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Google to Open AdWord Headquarters in Michigan

The Freep reports that Google Inc. plans to create a headquarters facility for its Google AdWords unit (pay-per-click advertising, its bread & butter) in the Ann Arbor area and hire 1,000 workers there over the next five years. Google co-founder Larry Page, an East Lansing native and a graduate from the University of Michigan, was a major supporter of the decision to locate in Ann Arbor. Gov. Granholm (who hopes to gain a boost from this news) said "This is a huge, huge, huge, huge thing. It's a tremendous statement about Michigan having a cutting-edge workforce."

Before this morning's 11 AM news conference, the Michigan Economic Growth Authority was expected to approve $38 million in Single Business Tax credits over 20 years for Google, whose development is expected to generate $165 million in tax revenue over that time. According the article, Google has 6,800 full time employees. David Fischer, Google's director of online sales and operations said "We see Michigan as an ideal location to recruit the best and brightest workers."

The Great Lakes IT Report's Matt Roush writes:

Google estimated that the project would add up to 1,000 jobs within the first five years of operations, with an average weekly wage of $913, or $47,500 a year. As of midday Tuesday, there were job listings at www.google.com/jobs in Ann Arbor for application developers and print scanning operators and supervisors. Economists estimate the operation will also create about 1,200 spinoff jobs.

Read TOM WALSH: Google coming to Ann Arbor in the Detroit Free Press
Also see Google to bring 1,000 jobs to Michigan from WOOD-TV
Google corporate information
View a video report from WMMT

Posted/updated Jul 11, 2006
by Andrew McFarlane (Absolute Michigan)