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HAMLET, N.C. \u2014 Amazon plans to invest $10 billion toward building a campus in North Carolina to expand its cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure, bringing a massive shot in the arm to a region where many textile and apparel jobs dried up a generation ago.<\/p>\n
Amazon said its investment in rural Richmond County should create at least 500 jobs and support thousands more through construction and data center supply chain providers, according to statements from the company and Gov. Josh Stein\u2019s office. Stein called the investment one of the largest in state history.<\/p>\n
Data centers are already familiar to North Carolina\u2019s landscape, including those operated by Apple. This project could transform Richmond County, which is on the South Carolina border and has a population of about 42,000.<\/p>\n
The Richmond County site is expected to employ engineers, network and security specialists and other technical roles, the company said. Amazon said it would provide support for universities, community colleges and other workforce training programs to help people enter data center and broadband expansion fields.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis investment will position North Carolina as a hub for cutting-edge technology, create hundreds of high-skilled jobs, and drive significant economic growth,\u201d Amazon chief global affairs and legal officer David Zapolsky said. \u201cWe look forward to partnering with state and local leaders, local suppliers, and educational institutions to nurture the next generation of talent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richmond County commissioners approved an incentives package for Amazon on Tuesday. The company could receive annual cash grants for 20 years equal to portions of the real estate property tax and the property tax for vehicles and equipment at each data center contingent on job creation and monetary investment thresholds, The Richmond Observer reported.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project will truly transform our community in ways that we cannot imagine,\u201d Richmond County Manager Bryan Land said at a recent commissioners meeting. \u201cWith the announcement comes large-scale upgrades to our water system, Rockingham\u2019s wastewater system and our fiber optic infrastructure throughout our county \u2014 all of which will come at a cost to our Richmond County taxpayers of zero.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stein\u2019s office, which called the project an \u201cinnovation campus,\u201d said the data centers will contain servers, storage drives, networking equipment and other technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cArtificial intelligence is changing the way we work and innovate, and I am pleased that North Carolina will stay at the forefront of all that\u2019s ahead as we continue to attract top technology companies like Amazon,\u201d Stein said. The governor attended a public announcement about the investment on June 4 at an investment in Hamlet.<\/p>\n
The company said it has invested $12 billon in North Carolina since 2010 and supports 24,000 full- and part-time jobs.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n