Foxconn, the electronics manufacturer that's as famous for the iPhone 5 as it is for controversy, just may set up shop with at least one factory in the U.S.
According to a (take it with a grain of salt) DigiTimes report, market watchers say that the Chinese manufacturer is in the process of evaluating U.S. cities for a potential factory site, including Los Angeles and Detroit.
The unspecified market watchers claim that the U.S. Foxconn factory would likely be used to make LCD TVs, since the manufacturing process can be largely automated and requires fewer actual workers.
Earlier this year, Foxconn made a significant investment in Sharp, including talks to acquire two of its LCD TV factories in Mexico and China.
Coming to America
While the rumor sparks an immediate response of skepticism, Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou has recently said the company plans to start a training program for U.S. engineers.
The program would bring engineers to plants in Taiwan and China, where they would get first-hand experience with the manufacturing process.
Foxconn made the news last month when between 3,000 and 4,000 employees were reported to have gone on strike, though the company denied anything was amiss.
Workers reportedly claimed that unfair demands were being placed on them, along with inadequate training in preparation for assembling the iPhone 5.
The company has a notoriously poor reputation when it comes to working conditions, with the U.S. Fair Labor Association reporting "serious and pressing concerns" after visiting an Apple Foxconn plant earlier this year.
With U.S. companies typically outsourcing their electronics production to Foxconn overseas, it is certainly an interesting rumor to consider a more local Foxconn factory taking root.
Via DigiTimes
