Google invests in Nevada; Company shares 2021 US job creation, site investment plans
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Sun, 03/21/2021 - 10:45am
Google announced plans Thursday, March 18 to invest more than $7 billion in offices and data centers and create at least 10,000 new full time Google jobs across the United States this year.
“I believe a lasting economic recovery will come from local communities, and the people and small businesses that give them life. Google wants to be a part of that recovery,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet. “That’s why we plan to invest over $7 billion in offices and data centers across the U.S. and create at least 10,000 new full-time Google jobs in the U.S. this year.”
Google has called Nevada home since 2019 when it broke ground on a $600 million data center investment in Henderson. In 2020, Google announced an additional $600 million investment in Storey County and that it will be expanding its Henderson facility by an additional $600 million, bringing its total investment in Nevada to $1.8 billion.
“Google’s decision to expand their operations and footprint in Nevada has been a boon for our economic development efforts,” said GOED Executive Director Michael Brown. “Google is an excellent example of the companies we are pursuing from the capital investment they are making to the wages they are paying.”
In 2021, Google plans to expand its support for connectivity in both Southern and Northern Nevada, where the company intends to award hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in grants to local school districts and municipalities to grow and support faster, more reliable access to the internet. Additionally, Google is committed to supporting public educators by providing 10,000 Educator Level 1 Certifications for educators to grow their proficiency and skills using Google tools in their classrooms.
"I'm pleased that Google continues to invest in Nevada, particularly when it comes to adding value to our local school districts' students and educators," said Governor Steve Sisolak. “Having companies like Google invest in our State and expand connectivity sends a clear signal that Nevada is open for business and ready to diversify our economy and create jobs."
“All Nevadans need access to fast, reliable internet access, whether it is to help them keep up with school assignments or to support their small businesses,” said U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. “This is a critical investment that will help the Silver State improve its connectivity, support high-tech education, and protect jobs at companies increasingly turning to online commerce. I’ll continue to advocate for investments that support Nevada educators and students, grow our small businesses, and help our state excel in today’s economy.”
“Online connectivity is critical to the current and future success of Nevada,” said U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen. “Especially now, access to fast and reliable internet is a key part of how we’re able to conduct business and provide education in the Silver State. I’m glad to see that Google, in addition to creating good-paying jobs through their Henderson and Storey County facilities, is also taking steps to invest in internet access for schools as well as development programs for Nevada’s teachers. This kind of partnership between companies and communities will help strengthen our state’s education system and allow Nevadans to thrive.”
Google also released their 2020 Economic Impact Report on Thursday, sharing how 24,100 Nevada businesses, publishers and nonprofits used Google search and advertising tools to increase their online presence and to connect with the people and communities they serve in 2020 — generating 2.92 billion in economic activity. Additionally, Google provided $1 million in grants to nonprofits and organizations based in Nevada through the Nevada Google Impact Challenge.
Sunrise Coffee, the oldest independent coffee shop in Las Vegas, was highlighted in Google’s nationwide Economic Impact Report in a case study that details how they used digital tools to increase their online presence and reach customers. CEO Juanny Romero founded the company in 2008 at the start of the Great Recession to bring a neighborhood coffee shop to Las Vegas. Digital products weren’t a big part of the business at first. But, after seeing the impact of positive reviews posted to her Business Profile on Google she was convinced. She began using Google Ads and took the team digital with Google Workspace to stay organized and process paperwork.
“The digital side of the business is what really saved us,” Romero says. “Moreover, it opened the door to a whole new online community that is going to continue positively impacting us into the future.”
COVID-19 brought Romero her biggest challenge yet. With in-person orders down, she had to adapt to keep the business going. Romero decided to focus on her e-commerce site, where people could buy specialty coffee beans from the safety of their homes. She adjusted her Google Ads and social media campaigns to direct customers to the website, resulting in a 300-percent increase in online sales. Romero harnessed the power of that community by adding a button on her website for coffee donations to first responders — where more than 2,000 cups of coffee have been donated so far.
Sunrise Coffee is one of many American businesses that used the internet to adapt to new challenges last year. A study conducted by the Connected Commerce Council last spring, found that over 70-percent of U.S. small businesses increased their use of digital tools during the COVID-19 crisis and that without digital tools, nearly a third of small business owners say that they would have had to close all or part of their business during the pandemic.
About Google in Nevada
In July of 2019, Google broke ground on its $600 million data center in Henderson, Nevada. Once fully operational, the data center will employ a number of people in a variety of full-time and contractor roles, including computer technicians, engineers, and various food services, maintenance, and security roles. In 2020 Google announced an additional $600 million investment in Storey County and that it will be expanding its Henderson facility by an additional $600 million, bringing its total investment in Nevada to $1.8 billion.
About Google’s Economic Impact Report
The Economic Impact Report details Google's national and local impact in all 50 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. It has been released annually for the last 12 years. In 2020, Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, and Google advertising tools helped provide $426 billion of economic activity for more than 2 million American businesses, nonprofits, publishers, creators and developers.
