Google Cloud on Thursday announced it will establish an engineering hub that will bring more than 1,000 new jobs to downtown Durham.
Google officials in a press release said the Bull City was selected “in order to benefit from the region’s diverse, world-class talent to support growing customer demand for its enterprise products and solutions.”
The average starting engineer’s salary with Google Cloud ranges from $163,448 to $176,099, according to the job site Glassdoor.
The company will initially sublease space in the downtown district under an agreement with Duke University. The high-tech giant is currently evaluating several locations for its eventual permanent home.
“Today is an exciting day for Google Cloud in North Carolina,” Marian Croak, a Google vice-president of engineering, said during a virtual press conference. “We help businesses and organizations digitally transform. And to meet this challenge, we need the most talented team possible, and the Triangle region has some of the best and brightest engineers in the world. We look forward to partnering closely with the local community as we expand our presence in this new engineering site.”
It’s definitely a landmark development for Durham and the state.
In addition to hundreds of new jobs, the planned hub will eventually become one of Google Cloud’s top five engineering hubs in the United States, joining the Bay Area, New York, Seattle, and Kirkland, Washington, according to the press release.
Gov. Roy Cooper and Durham Mayor Steve Schewel joined Croak and Lilyn Hester, head of the company’s Southeast public affairs, in a virtual, prerecorded announcement.
“We are thrilled that Google is locating a major engineering hub for its Cloud Enterprise team right here in Durham,” Schewel said. “Since coming here, Google has developed productive partnerships with our universities and local tech startups, which we hope will be a springboard for jobs and economic growth. Our city’s entrepreneurial and inclusive culture, our quality of life, and our tech talent make this the perfect match.”
Google Cloud officials in the press release said the new downtown site “complements the company’s existing presence in North Carolina, where Google has created more than 600 jobs in a variety of full-time and external supplier roles.”
Company officials also noted that Google has operated a data center in Lenoir since 2007 and an office in Chapel Hill since 2005.
Company officials say the Durham site will play a significant role in the company’s ongoing plans for a broader expansion in the United States. In 2021, Google intends to invest more than $7 billion in their offices and data centers across the country to create at least 10,000 new full-time jobs.
Last year, Google tools helped provide $6.92 billion of economic activity for 54,500 North Carolina businesses, according to the company.
Moreover, the tech behemoth cites its long-term commitment to purchase renewable energy in North Carolina as the spur that led to the construction of nearly $340 million in new energy infrastructure in the state over the past decade.
“It’s good to welcome Google Cloud to North Carolina where I know they will find a talented workforce and a great quality of life,” Cooper said. “When I visited Google leadership in their Silicon Valley office in 2018, it was clear to me that our state was perfect for their expansions, and we look forward to this hub helping to define the future of cloud computing.”
The company also touted its program known as “Grow With Google,” which provides free tools and training to the state’s historically Black colleges and universities, YMCAs and YWCAs, along with Boys & Girls Clubs.
According to the press release, “Grow With Google” has also trained over 8,200 North Carolina job seekers and small businesses in digital skills as well as hundreds of transitioning service members, spouses, and military vets in partnership with Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, and the United Service Organizations.
Here in Durham, the downtown district’s American Underground is one of 11 “Google for Startups Tech Hubs in North America,” which hosts the annual Black Founders Exchange, an immersion, mentorship, and networking program that brings together startup leaders of color from around the nation.
“I’ve called Durham home for decades and have long shared with my colleagues that there is something very special about this corner of the world that requires a closer look,” Hester said. “Google’s growth in the Triangle is a true expression of a shared commitment to innovation and community.”
Follow Durham Staff Writer Thomasi McDonald on Twitter or send an email to [email protected].
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