Apple to Build $1 Billion Server Farm in North Carolina

Apple's plans for a $1 billion server farm in North Carolina has been officially announced.

:This opportunity is fabulous, Catawba County Economic Development President Scott Millar said at a joint meeting of county commissioners and Maiden town council. We went after it very hard.

In order to attract Apple to the location, North Carolina offered a $46 million tax break over the next 10 years. Negotiations over the data center have been ongoing since September. The benefits to the local economy include 50 full time jobs, 250 indirect jobs, as well as an impact of up to 3,000 jobs in related industries.

The location will involve the construction of a 500,000 square foot building and is expected to be completed in 2010. The exact usage for the location has not been revealed. While Apple makes the bulk of its income through hardware sales, the company has increasingly been positioning itself as a services company that may require large server farms to support.