With all of its biggest releases out of the way this year, Apple has turned its attention to the production aspect of business and has stated it intends to create 2,000 jobs in Arizona by buying a plant.
According to Bloomberg, Apple plans to open the Arizona plant to boost manufacturing in the U.S. and to label products "made in the U.S.A." GT Advancement Technologies confirmed the $578 million deal to supply equipment to the plant, which will make glass products like camera lenses and home button screens.
Apple has been known for outsourcing most of its manufacturing to countries in Asia, with suppliers like Foxconn Technology Group. The technology giant faced criticism for using those suppliers because their factories were suspected of various labor violations.
"We are proud to expand our domestic manufacturing initiative with a new facility in Arizona, creating more than 2,000 jobs in engineering, manufacturing and construction," said Kristin Huguet, a spokeswoman for Apple. "This new plant will make components for Apple products and it will run on 100 percent renewable energy from day one."
The move is part of CEO Tim Cook's goal to prioritize U.S. manufacturing, which started with the new Mac Pro to be released next month.
Apple did not confirm what the plant would make, but GT Advanced, based in New Hampshire, said it will be providing the facility with furnaces used to meld sapphire material. Sapphires are commonly used in smartphones for glass products like screens and other types of covers.
"We are very excited about this agreement with Apple as it represents a significant milestone in GT's long term diversification strategy," Tom Gutierrez, GT Advanced's president and CEO, said in a statement.
Sapphires have been in high demand since Apple began using them for screens and covers. According to an IHS report, sapphires were vital in designing the Touch ID fingerprint scanner for the iPhone 5S.
Also on the rise were shares for Apple and GT Advanced. Apple canceled last year's one percent decline with a 1.3 percent incline following the deal to $526.75. GT Advanced enjoyed a 22 percent boost to $10.24.
