Amazon planning $10B investment in North Carolina for data center and AI
campus
[June 05, 2025]
HAMLET, N.C. (AP) — 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.
Amazon said Wednesday that 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’s office. Stein called
the investment one of the largest in state history.
Data centers are already familiar to North Carolina’s 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.
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.
“This investment will position North Carolina as a hub for cutting-edge
technology, create hundreds of high-skilled jobs, and drive significant
economic growth,” Amazon chief global affairs and legal officer David
Zapolsky said. “We look forward to partnering with state and local
leaders, local suppliers, and educational institutions to nurture the
next generation of talent.”
[to top of second column] |
 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.
“This project will truly transform our community in
ways that we cannot imagine,” Richmond County Manager Bryan Land
said at Tuesday’s commissioners meeting. “With the announcement
comes large-scale upgrades to our water system, Rockingham’s
wastewater system and our fiber optic infrastructure throughout our
county — all of which will come at a cost to our Richmond County
taxpayers of zero.”
Stein’s office, which called the project an “innovation campus,”
said the data centers will contain servers, storage drives,
networking equipment and other technology.
“Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work and innovate,
and I am pleased that North Carolina will stay at the forefront of
all that’s ahead as we continue to attract top technology companies
like Amazon,” Stein said. The governor attended a public
announcement about the investment on Wednesday at an event in
Hamlet.
The company said it has invested $12 billon in North Carolina since
2010 and supports 24,000 full- and part-time jobs.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
