Google Expands Presence in Berkeley County

At a packed press conference this morning, Google announced that it is expanding its campus in Berkeley County, bringing its total investment in the Lowcountry data center to $1.2 billion.

“Today’s announcement is another big win for South Carolina. We celebrate Google’s decision to grow its footprint with a $600 million investment in Berkeley County,” said Gov. Nikki Haley, who was joined by other local leaders for the announcement.

Since announcing plans to come to South Carolina in 2007, Google has expanded twice, including Friday's announcement. Google executives were mum on how many jobs will be created by the expansion, but said those jobs would be posted to their jobs center here.

The announcement comes on the heels of poor unemployment news for the state, showing a slight uptick in unemployment in Berkeley County.

According to a press release, the announcement aligns with Google’s to provide the best possible user experience. The data center houses computer systems and associated components that support services such as Google search, Gmail, Google+ and YouTube. The expansion comes as Google is attempting to meet increasing global demand for its services.

"Right here in Berkeley County we're controlling a significant amount of internet traffic in the world," Sen. Paul Campbell said during the announcement. 

Google was recently named by CNN/Fortune Magazine as the nation’s best employer for the second year in row.