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Google's Glasses will be made in the United States (yaaay!) but manufactured by Foxconn (whaaa?). According to the Financial Times, the futuristic headwear will be manufacturers at a plant in Santa Clara, California by the Taiwanese industrial giant behind the iPhone and many Android models.
Google's decision comes on the heels of Apple's big announcement to spent $100 million to relocate construction of the existing Mac lines to the U.S. Apple's plans were so noteworthy that they made it into President Obama's 2013 State of the Union address.
However, I wonder whether potential customers will really care that Google Glasses are made in the United States when they learn that they're being manufactured by the same company that operates many of the most notorious sweatshops in China. Foxconn, although not the worst human rights offender in Asia by far, has generated tons of negative publicity after a rash of suicides and fires occurred at their plants in China. The company already operates plants in Texas and Indiana but wants to increase their production so that they can slap a "Made in USA" label on more of their products.
It seems investors don't mind Foxconn's shady history. Google has continued to report solid growth and their shares recently topped $800.
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