Foxconn Weighs Plan for U.S. Plant

[OhioChick]

Source: Wall Street Journal

Taiwanese Tech Manufacturer Would Make Displays at U.S. Facility
Jan. 26, 2014 3:48 a.m. ET

TAIPEI— Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. 2317.TW +1.31% , which assembles gadgets for Apple Inc. AAPL -1.82% and other global technology firms, is evaluating a plan to build an advanced display manufacturing plant in the U.S., its chairman said.

Terry Gou, speaking to reporters at the company's 40th anniversary gathering on Sunday, said Hon Hai, also known by the trade name Foxconn, plans to relocate capital-intensive and high-tech manufacturing to the U.S., its largest market.

"Automation, software and technology innovation will be our key focus in the U.S. in the coming few years," Mr. Gou said.

Taiwan-based Hon Hai, the major assembler of Apple's iPhones and iPads, has been seeking new avenues of growth as revenue from contract manufacturing slows.


Read more: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303277704579344013148753716

---

Think they'll bring their "suicide nets?"



http://www.dailytech.com/Foxconn+Installs+AntiSuicide+Nets+at+Its+Facilities/article18877.htm

http://news.cnet.com/2300-13579_3-10013733-14.html

[Indyfan53]

1. if TPP gets rammed through..

any remaining factory in the US will have those nets.

[iamthebandfanman]

2. strange

since they replacing workers in china with automation...

foxconn has like 500+ people apply for work in china every day.. I heard about a year ago they were looking to cut their workforce by almost a million people (one of the 13 factories they have employs 450,000 people by itself) and replace them with automation..

hope they aren't coming here to learn how to do that more efficiently :p

[Mopar151]

6. The more automation per worker, the less wages matter to unit cost

I've built automation off and on for decades - as automation becomes more complex, operator wage level matters less, and the ability to setup and maintain the equipment matters more. And then you consider how critical lead time(s) have become......

What you'll see is the US plant used to launch new, sexy products - then, as lines get debugged and the precesses mature, the lines will move to a lower wage plant/country, and the next big thing will tool up at the US plant.

[Dopers_Greed]

3. Praise the job creators

Forever and always

[IDemo]

4. They won't need the nets if automation ".. will be our key focus in the U.S." n/t

[davidpdx]

5. When and if it happens

Those factories are going to face a lot of protests. The company has a pretty bad reputation.