Nearly a year ago, Apple announced it would invest about $1 billion in a new, 133-acre campus in Austin for about 5,000 employees — and that it could grow to house up to 15,000.
On Wednesday, with President Donald Trump scheduled to arrive in Austin later in the day, Apple announced it is starting construction on the new campus -- as well as touting its nearby production facility where Apple's top-end computer, the Mac Pro, will be assembled.
.@Apple, one of the early signers of our #PledgetoAmericasWorkers, supports 2.4 Million jobs across ALL 50 states. Tomorrow @POTUS & CEO Tim Cook will be visiting one of Apple’s major expansions at a new manufacturing site in Austin, TX. Looking forward! https://t.co/Ihf8FcqrC2
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) November 19, 2019
While Mac Pros have been built in Austin since 2013, securing production of the newest version of the machines is seen as a significant win because Apple was reportedly planning to move production to China earlier this year.
Meanwhile, keeping those jobs in America -- there are about 500 jobs attributed to Mac Pro production in Austin -- and having Apple expand on its second-largest campus outside of California could be viewed as a big political win for Trump, who has made keeping jobs in the U.S. a pillar of his presidency.
“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,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement Wednesday morning. “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.”
Apple has grown steadily in Austin in recent years. It updated its local headcount, noting it now has about 7,000 employees here. Its new campus is expected to open in 2022.
The company notes that the sprawling campus will have landscaping on 60 percent of its campus, including a 50-acre nature preserve that will be publicly accessible. The campus will be powered entirely by renewable energy, including on-site solar.
With Trump in town, Apple is balancing its Mac Pro news and new campus announcements with messaging about how it creates tens of thousands of jobs in America. It also shared a map showing that Mac Pro parts are sourced from a variety of states across the nation, including states like Kansas, Maine and Idaho that aren't as well-known for tech.
Learn more about Apple's original announcement below.
