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The Man Who Makes Your iPhone
Business Week ^ | Frederik Balfour and Tim Culpan

Posted on 09/13/2010 8:15:55 AM PDT by Oakeshott

Foxconn founder Terry Gou might be regarded as Henry Ford reincarnated if only a dozen of his workers hadn't killed themselves this year. An exclusive look inside a postmodern industrial empire ...........................

There's a joke among executives whose livelihoods depend on Foxconn: In 20 years, there will be only two companies. Everything will be made by Foxconn and sold by Wal-Mart ................................

Gou has plans to capitalize on the changes he has wrought. Perhaps most intriguing is his plan to move additional production to the U.S. The company currently employs about 1,000 workers in a Houston plant that makes specialized high-end servers for corporate clients the company declined to disclose, and Gou envisions a fully automated plant to produce components within five years. "If I can automate in the U.S.A. and ship to China, cost-wise it can still be competitive," he says. "But I worry America has too many lawyers. I don't want to spend time having people sue me every day."

(Excerpt) Read more at businessweek.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: apple; china

1 posted on 09/13/2010 8:15:58 AM PDT by Oakeshott
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To: Oakeshott
"It actually wasn't until late May, after the ninth Foxconn employee had leaped to his death, that Foxconn went into full crisis management mode, stringing more than 3 million square meters of yellow-mesh netting around its buildings to catch jumpers and setting up a 24-hour counseling center staffed by 100 trained workers."

That may well be the quote of the week.
2 posted on 09/13/2010 8:22:26 AM PDT by Renderofveils (My loathings are simple: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music. - Nabokov)
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To: Oakeshott

I can’t read anything that uses the word “postmodern”.


3 posted on 09/13/2010 8:23:48 AM PDT by Psycho_Bunny (Hail To The Fail-In-Chief)
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To: Oakeshott
"But I worry America has too many lawyers. I don't want to spend time having people sue me every day."

Aren't they outsourced these days?

4 posted on 09/13/2010 8:28:09 AM PDT by null and void (We are now in day 597 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
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To: Oakeshott

Their computer cases are nice; a lot more bays for 3.5 inch than most others. But I bought a Foxconn motherboard. Once.


5 posted on 09/13/2010 8:32:58 AM PDT by henkster (A broken government does not merit full faith and credit.)
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To: Renderofveils

“That may well be the quote of the week.”

I find this more significant:

“”But I worry America has too many lawyers. I don’t want to spend time having people sue me every day.”


6 posted on 09/13/2010 8:41:42 AM PDT by RoadTest (Religion is a substitute for the relationship God wants with you.)
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To: Oakeshott

If you listen to Obama and his hordes of leftists, you would think it is capitalist America that exploits the world.

No, it’s the Chinese. And especially the Communist Chinese.


7 posted on 09/13/2010 8:53:36 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius.)
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To: Oakeshott
In 20 years, there will be only two companies. Everything will be made by Foxconn and sold by Wal-Mart ...

...and every restaurant will be Taco Bell.

8 posted on 09/13/2010 9:03:39 AM PDT by Vroomfondel (<---- doesn't know how to use the three shells)
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To: Vroomfondel
...and every restaurant will be Taco Bell.

If so, they had better learn how to fry chicken.

9 posted on 09/13/2010 9:34:29 AM PDT by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done needs to be done by the government)
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To: Mind-numbed Robot

>>>>...and every restaurant will be Taco Bell.

>>If so, they had better learn how to fry chicken.

We have a combo KFC-Taco Bell in my home town.


10 posted on 09/13/2010 9:36:59 AM PDT by Keith in Iowa (TV News is an oxymoron. MSNBC = Moonbats Spouting Nothing But Crap.)
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To: Mind-numbed Robot

Taco Bell is part of Yum brands, also the parent of KFC, LOL


11 posted on 09/13/2010 9:37:38 AM PDT by nascarnation
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To: Renderofveils

Gezzzz....Working for these people must be like living a nightmare.....


12 posted on 09/13/2010 9:43:24 AM PDT by dragnet2
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To: Oakeshott
In 20 years, there will be only two companies. Everything will be made by Foxconn and sold by Wal-Mart

What a depressing thought....

13 posted on 09/13/2010 9:44:51 AM PDT by dragnet2
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To: Oakeshott
I was really impressed about his $4 Billion net worth until I read

"While his own official salary is just one Taiwanese dollar, or about 3¢, analysts say he pays executive bonuses out of his own pocket using dividends from his company shares held in trust."

Is his worth in Taiwanese dollars?

14 posted on 09/13/2010 12:07:21 PM PDT by roadcat
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To: Vroomfondel

As long as the Taco Bells have some tp rolls next to the three seashells, I’ll make do only eating chalupas I reckon.


15 posted on 09/13/2010 12:08:23 PM PDT by JerseyHighlander
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