobs are not coming back ever. You only need a handful of people to maintain machinery and do programming. Going back to labour intensive menial labour would be the opposite of progress.

 

[bbednarz]

“The cure for Apple is not cost-cutting. The cure for Apple is to innovate its way out of its current predicament.” -Steve Jobs

Apple doesn't exactly need to "cure" their "current predicament". The company is a trillion dollar company, not on the verge of bankruptcy.

 

[ajfahey]

During today's earnings call covering the third quarter of 2019, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple wants to continue making the Mac Pro in the United States.

Cook made the statement in response to a question about Apple potentially moving Mac Pro production out of the United States due to looming tariffs on components imported from China.

Cook went on to explain that products and components are made in the United States, Japan, Korea, China, Europe, and other places. "That's the nature of a global supply chain," he said. "I think that will carry the day, in the future as well."

As for the Mac Pro specifically, Cook said that Apple is continuing to invest in its U.S. production facilities.Apple has been manufacturing the current Mac Pro in Texas since its 2013 launch, but a June report from The Wall Street Journal said that the upcoming 2019 Mac Pro will be assembled by Quanta Computer in China.

In a statement at the time, Apple said that "final assembly is only one part of the manufacturing process" explaining that the Mac Pro is designed and engineered in California and includes U.S.-made components.

Apple in July asked for a U.S. import tariff exemption on parts for the new Mac Pro, which President Trump said would be denied.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook: We Want to Continue Making the Mac Pro in the United States

Then just do it Tim. Posturing for political effect just isn't enough.

 

[goobot]

You don't think we have the workforce to build the facilities?

We can build the facilities but then what? We don’t have the people to properly man those places.

Really? You're saying money can't buy qualified labor and facilities? We can build jetliners in the USA but we can't assemble the components of a computer here?

People aren’t going to be suddenly qualified or looking to assemble things for 12$ an hour just cause. It takes time for things like that to happen.

 

[miscend]

But I will tell you this. I think it is high time that today's Germans stop with the collective guilt for a war that ended 75 years ago that a very small minority of today's German had anything to do.
Donald Barar

This is Revisionist history. Do you feel feel the same about Japan’s involvement?

 

[LordVic]

Have you paid even the slightest attention to the things that have come out of Individual One's mouth for the past few years. - Hell, how about in the last 10 days.

If you don't want to be lumped with those folks, don't support them.

People tend to have a hard time reconciling support for a fascist leader because they don't want to admit that they may have supported a fascist leader. They will bend over backwards with doublethink just to ignore the warts if there's some benefit to themselves personally.

we have not learned from our past.

My granparents (Holocaust survivors) used to tell me stories like this all the time as a warning.

 

[miscend]

Apple doesn't exactly need to "cure" their "current predicament". The company is a trillion dollar company, not on the verge of bankruptcy.

Yeah they should turn a blind eye to declining iPhone reviews and double down on current efforts.

 

[ssgbryan]

We can build the facilities but then what? We don’t have the people to properly man those places.

People aren’t going to be suddenly qualified or looking to assemble things for 12$ an hour just cause. It takes time for things like that to happen.

There are a LOT of folks in the south that ARE qualified to do this (and they get paid more than $12 an hour). There as still factories here in the south that do custom manufacturing on a dime - build 1 widget for the car industry for a couple years as a production run, shut it down for 3 weeks and they are off and running building a different widget for a different car company.
[doublepost=1564531374][/doublepost]

People tend to have a hard time reconciling support for a fascist leader because they don't want to admit that they may have supported a fascist leader. They will bend over backwards with doublethink just to ignore the warts if there's some benefit to themselves personally.

we have not learned from our past.

My granparents (Holocaust survivors) used to tell me stories like this all the time as a warning.

Evangelical Christians bend themselves into pretzels (tRump = King Cyrus of Persia is the current flavor), because they aren't willing to admit that they are just as vile as he is.

 

[thomasthegps]

Machines will be doing all jobs very soon anyway. Manufacturing jobs are not coming back ever. You only need a handful of people to maintain machinery and do programming. Going back to labour intensive menial labour would be the opposite of progress.

I agree with you that assembling iPhones isn't a dream job for a lot of people, but the reality is that not everyone is qualified for STEM jobs or "intellectual jobs". Today the economy has to be based partly on services but it also has to be based on manufacturing. Having manufacturing jobs is a good thing.
Although some tasks can and will be automated, it remains to see how far this can be pushed.

 

[LordVic]

We can build the facilities but then what? We don’t have the people to properly man those places

THis is nonsense though. New factories for new things pop up all the time, even in the US. and they fill the positions by training, either direct or helping with local education institutions focusing on skills that they need. This is done around the world by large companies, including tech companies all the time.

People also tend to move to where there is work. Someone in Manufacturing in one state sees a massive opening for work in another state can be willing to move. The idea that people cannot learn skills so there's no workforce has no basis in reality.

Sorry, whoever is feeding you this nonsense is selling you a lark.

 

[gugy]

Not that I want to justify Apple's actions, but if you're concerned with the high cost of entry, you're not a professional. Professionals pass the cost of high-end equipment to their companies or clients.

Humm, I am an independent contractor in the motion graphics business for over 26 years. So yes, I am a professional.
One thing is to pass the cost of new equipment to clients. Another is to justify the price tag of equipment.
Yes the MP and XDR are amazing and maybe many individuals, and companies can justify the cost that for a well equipped set up that will be way beyond the $11k entry-level. For a vast majority of individuals that still professionals that’s not feasible even while passing the cost to clients and itemizing it for tax purposes.

