On Thursday, 13 December 2018 , Apple unveiled plans for a $1 billion campus in Texas that will create jobs for the tech giant outside Silicon Valley, a move made without the fanfare of the recent Amazon headquarters bidding war.
The new campus which will be used for engineering and other functions, but not manufacturing will be near the tech giant’s existing facility in Austin and initially accommodate 5,000 new employees, with room to grow to 15,000.
Currently, Apple employs some 6,200 in the Texas capital, the largest cluster outside its headquarters in Cupertino, California.
In January, Apple said it would invest $30 billion in the US over the next five years and create 20,000 new jobs, using some of the overseas profits repatriated at a tax rate lowered under a law passed by Congress last year.
The move comes amid intense pressure from President Donald Trump to move jobs, especially in manufacturing, to the US, with the White House imposing heavy tariffs to counter what he calls unfair trade practices.
“Apple is proud to bring new investment, jobs and opportunity to cities across the United States and to significantly deepen our quarter-century partnership with the city and people of Austin,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.
“Talent, creativity and tomorrow’s breakthrough ideas aren’t limited by region or zip code, and, with this new expansion, we’re redoubling our commitment to cultivating the high-tech sector and workforce nationwide, ” he added.
The company also announced plans to establish new sites in Seattle, San Diego and Culver City and expand in cities across the United States including Pittsburgh, New York and Boulder, Colorado over the next three years, with the potential for additional expansion elsewhere in the US over time.
Edited by Neo Sesinye
Follow Neo Sesinye on Twitter
Follow IT News Africa on Twitter
