Apple CEO Tim Cook Tours Foxconn iPhone Production Facility in China

[MacRumors]

Following his appearance at the Xidan Joy City retail store in Beijing and meetings with Chinese government officials earlier this week, Bloomberg now reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook has also toured a new iPhone production facility in Zhengzhou, China.

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook visited Foxconn Technology Group's newly built manufacturing facility for the iPhone in Zhengzhou, China, as the U.S. company seeks to improve working conditions.

The iPhone production line is at the new Foxconn Zhengzhou Technology Park, which employs 120,000 people, Carolyn Wu, a Beijing-based Apple spokeswoman, said in an e-mail today. She didn't provide other details on Cook's visit or say how much longer he'll be in China after having held high-level talks in Beijing earlier this week.

Apple CEO Tim Cook tours Foxconn's new iPhone production line in Zhengzhou, China (Source: Apple)

China is a key location for Apple for a number of reasons, including its role in manufacturing and assembly, a desire to focus on expansion in the market there, and intellectual property issues. Cook's trip appears to be addressing most of these aspects, demonstrating continued concern over working conditions in its manufacturing partners' plants while also working to build relationships with key political and business figures in the country.

Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook Tours Foxconn iPhone Production Facility in China

[mrxak]

He's waving to iPhone Girl!

[whooleytoo]

He certainly seems to be making his own mark as CEO - rather than being lost in Jobs' shadow - good to see.

[lavem]

Great to see another stunning outfit Tim!

[LaWally]

Since he is now the public face of Apple, it's good to see him out and about. He seems just as ready to meet with premiers and executives as he does with customers and those on the manufacturing line.

[lamina]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone 4)

Place your hands together for the reality distortion field, Tim. Don't use the force in such a confined space.

[LaWally]

Originally Posted by lavem

Great to see another stunning outfit Tim!

I would have gone with the blue. The yellow reminds me of a raincoat I used to have when I was 6.

[GenesisST]

Did he test the safety nets?

[basesloaded190]

Being a public figure for the company will only get more important as Apple continues to grow and is put more in the spotlight. Tim is going about this the right way.

[dlastmango]

Im willing to bet the yellow denotes him as being a person of importance. So when the employees see the amount of yellow they understand the significance of the person. Look at the other behind that just have a yellow hat and/or collar.

just my thoughts
Chris

[HelveticaNeue]

Originally Posted by LaWally

I would have gone with the blue. The yellow reminds me of a raincoat I used to have when I was 6.

Nah! Tim is a Lance Armstrong fan. The yellow matches his Live Strong bracelet.

[Apple Key]

Originally Posted by LaWally

I would have gone with the blue. The yellow reminds me of a raincoat I used to have when I was 6.

I would have gone with white, given that anodized aluminum may not have been available.

[applesith]

Originally Posted by lamina

Wirelessly posted (iPhone 4)

Place your hands together for the reality distortion field, Tim. Don't use the force in such a confined space.

It's a TRAP!

[LaWally]

Originally Posted by dlastmango

Im willing to bet the yellow denotes him as being a person of importance. So when the employees see the amount of yellow they understand the significance of the person. Look at the other behind that just have a yellow hat and/or collar.

just my thoughts
Chris

From Wikipedia:

Yellow, corresponding with earth, is considered the most beautiful color. The Chinese saying, Yellow generates Yin and Yang, implies that yellow is the center of everything. Associated with but ranked above brown, yellow signifies neutrality and good luck. Yellow is sometimes paired with red in place of gold.

Yellow was the color of Imperial China and is held as the symbolic color of the five legendary emperors of ancient China. Yellow often decorates royal palaces, altars and temples, and the color was used in the robes and attire of the emperors.

Yellow also represents freedom from worldly cares and is thus esteemed in Buddhism. Monks’ garments are yellow, as are elements of Buddhist temples. Yellow is also used as a mourning color for Chinese Buddhists.

[daverso]

Originally Posted by dlastmango

Im willing to bet the yellow denotes him as being a person of importance. So when the employees see the amount of yellow they understand the significance of the person. Look at the other behind that just have a yellow hat and/or collar.

just my thoughts
Chris

Could be.

Do you think they probably had a black turtleneck version for steve?

[lilsoccakid74]

I would love to see one of them pull a regular 12 hour shift if that place.

[skinnylegs]

Everybody looks happy in the photo so obviously the workers are happy.

[JHankwitz]

Originally Posted by LaWally

I would have gone with the blue. The yellow reminds me of a raincoat I used to have when I was 6.

Colored uniforms are used as a standard to help identify who's who to workers. Just as US executives might wear a tie for identification, they dress everyone in different colors in Asia to show who holds what rank or where they fit in the grand scheme of things. Customers are the most important, so a full bright yellow jumpsuit would really make him stand out. Partial yellow uniforms would indicate customers of less rank or importance.

Many companies have adopted uniforms in the USA, often using the color of their embroidered names to identify their rank or position in the organization.

[mentaluproar]

Originally Posted by dlastmango

Im willing to bet the yellow denotes him as being a person of importance. So when the employees see the amount of yellow they understand the significance of the person. Look at the other behind that just have a yellow hat and/or collar.

just my thoughts
Chris

I'm going to guess it was a safety issue. Tim isn't as familiar with the factory as an Foxconn employee. Because he's moving around the place, this make him more visible, and less likely to be run into, over, etc.

It's like tying a bell around a cat's neck so you don't trip on it.

[kemo]

Originally Posted by mrxak

He's waving to iPhone Girl!

Image

it's 3gs, isnt it?

[skinnylegs]

Hmmmm. The more I look at it, I'm pretty sure TC is giving absolution to the worker that first said, "working here sucks!"

[ChrisTX]

Originally Posted by skinnylegs

Everybody looks happy in the photo so obviously the workers are happy.

With the pictures showing the people of China scrambling to line up for work there I'd assume they're not too unhappy.

[JHankwitz]

Originally Posted by lilsoccakid74

I would love to see one of them pull a regular 12 hour shift if that place.

You can be sure that Cook's workday is always a lot longer than 12 hours, and a heck of a lot more stressful.

[BJMRamage]

very nice.

Whereas Steve Jobs was the Creative Mind CEO to think of all the "answers" and direction.

Tim Cook is the Strategic Mind CEO who understands the logistics of having supply chain and garnering respect in the new areas for Apple to hit.

this is a GREAT CEO train. rather than have another creative guru who the media would say he/she tries too hard to be like SJ.

[ThunderSkunk]

Originally Posted by LaWally

Yellow, corresponding with earth, is considered the most beautiful color. The Chinese saying, Yellow generates Yin and Yang, implies that yellow is the center of everything. Associated with but ranked above brown, yellow signifies neutrality and good luck. Yellow is sometimes paired with red in place of gold. ... Yellow also represents freedom from worldly cares...

Hm! I would have expected yellow to correspond to the sun, for the same reasons listed, since nearly every last culture throughout human history has placed the sun at its center (even anthropomorphized) as the eternal giver and maintainer of life. Very interesting.