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One Bold Move Apple Has Not Yet Made (domestic manufacturing)

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Re: One Bold Move Apple Has Not Yet Made (domestic manufacturing)

#21

Post by fleitz »

Synthetase wrote: post #13

I think the author argues from a position of near-total ignorance. America is a laughably bad place to base a manufacturing operation. Labor laws and regulations are ridiculously strict. Laborers are paid more and work less than anywhere else in the world. The science of managing global supply chains would not exist if the collocation of development and manufacturing were so economically opposed to each other. He arg…

I agree wholeheartedly. Apple charges what people will pay already. They aren't going to pay an extra 20% to have it made in Detroit.

The basis for the article is charity not profit. How does manufacturing their device in Detroit provide any competitive advantages. Apple does not have the margin or expertise to build semi-conductor fabs in Detroit, nor does the expertise exist to run such a plant in Detroit.

Re: One Bold Move Apple Has Not Yet Made (domestic manufacturing)

#22

Post by zb »

I've never quite understood why Chinese people are somehow less worthy than Americans of having jobs.

That aside, labour costs are not actually a large proportion of the cost of manufacturing electronics. The main reason goods like this are manufactured in the far east is that all of the components are manufactured there, so it makes sense to assemble them nearby. Detroit is pretty much the worst place you could imagine for that - think of the lead times.

Re: One Bold Move Apple Has Not Yet Made (domestic manufacturing)

#23

Post by ROFISH »

This really isn't possible since the product assembly is only a small portion of the "made in the USA" part. There's hard drives, flash chips, LCD screens, and other components that are made overseas as well. Some components (like hard drives) are 100% outsourced and Apple just puts in an off-the-shelf (though relabeled) unit.

Re: One Bold Move Apple Has Not Yet Made (domestic manufacturing)

#24

Post by moxiemk1 »

Putting aside the other issues I have with this story, Detroit seems like a pretty bad choice for locating manufacturing. The workers that the article alludes to being there are long used to being in a union that guarantees them ludicrously high wages and and untold benefits. The only way I can see new manufacturing in the US being viable is if it's unencumbered by unions (as implemented by the UAW, etc)

Re: One Bold Move Apple Has Not Yet Made (domestic manufacturing)

#25

Post by fleitz »

DrJokepu wrote: post #17

Even though I'm European, I would feel a lot better purchasing goods manufactured in the States, or really anywhere in the Western World. I would be prepared to fork out a bit more money (within reasonable limits) for such products.

Ok, here is an idea, figure out what that percentage is, every time you buy something not made in your locale, tack that percentage on, and then give it to some guy on the street. It's the exact same thing, paying something extra just because they reside in your locale.

Re: One Bold Move Apple Has Not Yet Made (domestic manufacturing)

#26

Post by cmelbye »

ptomato wrote: post #14
scottyallen wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The cases for these American-made products could be painted to look like an American flag. Think of the possibilities to market that to the wheat belt:)

That is not something that Apple would ever do (while Jobs is alive, at least).

Don't forget about Ive.

Re: One Bold Move Apple Has Not Yet Made (domestic manufacturing)

#27

Post by cmelbye »

schan wrote: post #20
cmelbye wrote: post #18

I always cringe when I see this on a new Apple product after I purchase it: "Designed by Apple in California. Manufactured in China." How powerful would it be if they were able to say "Designed and manufactured by Apple in California"...

It's actually manufactured in Mainland China(Not Taiwan), but it seems to be getting expensive there, so it is making more and more sense to move some production back to the US. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/2429f498-82fd-11df-8b15-00144feabd...

Just updated my post after I realized that, thanks.

Re: One Bold Move Apple Has Not Yet Made (domestic manufacturing)

#28

Post by CountSessine »

kemiller wrote: post #10

I would have sworn that the fancy new unibody cases were manufactured domestically.

Apple has a video on their website showcasing the unibody. The milling machine that the unibodies are being made in is covered in Chinese characters and the factory workers all appear to be asian.

So probably not.

Re: One Bold Move Apple Has Not Yet Made (domestic manufacturing)

#29

Post by zb »

DrJokepu wrote: post #17

Even though I'm European, I would feel a lot better purchasing goods manufactured in the States, or really anywhere in the Western World. I would be prepared to fork out a bit more money (within reasonable limits) for such products.

Dude, if you're going to make racist comments like that you're supposed to disguise them with some sort of parochial appeal for the good of the local economy, not just "anywhere in the Western World". Know the game.

Re: One Bold Move Apple Has Not Yet Made (domestic manufacturing)

#30

Post by jrockway »

I would like this too, but I'm not sure I can justify this desire in any rational way. The reasons I hear against manufacturing in China are that the workers are slaves that make no money, and that the quality is inferior.

But big companies seem to have the QC down; I have lots of well-made stuff from China. I cringe at the thought that all my IKEA furniture is made in China, but it was all perfectly manufactured and has held up wonderfully for many years. Good design + good QA means you can get good product out of China. (There is lots of poorly-made stuff from China, but it's poorly-made because it's rock-bottom cheap, not merely cheap. Rock-bottom cheap stuff made anywhere is crap.)

The next issue is the labor one. I ask myself, how would pulling all manufacturing out of China help the Chinese people? $1/day buys more food than $0/day, right? So would manufacturing stuff outside of China help the overall human condition? Would it help me? What's the advantage here?

Just a small data point: the $4 made-in-China shirts I buy at Target seem to be better stitched than the average $20 made-in-America shirts I buy from American Apparel. I have had a lot of the AA shirts just completely unravel in the first wash. I always get an apology and a replacement, but I've never had a cheap Target T-shirt do this. So China is not automatically worse, although I do prefer the American-made product for other reasons.

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