Microsoft appears ready to launch a project in Person County although the tech company is not yet ready to offer details.
The Redmond, Washington-based company completed the purchase of the 1,350-acre Person County Mega Park on Thursday for about $27 million, according to the county. Microsoft has been in discussions with Person County about the land for 18 months, says Brandy Lynch, the county’s economic development director.
“The company has been actively looking for development opportunities in the North Carolina market and worked with Person County leaders to select this site. Microsoft has not finalized project plans, capital investment, or number of employees but will provide updates when there is more information to share,” Person County released in a statement.
Microsoft released the following statement: “Microsoft has nearly 50 years of supporting local business growth, community development and innovation. We don’t have anything to share at this time about the purchase of land in Person County, but we are committed to working with the community as we move forward.”
Person County, located north of Durham and Orange counties, borders the Virginia state line. Duke Energy has proposed two new hydrogen-capable natural gas units in Person County, where it has operated coal-fired power plants since 1966.
Microsoft, the third-largest U.S. company based on its more than $3 trillion market capitalization, reported this week its quarterly sales grew 16% to $65.6 billion.
The company has spent billions of dollars to expand its global network of data centers and other physical infrastructure required to develop AI technology that can compose documents, make images and serve as a lifelike personal assistant at work or home, according to a report by The Associated Press.
As a result, AI-related products are now on track to contribute about $10 billion to the company’s annual revenue, the “fastest business in our history to reach this milestone,” CEO Satya Nadella said on a call with analysts Wednesday.
Microsoft was founded in 1975 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. It rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by Windows.