North Carolina Lures Google in Hopes of Building Server Farm

North Carolina officials are willing to offer Google up to $4.7 million in grant money if the company builds a new operation in Caldwell County, an economically struggling area of North Carolina.

Google is looking for a new place to put a server farm, which is a massive collection of computers used to run Google's services and support the company's expedient growth.

Lenoir, North Carolina is on Google's list of sites that it is considering for the future development. If Google decides to land in Lenoir, the region, knocked out by job and industry loss, could see $600 million in new investment and 210 new jobs. (Source: mercurynews.com)

Google has only said that it is considering Lenoir for its new expansion. The company also confirmed earlier that in addition to Lenoir, it is considering a location near Charleston, South Carolina. (Source: fox21.com) Deborah Barnes, a spokesperson for North Carolina Commerce Department, says even though Google has not made a firm decision on the location, the state is "very hopeful" that Google will locate in the region. Barnes adds that "offering the grant was a major hurdle that [Google] needed." (Source: charlotte.bizjournals.com)

In order to receive the full grant amount offered last Thursday, Google would have to bring in at least 168 jobs with average annual salaries of more than $48,000. The company would also have to invest at least $480 million by the end of 2010. (Source: mercurynews.com)

Mike Easly, the Governor of North Carolina, has high hopes for Google and the potential job boom the company could bring to the Lenoir region.

In a statement, Easly said that "the state has made a good offer, and we hope Google will accept it and decide to locate their facility in North Carolina...This company would provide the kind of good-paying, knowledge-based jobs that North Carolina citizens want. In addition, this kind of investment in Caldwell County would help reinvigorate an area hard hit in the past by the loss of textile jobs." (Source: mercurynews.com)

In response to North Carolina's grant offer, a spokesperson from Google's Mountainview California headquarters, emphasized in an email that the company is "evaluating a number of sites, including one in Lenoir, N.C., as possible locations for new technology infrastructure to support the growing demand for our online services."

Google's spokesperson also wrote that they "appreciate the efforts of the state and local governments and hope to have additional details to announce in the coming months." (Source: mercurynews.com)