Apple goes all out in Austin

Company has expansion plans beyond Texas

Tech giant announces it will build $1B campus.

Amazon isn’t the only major tech company expanding past the West Coast.

Apple plans to build a $1 billion campus in Austin, Texas, the company announced Thursday. The 133-acre campus – which is located less than a mile from existing facilities – will bring in 5,000 additional employees working in a broad range of tasks, such as engineering, sales and customer support.

The move is expected to make Apple the largest private employer in Austin, according to the company.

“Apple and Austin share a creative spark and a commitment to getting big things done,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler said in a statement. “We share their commitment to diversity and inclusion. We’re excited they are bringing more middle-skilled jobs to the area.”

Apple’s expansion does not just stop in the Lone Star State. The company also plans to establish smaller sites in Seattle, San Diego and Culver City, California.

Beyond that, the company wants to establish similar locations in Pittsburgh, New York and Boulder, Colorado, over the next three years, with the “po- tential for additional expansion” in other places over time.

“Talent, creativity and tomorrow’s breakthrough ideas aren’t limited by region or ZIP code,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement, “and, with this new expansion, we’re redoubling our commitment to cultivating the high-tech sector and workforce nationwide.”

The move follows Amazon’s announcement last month to establish new headquarters in Long Island City, Queens, and Arlington, Virginia, after a

14-month search. Each site will get

25,000 jobs.

“Talent, creativity and tomorrow’s breakthrough ideas aren’t limited by region or ZIP code.” Tim Cook Apple CEO