When we set out to highlight American-made products, services and jobs this week, we never thought Google would be among companies making the list. Yet today’s New York Times reports that the tech giant is creating its latest hot item, the Nexus Q wireless home media player, in the United States.
 
The Nexus Q, which links a TV or home sound system to the Internet cloud to play video and audio content, contains almost all American-made parts. The engineers who led the effort to build the device, which is based on the same microprocessor used in Android smartphones and contains seven printed circuit boards, found the maker of the zinc metal base in the Midwest and a supplier for the molded plastic components in Southern California.
Rather than a one-off, Google’s move may start a trend. From the Times:
…the project will be closely watched by other electronics companies.
As the Times notes, “it has become accepted wisdom that consumer electronics products can no longer be made in the United States.” But now:
The companies who are investing in technology in the U.S.A. are more nimble and agile,” said Drew Greenblatt, president and owner of Marlin Steel Wire Products in Baltimore, which continues to manufacture in the United States by relying on automation technologies. “Parts are made quicker, and the quality is better.”
So how many U.S. jobs does Google's move mean?
The company declined to say how many people were employed at the plant, which can run as many as three shifts each day. However, during a brief tour, made with the understanding that the exact location would not be disclosed, it was clear that hundreds of workers were involved in making the Q.
Link: http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2012/12/buy-union-buy-american-for-holidays.html