Apple To Open Manufacturing Plant

Apple said to be the world's most valuable company

Apple will open a new plant in Arizona as part of its push to boost manufacturing in the US.

The facility will provide 700 manufacturing jobs in the first year and 1,300 construction and associated positions in the city of Mesa, according to a statement by the state's governor, Jan Brewer.

The plant will be opened in partnership with mineral crystal specialist GT Advanced Technologies to make sapphire materials for Apple's popular electronics devices.

The Cupertino-based company did not say what products the components would appear in, but sapphire material in the past has been used in watches, optical instruments and integrated circuits.

Sapphire material has also been used recently in smartphones' camera lenses, and there have been reports that device makers are looking at sapphire crystal for use in screens.

Apple's push to create jobs at home comes after scrutiny of its massive overseas cash reserves and conditions for workers at contract manufacturer facilities it uses in China.

The move also signals a tentative revival in US manufacturing.

Earlier this year, both Apple and Google's Motorola unit announced plans to have some production and assembly in Texas.

Under the terms of its supply deal, Apple will give GT a prepayment of about $578m (£362m), which GT will pay back to Apple over five years, starting in 2015, GT said.

Sky News