Apple to hire up to 500 more workers for Mesa, Ariz. 'global command center'

Posted:
in General Discussion edited November 2015
Months after Apple announced plans to build a "global command center" on the site of its failed sapphire production facility in Mesa, Ariz., a report on Tuesday says the company is looking to hire up to 500 extra workers to complete and maintain the project.




According to The Phoenix Business News, Apple will to take on between 300 and 500 more employees than planned to staff its upcoming data center in the East Valley area of Arizona. Original plans called for 150 executive-level positions.

During a meeting in Cupertino, Calif., last week, Apple CFO Luca Maestri, along with other unnamed executives, told Mesa Mayor John Giles that a small group of executives would move out to Arizona, leaving other leadership roles to be filled by local hires. The influx of new jobs nearly offsets the loss of 700 local positions resulting from a meltdown of Apple's sapphire production venture last year.

"There could be more hires," Giles said. "They told me that Apple has a history of expanding where it has a major footprint and Austin now has more than 6,000 workers,"

In February, Apple revealed a $2 billion, ten-year plan that would see its Mesa property transformed into a green data center, but that initial commitment has been raised substantially, Giles said.

"They plan more than $2 billion in capital investment over five years," he said. "Apple said they are making a 30-year commitment to Mesa."

As noted in today's report, Apple's command center will take up only half of the 1.3 million-square-foot property, leaving a good chunk of space for extra projects. The company has not disclosed what it will do with the vacant land.

Apple's Mesa plant began life as an advanced manufacturing facility leased to GT Advanced Technologies as part of a $578 million sapphire material supply contract. Following a series of setbacks -- and potential mismanagement -- last year, it was clear GT would be unable to meet Apple's stringent expectations. The venture imploded and GT filed for bankruptcy in October, later characterizing Apple's policies as "oppressive and burdensome."

After the dust from GT's bankruptcy proceedings settled, Apple announced it would repurpose existing infrastructure, though an exact application was not mentioned at the time. The company later revealed plans for a data center that, when completed, will serve as a control center for Apple's four major U.S. server facilities in North Carolina, Nevada, Oregon and California.

Construction on the so-called "global command center" is slated to begin in 2016.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    The other part would be good for Project Titan work, you can do proving tests on cars there, like many other manufacturers do.
  • Reply 2 of 15
    tundraboytundraboy Posts: 1,884member
    Never heard of a corporate location that hosts mostly executive-level positions that is not the headquarters. This might be Apple's Siberia.
  • Reply 3 of 15
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    What exactly will this Global Command Center be?
  • Reply 4 of 15
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    rogifan wrote: »
    What exactly will this Global Command Center be?

    You have to imagine Tim Cook in the scene instead:

    [VIDEO]
  • Reply 5 of 15
    This is an executive level site - what would be the command center for the other 4 data centers scattered around the country. What I'm skeptical about is the claim that these new hires will offset the job loss from GT. The numbers might be, but the staffs who lost their job will not be the same person who will get hired with these new positions.
  • Reply 6 of 15
    inklinginkling Posts: 768member
    Global Command Center? Apple's "1984" ad implied that IBM wanted to take over the world. Is Apple developing a similar ambition?

    I'd suggest adopting a more modest and specific name, something like iCloud (or Apple) Data Management Center.
  • Reply 7 of 15
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Inkling View Post



    Global Command Center? Apple's "1984" ad implied that IBM wanted to take over the world. Is Apple developing a similar ambition?



    I'd suggest adopting a more modest and specific name, something like iCloud (or Apple) Data Management Center.



    Apple didn't say it was wrong to take over the world, just that IBM shouldn't be the one to do it.

  • Reply 8 of 15
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member

    Apple didn't say it was wrong to take over the world, just that IBM shouldn't be the one to do it.

    Lol
  • Reply 9 of 15
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Inkling View Post



    Global Command Center? Apple's "1984" ad implied that IBM wanted to take over the world. Is Apple developing a similar ambition?



    I'd suggest adopting a more modest and specific name, something like iCloud (or Apple) Data Management Center.



    Naturally someone of your ilk would see it that way.

  • Reply 10 of 15
    xixoxixo Posts: 450member

    The building in Cupertino really is a flying saucer; once the state of North California completely self-immolates (or self-desiccates or just slides off into the sea), it will detach and land in Arizona, which by then will be beach-front property.

  • Reply 11 of 15
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member

    The best GDI unit. 

  • Reply 12 of 15
    Too many data centers on the west coast.
    This facility will take over when the big one hits the Bay Area. Either that or the mothership will fly to Mesa Arizona.
  • Reply 13 of 15
    xixo wrote: »
    The building in Cupertino really is a flying saucer; once the state of North California completely self-immolates (or self-desiccates or just slides off into the sea), it will detach and land in Arizona, which by then will be beach-front property.
    Just saw your comment after posting mine.
    Great minds think alike.
    Let's hope Tim Cook is on the same page.
  • Reply 14 of 15

    Although they could build AND test inside the Mesa facility, Eastmark has old GM vehicle testing grounds that would take very little work to re-activate.

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