Apple has started production of the all-new Mac Pro at an existing Apple manufacturing facility in the Texas capital of Austin, while just a short distance away they have broken ground on a new $1 billion, 133-acre campus. The company announced on September 23 their decision to reverse their initial plans to build the Mac Pro in China, and to instead build the high-end workstation in the same facility in Austin where the previous version of the Mac Pro was produced.
Apple.
“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,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a press release. “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.”
New Mac Pro Begins Shipping in December
Apple said they and their manufacturing partners have invested over $200 million in upgrading the production facility in Austin, where each Mac Pro travels along an assembly line that measures over 1,000 feet. The facility employs over 500 people, and brings in hundreds of components from 19 states in order to create the new workstations. Apple expects to begin shipping the new computers to customers in the Americas beginning in December.
The Mac Pro is not for everyone. These machines will begin at $5,999, and are designed for power users in need of ultra-high CPU performance. They are fitted with new Intel Xeon processors, and can be ordered with up to 28 cores—the highest ever in a Mac. The memory system can be outfitted with up to 1.5 TB in capacity.
New Austin Campus to Open in 2022
The footprint of Apple in Austin will grow immensely, with the opening of the new 3-million-square-foot campus expected to occur in 2022. Apple says the campus will open with 5,000 employees, but has a capacity to expand to 15,000. Apple currently has approximately 7,000 employees in Austin.
The campus will also exemplify the company’s commitment to sustainable development, as it will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy technology and will have with solar production on site.. It will also feature a 50-acre nature and wildlife preserve that will be available for public use.
