Apple announced a major expansion of its U.S. manufacturing footprint in Houston, revealing that Mac mini production will be moved to a new facility later this year. The company said the Houston site will also house expanded advanced AI server manufacturing and a new Apple Advanced Manufacturing Center that will offer hands-on training — a package of investments Apple says will create thousands of jobs.
What Apple is building in Houston
The Houston operations are being positioned as more than an assembly line. In addition to taking on Mac mini production, the site will expand work on advanced AI server hardware and host the Advanced Manufacturing Center, where Apple plans to provide practical training for workers on automation, AI-driven processes, and other modern manufacturing techniques. Apple said training at the center will begin later this year.
Apple framed the move as part of a broader push to accelerate U.S. manufacturing and to deepen the company’s domestic supply chain partnerships. The announcement highlights a strategy that combines production capacity, supply-chain investments, and workforce development at a regional level.
How this fits into Apple’s U.S. manufacturing push
The Houston expansion was described alongside a series of other U.S.-based investments and partnerships. Apple said it exceeded a target to source U.S.-made chips, reporting more than 20 billion U.S.-made chips sourced from 24 factories across 12 states. That work is supported by partners and new facilities across the country.
Apple highlighted several specific supply-chain developments: GlobalWafers opened a $4 billion bare silicon wafer facility in Sherman, Texas, which will supply wafers used by chip partners in the U.S.; Amkor has begun work on a $7 billion advanced packaging and test facility in Peoria, Arizona, where Apple will be the first and largest customer; and Corning’s Harrodsburg, Kentucky plant is now fully dedicated to producing cover glass for iPhone and Apple Watch.
Apple also noted that by the end of this year, cover glass for every new iPhone and Apple Watch will come from the Harrodsburg facility. And for 2026, the company said it is on track to buy well over 100 million advanced chips produced by TSMC at that foundry’s Arizona facility — a significant step up from 2025 volumes, according to Apple.
Training and local industry support
Workforce development is a central element of Apple’s announcement. The Houston site’s Advanced Manufacturing Center is intended to provide hands-on training for technicians and factory workers, and Apple reiterated its broader investments in training with reference to its Apple Manufacturing Academy in Detroit. The Detroit academy is already supporting more than 130 small- and medium-sized American manufacturers with curriculum developed alongside Michigan State University faculty, and Apple said the academy has expanded with virtual programming to make the material available on demand nationwide.
Apple framed these initiatives as tools to help regional manufacturing partners adopt automation, AI, and smart manufacturing practices — capabilities that will feed into its growing domestic supply chain.
What Apple did not say
The company’s newsroom post focused on the scope and partners of the U.S. build-out without providing detailed timelines for every milestone, exact headcounts beyond “thousands of jobs,” or granular production numbers for Mac mini units coming out of Houston. Apple tied the Houston announcement to a set of other investments but left many implementation details — such as phased capacity increases or the precise schedule for different production lines — to future updates.
Why it matters
Moving Mac mini production to Houston is notable for a few reasons. It represents a further shift in Apple’s strategy to bring more production and component sourcing to the U.S., it links device manufacturing with server and AI hardware production, and it couples factory investment with training programs that aim to raise local technical capacity. For regional suppliers and workforce programs, Apple’s commitments could translate into new contracts, new hires, and new training pathways.
Takeaway
Apple’s Houston expansion signals a deliberate effort to stitch together domestic manufacturing capacity, component sourcing, and workforce development. By moving Mac mini production to the new facility and expanding AI server manufacturing and training there, Apple is deepening its U.S. industrial footprint while relying on a network of new and expanded suppliers across multiple states. The announcement outlines broad goals and partnerships; many operational details remain to be filled in as production and training ramp up later this year.
Image credit: Apple