While Canadians didn’t directly benefit from Motorola’s Texas-based manufacturing facility, we’re sad to hear that it will be closing its doors by the end of the year. Motorola confirmed to The Wall Street Journal today that it is not selling enough phones to warrant keeping it open, and has dropped its employee numbers from over 4,000 when it opened last summer to around 700 today.
There is no doubt that Motorola’s intentions were honourable, but the company’s current President, Rick Osterloh, decried the high cost of doing business on home soil. While all is not lost as Engadget confirmed that Moto Maker customization will continue, just not from the United States.
The Chicago-based company, which is set to be sold to China’s Lenovo later this year, is still supporting the Moto X’s colour- and storage-based customization, is preparing to release a follow-up to the Moto X follow-up with thr the Moto X+1 later this summer.
Motorola and Apple were two manufacturers who recently brought some of their manufacturing business back to the States, but the vast majority of OEMs rely solely on plants in China, Taiwan and other parts of Asia.
[source]The Wall Street Journal[/source]
