It Makes Apple Look Better

That Apple, the world’s largest company, wasn’t producing at least some products in the country it calls home was a major black mark on its record. By bringing some Mac production to the U.S., Apple looks like it’s actually trying to give back a bit. That should only help its standing in the court of public opinion.

If Apple is anything, it’s a trendsetter. So, it might not be surprising if in 2013, other technology companies announce that they will be bringing some production to the U.S. It’s not immediately clear which tech companies might jump to produce some products in the U.S., but chances are, at least some will.

According to Tim Cook, Apple’s U.S. production efforts will bring back some jobs. He acknowledged that he was concerned with know-how and skilled labor, but he did believe that a solid number of jobs will be created because of this effort. It’s hard now to say exactly how many jobs will be created, but it’s nice to see Apple thinking about the economy.

Although Cook didn’t say which Macs will be produced in the U.S., the company’s new iMacs have been found to feature a “Made in the USA” marking. That’s reportedly due to the iMac’s advanced production process, which is easier to accommodate in the U.S. With that factor in mind, is it possible that more advanced Apple products are coming? After all, if Apple is willing to invest so much in production efforts in the U.S., certainly there’s a long-term end to it.

Apple’s decision to move some production to the U.S. should put Foxconn on notice. The company has done good work for Apple, but bad press about Foxconn’s treatment of employees has been an embarrassment to Apple. Apple has shown that it doesn’t necessarily need Foxconn. It might just force Foxconn to clean up its act.

Although it’s believed that iMacs are the only products being developed in the U.S. right now, it’s possible that others will come to this country. Apple’s iMac sales will start to wane over the next several months, reducing output. Since Apple likes to keep its production lines going, it might not be long before other Macs are stamped with that “Made in the USA” marking.

When Steve Jobs met with President Obama, he said that the manufacturing jobs that have gone overseas “aren’t coming back.” Under Tim Cook, however, they are coming back. Perhaps this is a sign of a new Apple.

It’s possible that Tim Cook’s decision to bring back some manufacturing jobs to the U.S. is the result of his wanting to assert himself and chart his own path as chief executive. Cook is doing something that Jobs didn’t. That follows Cook’s decision to let go two executives, Scott Forstall and John Browett. If nothing else, Cook is asserting himself.

By bringing production jobs to the U.S., Apple has upped its leverage with lawmakers. Like any company, Apple needs to worry about the way lawmakers impact its business. Bringing some production jobs back to the U.S. should give it a bit more leverage when it’s ready to lobby Congress.

Earlier this year, when Google announced that it was producing some of its hardware in the U.S., the company issued a thinly veiled criticism of Apple for not doing so. Now, Apple is moving some production to the U.S. And that Google advantage is now gone.