Bham Now Facebook — Photo courtesy of Gov. Ivey’s office

First Google, Now Facebook!

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and Gov. Kay Ivey earlier today held a press conference to announce that Facebook will build a $750M data center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Did you say Facebook? Yes that that Facebook! The company will build a 970,000 square foot data center in North Huntsville bringing with it 100 high-paying jobs to Alabama. The facility is scheduled to be operational in 2020. This new data center project will further solidify the North and Central Alabama regions as one of the newest technology hubs in the United States.

Facebook in Sweet Home Alabama

In a press release released by the Governor’s office, Gov. Ivey stated:

“Everyday, millions of people around the world use Facebook’s products, and this new Alabama data center will soon play a role in keeping the company’s popular platforms running flawlessly. Facebook has found a great location in Sweet Home Alabama, and we’ll do our best to help the company grow and prosper here,” Gov. Ivey.

To facilitate the project, Facebook will receive an investment credit under the Alabama Jobs Act with an estimated value of $86.25 million, over 10 years. Total new revenue over 30 years from the Data Center is estimated to be $297.3 million that will be divided between the state, county and city.

Small business, renewable energy and quality of life

The company said it chose Alabama and the Huntsville area because of quality of life, a pro-business environment, and a talented and available workforce.

“We are excited to be joining the Huntsville community. As one of the fastest growing tech hubs in the country, we knew it would be a great location for our newest data center,” said Matt VanderZanden, director of site selection at Facebook. “We are committed to having a positive impact at the local level and look forward to a strong partnership with the Huntsville community.”

VanderZanden goes on to say that Huntsville is one of the fastest growing, tech and renewable energy hubs in the country. The Huntsville facility will manage the same videos and photos that Alabamians see in their news feed daily. Facebook continues to be great place for Alabama’s small and medium businesses to do business.

“83 percent of small and medium sized businesses have told me that Facebook has allowed them to find new customers in other cities, states and even other countries. And 62 percent of those business owners say that Facebook has helped them hire additional employees,” VanderZanden added.

Facebook proudly says that their data centers are economic engines for communities because of their commitment to local communities. Facebook facilities are some of the most advanced and energy efficient in the world. Facebook also will partner with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) adding a 100 megawatts to Alabama’s electrical grid, which will in turn allow the company to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in solar projects throughout the state.

Alabama the High Tech Hub

Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said Facebook is a great addition to the state’s growing roster of high-tech companies.

“Facebook’s decision to locate its new, state-of-the-art data center in Huntsville reflects Alabama’s attractiveness to technology companies, and marks another important chapter in the growth story of our tech sector,” Secretary Canfield said. “Facebook is a world-class company, and we look forward to building a lasting partnership that sets the stage for even more growth.”

To facilitate the project, Facebook will receive an investment credit under the Alabama Jobs Act with an estimated value of $86.25 million, over 10 years. Total new revenue over thirty years from the Data Center is estimated to be $297.3 million that will be divided between the state, county and city.

The company said it chose Alabama and the Huntsville area because of quality of life, a pro-business environment and a talented and available workforce.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, added, “Facebook has built its business on connecting friends to family, businesses to customers, and people to the world. Huntsville is proud to be the center of these connections with the construction of this data center.”

Facebook has established a new Page for this project: You can ‘Like’ the page for updates specific to the Huntsville data center, including job postings and information on how to join in the construction process.