North Carolina is Apple’s choice for a new data center, according to an announcement made by Gov. Bev Perdue.

The announcement came Wednesday afternoon just after Gov. Perdue signed Senate Bill 575, which modifies method by which capital-intensive businesses calculate corporate income tax liability in North Carolina.

The company plans to invest more than $1 billion in the project over nine years.

“North Carolina continues to be a prime location for growing and expanding global technology companies,” said Perdue in a written statement.  “We welcome Apple to North Carolina and look forward to working with the company as it begins providing a significant economic boost to local communities and the state.”

The new data center would employ 50 full-time employees. A center like this will typically contract local services for maintenance, landscaping, repair and security that could bring in about $5 million and up to 250 jobs. 

North Carolina’s Department of Commerce projects the center could create up to 3,000 jobs in the regional economy, including hundreds of jobs related to construction and others created as a result of economic growth.

“We are very pleased the General Assembly has recognized the role capital-intensive industries play in the state’s economy and their relationship to small businesses in our communities.  Technology-driven projects like this may bring fewer overall jobs than traditional industry, but they have a tremendous economic impact through locally purchased goods and services,” Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco said in a written statement. 

“During these tough economic times, it’s important to make the investments that create jobs in areas that need them the most,” Perdue said in a written statement.