MAIDEN, N.C. — Apple is in position to expand its already-massive data center in Catawba County as the competition to attract new data centers intensifies between counties.
Earlier this week, Maiden's town council approved an annexation of 260 acres of land the tech giant bought next to its complex in 2017.
Scott Millar, the president of the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation, said the town's vote was strictly procedural, but it provided positive opportunities.
"I don't think this means imminent development," Millar said. "But it does allow for Apple to move forward with development at the time that they see the need for the data center development to occur."
The decision comes as the competition for data centers intensifies between municipalities.
"Northern Virginia is getting an astonishing amount of data center development right now," Millar said.
Northern Virginia is the largest data center market in the world because of its highly educated workforce, proximity to D.C. and high-tech infrastructure.
In the coming weeks, Catawba County will be hosting data center consultants from across the nation to fight for more data centers.
"North Carolina has to continually refine its marketing for data center opportunities," Millar said. "We continue, as a county, to be aggressive within that data center world."