Apple today confirmed it has started construction on a new $1 billion campus in Austin, Texas, that will open in 2022. The facility will initially house 5,000 people, but it has the capacity to grow to 15,000.
It’s part of a broader plan to expand Apple’s prescence in the city, where it has already started producing the all-new Mac Pro.
Apple will be the first to tell you that it’s near impossible to manufacture all of its products in America. But it is trying hard to contribute to the U.S. economy in a big way.
Cupertino is currently on track to commit $350 billion between 2018 and 2023. And during that time it will hire an additional 20,000 employees in cities across the country.
Its new Austin facility will play a large part in that.
Construction underway on Apple’s second Austin campus
Apple currently employees approximately 7,000 people in Austin. And that figure has risen 50% in the past five years alone. It will add another 5,000 when its new facility opens in 2022.
“Building the Mac Pro, Apple’s most powerful device ever, in Austin is both a point of pride and a testament to the enduring power of American ingenuity,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement today.
“With the construction of our new campus in Austin now underway, Apple is deepening our close bond with the city and the talented and diverse workforce that calls it home.”
“Responsible for 2.4 million American jobs and counting, Apple is eager to write our next chapter here and to keep contributing to America’s innovation story,” Cook added.
Building the all-new Mac Pro
Each Mac Pro built in Austin travels 1,000 feet along the production line before being shipped out across the Americas. It also uses hundreds of parts from suppliers in 19 states.
This includes processors from Arizona and Oregon, and graphics processing units from New York. Plus electrical components from Maine, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
Apple’s existing Austin facility is the result of a $200 million investment from the company and its partners.
Powered by renewable energy
Apple is partnering with local firm Bartlett Tree Experts to preserve and increase the diversity of native trees on the 133-acre property where its new campus will be built.
Thousands of trees are planned for the site, which will be designed to maximize green space, Apple says. It will feature a 50-acre nature and wildlife preserve that will be open to the public.
Like all Apple sites, the new facility will also run on 100% renewable energy. Some of that will be generated by on-site solar panels.
Apple’s commitment to the U.S.
Apple now supports more than 2.4 million jobs across the U.S., including 450,000 manufacturing and operations positions. It directly employees 90,000 people in all 50 states.
More than $1 billion of Apple’s $5 billion Advanced Manufacturing Fund has already been invested into American companies. This includes the $450 million invested in Corning, maker of the glass panels used in iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices.
Apple’s latest announcement comes in the same day that President Trump is scheduled to tour Apple’s existing Austin plant.
