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Apple to Build $2B 'Global Command Center' in Former GT Advanced Plant

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Apr 12, 2001
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Apple plans to take over the Mesa, Arizona factory where GT Advanced was formerly producing sapphire boules, transforming the facility into a massive $2 billion data center, reports CNBC. The data center will reportedly act as a "command center" for Apple's global data network.

gtadvancedlocation.jpg
According to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, the center will house 150 full-time Apple employees and its construction at the 1.3 million square foot facility will create 300 to 500 additional jobs.
BIG NEWS: #Apple making $2 billion investment in our state. First #SB49, now this. Arizona is open for business! http://t.co/pPunvL7Wjf. - Doug Ducey (@dougducey) February 2, 2015
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In a statement, Apple called the investment one of the largest it had ever made and pledged that the facility would run on 100 percent renewable energy like the company's other data centers.
"This multibillion-dollar project is one of the largest investments we've ever made, and when completed it will add over 600 engineering and construction jobs to the more than one million jobs Apple has already created in the U.S. Like all Apple data centers, it will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy, much of which will come from a new local solar farm," Apple said in a statement on the project.
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After GT Advanced filed for bankruptcy and abandoned the Mesa, Arizona plant, there were questions about what Apple would do with the facility. GT Advanced's closure caused a massive loss of jobs in Mesa, but Apple pledged to find a way to repurpose the location and preserve jobs in the city.

Image courtesy of AZCentral

Article Link: Apple to Build $2B 'Global Command Center' in Former GT Advanced Plant
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/02/02/apple-building-global-command-center/
Since October when a federal judge struck down Arizona's gay marriage ban, I think companies like Apple are more likely to feel comfortable doing business in this otherwise conservative state.
 
macintologist said:
Since October when a federal judge struck down Arizona's gay marriage ban, I think companies like Apple are more likely to feel comfortable doing business in this otherwise conservative state.
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Ha! money isn't conservative or liberal...
 
macintologist said:
Since October when a federal judge struck down Arizona's gay marriage ban, I think companies like Apple are more likely to feel comfortable doing business in this otherwise conservative state.
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May be some of that but it's my understanding that Apple got some really nice concessions from AZ in order to open the GT plant. They were kinda committed to doing something with the site.
 
I hope the original owners of GT Advanced get prosecuted. They are scammers.
 
macintologist said:
Since October when a federal judge struck down Arizona's gay marriage ban, I think companies like Apple are more likely to feel comfortable doing business in this otherwise conservative state.
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So should Apple not do business in states or countries that don't jive with Tim Cook's personal political views? I'm sure there are places less friendly to gays than Arizona that Apple does business in.
 
Rogifan said:
So should Apple not do business in states or countries that don't jive with Tim Cook's personal political views? I'm sure there are places less friendly to gays than Arizona that Apple does business in.
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Heck, why not stop doing business with anyone that doesn't agree with his liberal views? Oh, that would alienate half of his customers. :)
 
Macboy Pro said:
Heck, why not stop doing business with anyone that doesn't agree with his liberal views? Oh, that would alienate half of his customers. :)
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Doing business with different views, no, but differing status of his employees (or himself), that I could see.
 
I love Apple and all, but... didn't they basically BANKRUPT GT Advanced by not using the sapphire in the latest phone, now they get a discounted company to purchase as a result. Nice hostile Takeover.
 
The conversation probably went more like this:

Person A: Hey we have a big awesome modern facility in AZ, what should we do with it?

Person B: We need a new data center. Lots of sunshine for renewable energy, and short plane ride from cupertino.

Person A: Sounds good.

macintologist said:
Since October when a federal judge struck down Arizona's gay marriage ban, I think companies like Apple are more likely to feel comfortable doing business in this otherwise conservative state.
Click to expand...
 
Rogifan said:
So should Apple not do business in states or countries that don't jive with Tim Cook's personal political views? I'm sure there are places less friendly to gays than Arizona that Apple does business in.
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Ask China how they feel about Gay marriage. This statement (the original one) was moronic. Companies don't care about the politics of the state, unless those politics are costing them more in taxes.
 
Build a data center in one of the hottest regions in our country - Where you are at the mercy of massive air conditioning units? Makes no sense unless they are getting another huge tax incentive, which does zero for the environment. Why not look for more areas like Prineville Oregon, where energy is cheap and temperatures are reasonable.
 
Happy to see that something is being done with this recent manufactured fail. But will it happen? Command center for Apple's global HQ? I wouldn't be surprised if outsiders are lobbying for these jobs to be outsourced.
 
Technodynamic said:
I love Apple and all, but... didn't they basically BANKRUPT GT Advanced by not using the sapphire in the latest phone, now they get a discounted company to purchase as a result. Nice hostile Takeover.
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More like GT couldn't meet deadlines or quality. Owners knew it, and the company was in trouble, so they took the deal as a last ditch effort to make money. Owners bailed and left the stockholders with nothing. Apple funded everything GT lost.
 
carrrrrlos said:
Build a data center in one of the hottest regions in our country - Where you are at the mercy of massive air conditioning units? Makes no sense unless they are getting another huge tax incentive, which does zero for the environment. Why not look for more areas like Prineville Oregon, where energy is cheap and temperatures are reasonable.
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Lots of sunlight in AZ for cheap solar power. It's almost as competitive with coal now, with prices expected to drop further: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_electricity_by_source
 
Does this mean I will have to wait for this center to be built before I can download 8.1.3, Apple TV update?? Only took one day to download Itunes12.1 update:confused:
 
Maybe this will help resolve focus strategy and resources on addressing so many issues with the current state of iCloud.

- Photo
- Drive
- Pricing
- etc.
 
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