Apple Doubles Down on Houston With Mac Mini Production

Apple is betting big on Houston, with plans to double its local manufacturing output while launching a new advanced training facility.

The tech giant will produce Mac Minis in the U.S. for the first time at its Houston campus and expand its AI server assembly operations, bringing its local presence to 500,000 square feet, the company said Tuesday. The Houston Chronicle reported that to support the push, Apple is building a 20,000-square-foot training center at its north Houston campus, set to open later this year.

The facility at 8702 Fairbanks Road in North Houston will offer hands-on instruction in advanced manufacturing for students, supplier employees and U.S. businesses of all sizes, mirroring Apple’s Detroit training center, which has helped roughly 130 small companies integrate AI into production processes, according to Apple.

The Houston center will also partner with Houston City College and Lone Star College, offering educational pathways for local students. Apple said the combined expansion and training efforts “will create thousands of jobs,” including construction roles and permanent manufacturing positions.

The Houston campus currently assembles AI servers, including logic boards, for Apple data centers nationwide. These servers power Apple Intelligence, the company’s AI system, which supports tools from Siri and ChatGPT integration to Genmoji and advanced photo editing. The outlet reported that the facility also contributes to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, which handles complex AI workloads.

The expansion comes as part of Apple’s $600 billion U.S. investment plan over the next four years, part of a broader push to domesticize its supply chain, according to the publication. Local economic development officials are optimistic the move could cement Houston as a growing hub for AI-driven manufacturing, offering a rare infusion of tech-driven industrial activity in the region. Apple CEO Tim Cook emphasized the company’s commitment, noting the Mac mini production will start later this year and that the facility’s AI work is accelerating ahead of schedule.

— Eric Weilbacher