Apple CEO Tim Cook in Cincinnati: Local firm inspires 'the next thing'

Apple CEO Tim Cook was in Harrison Thursday morning, visiting local manufacturer Cincinnati Test Systems, where he thanked employees and hinted at a prosperous future.

The company doesn't make anything that shows up in an iPhone or Apple Watch, but it has sold thousands of little blue boxes to the technology juggernaut that ensure water also doesn't find its way into Apple gadgets.

CTS developed an MH high-pressure testing instrument for Apple that puffs air at three times the pressure of a car tire as a way to test for leaks in devices. The initials stand for "Mile High" as in Mile High Stadium in Denver – a riff on Apple's original code name for the project while it was in development: Bronco.

Cook said CTS equipment helped make Apple's iPhone 7 and 7 Plus phones, the first water-resistant smartphones when they were released last fall. Series 2 Apple Watches are also water resistant and can be worn while swimming, while the first generation were "splash resistant." 

"We knew swimmers wanted to swim with the watch and we had to produce a watch to sustain that," Cook said.

Cook thanked a group of CTS workers on its manufacturing floor. He said he expected future Apple orders would be "strong," but avoided specifics, such as a due date for the next generation iPhone.

"We couldn't have done it without you... You're a testament to all great things that can happen in this country," Cook said. "This is where we get inspiration to go onto the next thing."

With 250 workers, Cincinnati Test Systems makes equipment for industries from automotive to medical devices.

CTS president Kevin Hansell said the Apple business came along just after the company expanded its factory footprint, which has since nearly filled out. He declined to quantify his past or future business with Apple, but said the company's projected total 2017 revenues would be $70 million to $100 million.

"We have thousands of customers and we were a growing, healthy company when we were introduced to Apple," Hansell said.

Apple began working with CTS in 2014 to create the first-ever leak testing system for the smartphone industry. 

Apple employs more than 1,000 workers in Ohio, mostly at eight retail stores throughout the state, including at Kenwood Towne Centre.