Made in America: Lenovo opens manufacturing facility in Whitsett, North Carolina

Rick

Posts: 4,512   +66

Lenovo, the world's second largest PC company, hosted today a grand opening ceremony for the official opening of its 240,000-square-foot North Carolina production facility. The new production site serves as an example of a renewing interest in bringing high-tech manufacturing jobs back to the United States, a segment of enterprise which seemingly has all but entirely fled to Asia.

The new plant will not only play a role in producing many of Lenovo's Think-branded devices, but will also be utilized for as the company's logistics, national returns and customer solutions center. The company says the relatively small $2 million facility will add 115 manufacturing jobs to North Carolina's Greensboro area; however, Lenovo's presence in NC will generate about one billion dollars in annual state revenue. Lenovo itself is a $34 billion company and already has a research and development arm in Raleigh, N.C.

"I am proud that Lenovo is continuing to invest in North Carolina, bringing needed jobs to the Greensboro area and providing a foundation for future economic growth in our state," stated N.C. governor Pat McCrory. "Lenovo has been producing innovative and exciting products around the world and now they are in North Carolina’s backyard and we’re fortunate to have them."

To celebrate its opening, Lenovo donated and presented 36 ThinkCenter PC systems to a YMCA in Greensboro for use in youth development and education. The computers were produced by the new North Carolina factory in Whitsett.

For now, most high-tech manufacturing takes place overseas; however, a handful of companies like Samsung, Texas Instruments and Corning have been fabbing processors and producing Gorilla Glass in the States. Apple also announced plans to manufacture some of its products in the U.S. Meanwhile, "Assembled in USA" iMacs and Minis have been cropping up, possibly hinting at such an eventual return. 

Permalink to story.

 
When they open a plant in Detroit, or anywhere north of the Rust Belt for that matter, is when they will get a tip of that hat for progress. Otherwise, it's pretty much business as usual for another multinational corporation priming the US consumer pump.
 
When they open a plant in Detroit, or anywhere north of the Rust Belt for that matter, is when they will get a tip of that hat for progress. Otherwise, it's pretty much business as usual for another multinational corporation priming the US consumer pump.

Don't really see why the location makes a difference. What matters is how much their actually *doing* at these factories, and for now the answer is, "not much". None of the parts are domestically produced, and manufacturing is where the money is. Until THAT changes this is all window dressing and consumer relations. Certainly It makes sense to have a national service center in a country as large as the US, but having a small number of people slapping parts together is just PR.
 
Make sure everyone working at these plants are happy (get free counselling) and getting good wages! Otherwise quality control issues on systems will be effected. A happy worker means good products where as unhappy worker means product line issues.
 
It may be just PR for them... but don't forget about the 115 individuals who have a new source of income. Small time for the rest of us but they've gotta start somewhere. I'm more concerned about what Apple is doing for the US economy since they have so many sheep already.
 
It's good for the American economy. I wish something like this would happen in my country (South Africa) but that's just not gonna happen (at least in my lifetime).
 
It's conflict. Quality means strict, which is equal to "stress" and "unhappy"
 
Back