One of my favorite kind of stories are the “What If” kind…
You know, the ones where you wonder how different things could be “only if” or “just if” something were different.
One of Amazon’s (AMZN) most popular shows on its Prime network, is a series that explores what would have happened if Japan and Germany had won World War II.
It’s a very interesting show…
But even more interesting is to ask those same kind of questions when it comes to business and the markets.
Especially when a new revelation out of Cupertino like THIS makes you wonder how different some of the biggest innovations of the 20th AND 21st Century could be.
What exactly is this revelation?
Well, apparently, the wizard behind Apple, Steve Jobs, didn’t want Apple (APPL) products to be made in China…
He wanted them made right here in the good ol’ US of A.
In 1983, Jobs actually oversaw the construction of a state-of-the-art plant where all the new Apple products would be built – right near the heart of San Francisco – across the bay.
In fact, they were so close to opening the plant that reporters were allowed in to tour the premises. During that tour – these reporters were also told that the place was so advanced, that factory labor would account for just 2% of the cost of making their products.
One of the company’s early employees, Randy Battat, was quoted as saying, “Steve had deep convictions about Japanese manufacturing processes. The Japanese were heralded as wizards of manufacturing. The idea was to create a factory with just-in-time delivery of zero-defect parts. It wasn’t great for business.”
The plant didn’t last long, barely making it out of the 80’s and closing in 1992…
However, this didn’t deter Jobs – as he opened ANOTHER factory before the first one had closed its doors!
In 1990, Jobs opened a second factory, this one just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the first – that was dedicated to manufacturing his Next Inc. personal workstation.
However, just like the first plant, Jobs was never able to build his machines in the quantities that would make a niche plant like that viable.
The second factory was the lesson that Jobs needed to learn – he figured out he wasn’t in the manufacturing business…
He was in the creation business – and it was time to leave manufacturing up to the experts.
In 1998, after his “sabbatical” from Apple, Jobs hired Tim Cook as Apple’s senior vice president for worldwide operations – the future CEO had already established how to create overseas manufacturing by doing the same for both
IBM and Compaq Computers.
The rest, as they say, is history. But…
Can you imagine what would have happened if either one or BOTH of Apple’s early manufacturing plants had become both viable and successful?
The possibilities boggle the mind…
The upside?
Apple could have been responsible for the creation of THOUSANDS of jobs here on US soil…
The kinds of jobs that don’t take years of being involved with computers or a
Master’s Degree to do.
Manufacturing jobs that could have put the average American to work – building these wonderful machines for the populace – creating all kinds of wealth opportunities here in America.
The downside?
Americans don’t have a history of being the most cost-effective labor force.
Putting Americans to work assembling first the Macintosh computers, then the iPods, and then Macs, iPhones, and iPads – may have added some extra cost to the final product.
If that were the case…
Could Apple have been as successful as it is today if it were that much more expensive?
Depends on the quality of the products, I would assume.
It’s possible, though, that if those manufacturing plants had become successful, Apple would have never reached the heights of popularity that it has…
Or maybe it would be like Tesla (TSLA) is today? Very popular and in high demand – without the ability to service everybody that wants one.
It’s not a terrible problem to have.
I have to admit, it would be weird NOT having Apple as one of the strongest performers in my personal portfolio over the years…
However, if it wasn’t Apple, I’m sure it would have been something else.
And while finding the next big “thing” is certainly no easy feat for any investor…
That’s the beauty of my proprietary technical system.
There’s always another company coming up the pipeline, and you never know which one could be the next Apple.
I’d love to show you how it works – but in order to do so – you’d have to be a part of the GorillaTrades family.
However, I understand that trading services aren’t for everybody – but if you’re considering it – I’m confident you’ll be impressed with what you see…
That way, you can avoid having your OWN “What If” story.
“The real enemies of our life are the ‘oughts’ and the ‘ifs.’ They pull us backward into the unalterable past and forward into the unpredictable future. But real life takes place in the here and now.” – Henri Nouwen