Williamson County, Texas, leaders have unanimously (5-0) approved a taxpayer-funded incentive package for Apple that could be worth up to $16 million, solidifying the tech giant’s plan to invest $1 billion in a new campus in North Austin and add up to 5,000 jobs, reports the Austin Statesman. The company is also in line to get up to $25 million in incentives payments from the state-run Texas Enterprise Fund, the article adds.
Tony Ross, senior director of Americas operations at Apple, addressed commissioners Tuesday, calling Texas an “absolutely essential” part of the company. Apple has had a presence in Austin since 1992. Including contractors, the company currently has about 7,000 employees in the Austin metro area.
Last Thursday Apple announced a major expansion of its operations in Austin, including an investment of $1 billion to build a new campus in north Austin, Texas. The company’s newest Austin campus will be located less than a mile from its existing facilities in the northwest part of the Texas capital. The 133-acre site will initially accommodate 5,000 additional employees, with the capacity to grow to 15,000, and is expected to make Apple the largest private employer in Austin.
The tech giant also announced plans to establish new sites in Seattle, San Diego and Culver City and expand in cities across the U.S., including Pittsburgh, New York and Boulder, Colorado over the next three years, with the potential for additional expansion elsewhere in the country over time.
