Donald Trump to visit Apple plant in Austin next week – The Dallas Morning News

President Donald Trump will travel to Austin on Wednesday to tour an Apple Inc. manufacturing plant and tout the companys recent expansion in Central Texas, a White House official told the American-Statesman on Saturday.

Trump, Apple CEO Tim Cook and senior administration officials on Wednesday will hear from employees about how the products are assembled at the Austin facility, the White House official said.

Apple announced in September it would keep manufacturing its Mac Pro computers in Austin, after it received exemptions from some proposed federal tariffs.

The Mac Pro has been manufactured in the Flextronics Americas factory in Northwest Austin, which Cook confirmed in 2013.

In June, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple planned to move Mac Pro manufacturing to China. The newspaper cited a number of challenges, including declining demand and manufacturing capacity.

But three months later, Apple said it would be able to continue manufacturing the Mac Pro in the United States after trade officials approved exemptions that allow it to import key Mac Pro parts from China without being subject to tariffs.

The company said in September it would begin production soon at the same Austin facility where Mac Pro has been made since 2013.

Were building the Mac Pro Apples most powerful computer ever right here in Austin because we believe in the power of American innovation, Cook said in a statement. Like every product we make, the Mac Pro is designed and engineered in the U.S., and were proud to support 2.4 million jobs across the nation.

Apple recently redesigned the product for a re-release this year, with initial pricing starting at $5,999.

Austin is Apples largest hub outside of its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters. The tech company has more than 6,000 employees at its Austin main campus, and last year announced plans for a new, nearby 133-acre corporate campus that will initially employ up to 5,000 people.

Last year, Apple signed the presidents pledge to Americas workers, committing to create 10,000 training opportunities for American workers and students over the next five years. Cook is also a member of the Trump administrations American workforce policy advisory board.

Apples $1 billion facility which will be less than a mile from its Parmer Lane campus eventually could expand to accommodate up to 15,000 workers. The company employs roughly 6,200 people in Austin, and, counting contractors, its Austin workforce numbers are about 7,000.

Meanwhile, the company has continued to expand in the metro area ahead of the opening of its new campus.

This year, the company confirmed it has a short-term lease for the entire Riata Corporate Park 8 building, less than a mile from Apples existing campus. Apple also confirmed that it has leased a building at North Austins Parmer Innovation Center.

Trump will travel to Austin with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow, son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump.

Trumps Austin visit comes one month after he toured French luxury brand Louis Vuittons new leather workshop in Johnson County near Fort Worth.

By Nicole Cobler

Austin American-Statesman

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Donald Trump to visit Apple plant in Austin next week - The Dallas Morning News