"Even in a pandemic, North Carolina has been on a run with 10 companies and thousands of new jobs in both rural and urban North Carolina announced within just the last two months. Well it's about to be 11 and this may be the biggest of them all," Governor Roy Cooper said.
“There’s a reason this transformative project isn’t happening somewhere else,” State Senate Leader Phil Berger said. “We’ve spent 10 years enacting a responsible budget, lowering taxes and making regulations reasonable. The winning formula for job creation.” “That formula combined with education reform and funding is attractive to job creators, big and small,” Berger continued. “Today that job creator happens to be the biggest company in the world.”
“This is an important milestone that strengthens our position as a tech hub,” said Michael Haley, executive director of Wake County Economic Development.
"Apple knows what it wants from its employees, and Apple knows what it needs to be state of the art," said Paulette Dillard, president of Shaw University. "They work with us on that level to be able to have those resources, and it saves time and money from my perspective to be able to actually receive what I need to set up the classroom or training."
Kevin M. Guskiewicz, chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said, "Carolina will play an important role in preparing the workforce for Apple as a leading global public research university and will partner with Apple through strategic research initiatives. This aligns perfectly with our two-year planning for the launch of our new data science initiative, which will be formally announced in the coming weeks."
Dr. Scott Ralls, president of Wake Technical Community College, was among the academic leaders who recognized the opportunity Apple presents to job seekers of the future. “This announcement means incredible economic impact for our state and outstanding job opportunities. We are excited to work with Apple to maximize those opportunities for the people of our region," Ralls said.
Dr. Randy Woodson, chancellor of North Carolina State University, said he sees "extraordinary opportunities for N.C. State’s skilled graduates and advancing the state's economy.” "We stand ready to provide the kind of human talent and ingenuity that is a hallmark of this iconic company," added Peter Hans, president of the University of North Carolina System.
“As a North Carolina native, I’m thrilled Apple is expanding and creating new long-term job opportunities in the community I grew up in," said Jeff Williams, chief operation officer of Apple said. "We’re proud that this new investment will also be supporting education and critical infrastructure projects across the state. Apple has been a part of North Carolina for nearly two decades, and we’re looking forward to continuing to grow and a bright future ahead.”