 

[DeepIn2U]

During today's earnings call covering the third quarter of 2019, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple wants to continue making the Mac Pro in the United States.

Cook made the statement in response to a question about Apple potentially moving Mac Pro production out of the United States due to looming tariffs on components imported from China.

Cook went on to explain that products and components are made in the United States, Japan, Korea, China, Europe, and other places. "That's the nature of a global supply chain," he said. "I think that will carry the day, in the future as well."

As for the Mac Pro specifically, Cook said that Apple is continuing to invest in its U.S. production facilities.Apple has been manufacturing the current Mac Pro in Texas since its 2013 launch, but a June report from The Wall Street Journal said that the upcoming 2019 Mac Pro will be assembled by Quanta Computer in China.

In a statement at the time, Apple said that "final assembly is only one part of the manufacturing process" explaining that the Mac Pro is designed and engineered in California and includes U.S.-made components.

Apple in July asked for a U.S. import tariff exemption on parts for the new Mac Pro, which President Trump said would be denied.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook: We Want to Continue Making the Mac Pro in the United States

“I won’t stand for this .. Baloney!”
“He won’t you know, he doesn’t stand for baloney!”

- Us (paraphrasing Weird Science)!

 

[Glockworkorange]

Enough with the gas lighting, Tim Apple. It is manufactured in China, at least what people think of when they hear the word “manufactured,” which is “put together” or “assembled.”

I mean, you can argue semantics all day, but your products are made in China. Stop lying, Tim Apple!
[doublepost=1564534209][/doublepost]

Humm, I am a independent contractor in the motion graphics business for over 26 years. So yes I am a professional.
One thing is to pass the cost of new equipment to clients. Another is to justify the price tag of equipment.
Yes the MP and XDR are amazing and maybe many individuals and companies can justify the cost that for an well equipped set up that will be way beyond the $11k entry level. For a vast majority of individuals that still professionals that’s not feasible even while passing the cost to clients and itemizing it for tax purposes.

I second this. The idea that you’re “not a professional” because you don’t care about costs or overhead is just....bizarre and not very smart business.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Mr. Cook is the CEO of a $960 Billion company. If he truly wants to make the Mac Pro in the USA then he certainly has the authority and resources to make that happen. Actions speak louder than lip service.

BINGO!

Too bad the wealthy investors still cannot see the lack of vote of confidence in a CEO that continually burns through cash excessively multiple times for a “Car” project that does NOT bare any fruit whatsoever!

When will investors show that the current rise in sales and services is part of good marketing and great products va what the CEO is doing?!!

Does Trump (and his supporters) really believe that Americans want to assemble iPhones for minimum wage pay? There's a reason these companies outsource work.

LOL exactly but so far with all Trumps FUD and talk about low unemployment rates ever in history (facts), does NOT show the quality of jobs or the median pay rate of such jobs gained under his presidency; or of those in the last 3yrs if they are working and still under social security payments/employment insurance at the same time getting by?!

Seems like a waste to have things built in China and shipped by boat to America while exporting cash, all to avoid the higher wages and environmental requirements of building here in the first place.

You do realize the yen is NOT equal to the US dollar right? You do realize cheap uneducated labour is at the millions more than that of the average citizen in the USA right?

Hmm if it la worked for Samsung, Huawei, LG, Sony, HP, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, etc on a wide variety of products in various product categories then surely Apple knows what their doing and can benefit them right? You have read their Q3 earnings and profit report and sales / services revenue right?

 

[ghanwani]

It's kind of funny that politicians and CEOs usually never tell you what they're really thinking of doing. Yet the media spends and awful lot of time telling us what they said. They never tell us what they are actually doing and that's often the opposite of what they say.

It takes almost no effort to offshore manufacturing so everyone did it and in the process they have actually destroyed themselves and created companies like Amazon. It takes tremendous wisdom and skill to figure out how to go against the easy, herd mentality. If a company with the resources and brand cachet of Apple can't do it, I have trouble figuring out who can.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Amazing the spin he puts to try to justify these employees making $400/month to build a $5k computer, and that’s before you add the display.

Or before you add a $999 for the stand

 

[bwillwall]

The sad thing a lot of people think so.
Honestly, there is no way Americans can compete with 3rd World countries in large scale manufacturing. Standard of living, red tape, insurance costs, taxations, etc. It's way more costly in USA.
It's an illusion that is bestowed in order to get votes.

What needs to happen is automated facilities in the US. Bring the money of the facilities to the US without needing low paying jobs.

 

[farewelwilliams]

Claiming Apple would sell at a loss by dint of assembling them in the USA makes even less sense, esp for a very high-margin, low-volume product like the Mac Pro. Tim demonstrated horrible optics by moving production out of the USA. The money he saved was lost in bad press and attention from Trump.

money lost in bad press? not sure how you can put that in the earnings report. people aren't suddenly not buying Mac Pros because of where it was made.

 

[mikethemartian]

There are a LOT of folks in the south that ARE qualified to do this (and they get paid more than $12 an hour). There as still factories here in the south that do custom manufacturing on a dime - build 1 widget for the car industry for a couple years as a production run, shut it down for 3 weeks and they are off and running building a different widget for a different car company.
[doublepost=1564531374][/doublepost]

Evangelical Christians bend themselves into pretzels (tRump = King Cyrus of Persia is the current flavor), because they aren't willing to admit that they are just as vile as he is.

The way I figure it is anyone who requires an all powerful being to command them not to kill or steal under threat of punishment probably isn’t very ethical in the first place.