- Oregon Business Report - https://oregonbusinessreport.com -

Oregon welcomes Facebook center in Prineville

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[5]State-of-the-art Prineville facility illustrates that Oregon is open for business, he says
By Oregon State Treasurer Office [6]

PRINEVILLE – State Treasurer Ted Wheeler welcomed social media giant Facebook today at the grand opening ceremony at the company’s new, state-of-the-art facility in Central Oregon. The Treasurer, who spoke on behalf of Gov. John Kitzhaber, said the decision of the company to locate its data backup center in a rural community – and the efforts of economic development professionals to make it happen — is a perfect illustration of what state leaders have been promoting: Oregon is open for business, from border to border.

“This is a great day for Facebook and it is a great day for Prineville and Central Oregon,” said Treasurer Wheeler, a longtime social media user. “I am updating my Facebook status as we speak. It says: ‘The Prineville data facility is open for business… and Oregon is open for business.’”

At the conclusion of the grand opening, Wheeler joined with Facebook executives and other elected leaders to press an over-sized “Like” button.

Wheeler recognized elected leaders and volunteers in Prineville and Crook County, and also the efforts of Business Oregon and Economic Development for Central Oregon. He also asked Facebook representatives to invite some of their business friends to join them in Oregon.

More than 1,300 people worked to develop and construct the Prineville Data Center, and 35 full-time employees will run and maintain the facility. The innovative design is expected to use 38 percent less energy compared to other data storage sites and company officials expect it will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certified.

The Central Oregon data site is one of several being built by the company to accommodate information uploaded to Facebook by more than 350 million users. The company is based in Palo Alto, Calif.

The Oregon State Treasury is a sophisticated financial operation that protects public assets and saves Oregonians money through its investment, banking, and debt management functions. The office also promotes public outreach and education to help Oregonians learn strategies to save money, invest for college and make smart financial choices.