Charleston area attracts Google to Goose Creek
The Charleston area attracted Internet giant Google to open a new facility in Goose Creek in Berkeley County. Long rumored, the official announcement was finally made. Breaking months of silence, Google confirmed Wednesday that it is building a data-processing center already under construction that will initially employ 200 people at a 520 acre property in Mount Holly Commerce Park off US Highway 52.
Gov. Mark Sanford and other South Carolina economic development officials described the data-processing center as a major benefit to the state's economy. "Given the stature of this company and the magnitude of this investment, this is a real win for South Carolina," Sanford said in a statement.
The state granted tax breaks to Google based on anticipated job creation and the abundance of relatively cheap water and electricity needed by the facility were obvious attractions to Google. In luring Google, the Charleston area will have one of the fastest growing tech companies in the world and a firm recently ranked by Fortune Magazine as the best U.S. employer. Most of the new hires will be engineers, electricians and programmers who will receive a high average pay, stock or stock options and a host of perks made famous at Silicon Valley tech firms.
The Charleston real estate market should get a nice boost from current Google employees who may be relocating to the Charleston area as well as the continued positive impact on job growth in the Charleston area. My understanding is that employees of the company are called "googlers". Welcome to Charleston.
A link to a Google website describing the Google corporate culture.