Award Will Create 500 High-Skill Jobs at Sherman, Texas Facility
SHERMAN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Apple® today announced the latest award from its $1 billion Advanced
Manufacturing Fund. Finisar, a leading manufacturer of optical
communications components, will receive $390 million as part of Apple’s
commitment to support innovation and job creation by American
manufacturers.
The award will enable Finisar to exponentially increase its R&D spending
and high-volume production of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers
(VCSELs). VCSELs power some of Apple’s most popular new features,
including Face ID®, Animoji™ and Portrait mode selfies made possible
with the iPhone® X TrueDepth™ camera, as well as the proximity-sensing
capabilities of AirPods®.
VCSEL technology is a better performing, more compact and cost-efficient
solution compared to traditional edge-emitting lasers for many emerging
applications. Apple has rapidly adopted depth-sensing technology in
recent years, leading to the development and production of the most
advanced VCSELs used in the history of consumer electronics. In the
fourth quarter of 2017, Apple will purchase 10 times more VCSEL wafers
than were previously manufactured worldwide over a similar time period.
As a result of Apple’s commitment, Finisar will transform a
long-shuttered, 700,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Sherman,
Texas, into the high-tech VCSEL capital of the US. Apple’s award will
create more than 500 high-skill jobs at the Sherman facility, including
engineers, technicians and maintenance teams. When combined with the
company’s nearby plant in Allen, Texas, Finisar’s payroll in Northern
Texas is expected to be $65 million. Hiring, capital equipment planning
and infrastructure upgrades are already underway at the Sherman
facility, which is expected to begin shipping in the second half of 2018.
One hundred percent of the VCSELs Apple buys from Finisar will be made
in Texas. Consistent with Apple’s commitment to the environment, the
company intends to procure enough renewable energy to cover all of its
Apple manufacturing in the US.
“VCSELs power some of the most sophisticated technology we’ve ever
developed and we’re thrilled to partner with Finisar over the next
several years to push the boundaries of VCSEL technology and the
applications they enable,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating
officer. “Technology is only as good as the people behind it, and
Finisar is a company with a long history of putting its employees first
and supporting the community it’s a part of. We’re extremely proud that
our involvement will help transform another American community into a
manufacturing powerhouse.”
Apple has committed to investing at least $1 billion with US-based
companies as part of the fund, which is designed to foster innovative
production and high-skill jobs that will help lay the foundation for a
new era of technology-driven manufacturing in the US. In May, Apple
announced Corning Incorporated had been awarded the first award from the
fund — $200 million to support their R&D, capital equipment needs and
state-of-the-art glass processing.
“We’re excited to continue our innovation with Apple of a technology
that has tremendous potential,” said Jerry S. Rawls, CEO of Finisar.
“When you combine our proven ability to consistently manufacture
exceptional products with our new state-of-the-art Sherman facility,
we’re confident we can achieve our shared goal of providing consumers
with incredibly exciting features. Finisar has always been keenly aware
it takes great people to power our work and that’s why we’re thrilled to
be adding Sherman to our family.”
“Sherman is the perfect place for Finisar’s significant investment in
their operations and facilities and we couldn’t be more grateful for
their confidence. We’re thrilled that Finisar and Apple will be a part
of the Sherman business community,” said Sherman Mayor David Plyler.
“The City of Sherman has invested significantly in improved
infrastructure and amenities, and that’s translated into an unparalleled
quality of life. The city has also adopted a pro-business culture,
making Sherman the industry and commerce hub of North Texas.”
In the US, Apple now supports 2 million jobs across all 50 states,
including 450,000 jobs attributable to Apple’s spend and investment with
US-based suppliers. Last year alone, Apple spent over $50 billion with
more than 9,000 domestic suppliers and manufacturers.
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the
Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with
iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software
platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences
across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services
including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more
than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on
earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple’s PR website (www.apple.com/pr),
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© 2017 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Face ID,
Animoji, iPhone, TrueDepth and AirPods are trademarks of Apple. Other
company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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Source: Apple Inc.