Made in USA

June 30, 2012 in Daily Bulletin

Google’s latest home media player, the Nexus Q, will be made in the USA. John Markoff took a look at how this fits into a wider trend:

  • There’s a slight uptick in the companies willing to build things in the USA. Reasons for the shift include:
    • Labour costs in China have increased.
    • Transportation costs have gone up.
    • China is infamous for intellectual theft.
    • Designers increasingly want to be closer to the manufacturers.
  • Some analysts predict that this new trend could bring 2-3 million jobs to the United States.
  • However Google is paying a price for its efforts. The product costs significantly more than other products on the market.

To read more including what experts have to say about this shift, the number of people involved, some details of the factory where Google’s device will be made, why Dell is a glorified design and marketing company, and the corporations that are considering a shift back to the United States, click here.

Source: The New York Times