Looking to capitalize on Google’s entry into Lenoir and the recent announcement of Apple’s location in Catawba County, the Caldwell County Economic Development Commission continued its push to create a data center corridor during its meeting Tuesday at the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce/EDC building in Lenoir.

The board approved contributing $6,000 toward a Data Center Information Exchange conference scheduled for Oct. 27-28 in Hickory. The event features officials from Google and Apple, along with the announcement of the “Route 321: NC’s Data Corridor” initiative.

Caldwell County previously has agreed to use $25,000 from the Sales Tax Reinvestment Fund to partner with Catawba County in marketing the region as a data center corridor. Companies such as Google and Apple have viewed the area as attractive because of its infrastructure, including a well-developed power grid and accessible water, both of which are pivotal in operating and cooling massive banks of computer servers.

“Infrastructure will drive this,” Caldwell County Economic Development Commission Executive Director Harry Whalen said.

Catawba County Economic Development President Scott Millar, making a return to Caldwell County where he worked for several years with the North Carolina Commerce Department, said he believes the two counties can drive the engine in bringing more high-technology

companies to the state.

“I really see the nodes in the connection being between Apple and Google,” he said. “I would really see the initiative being driven by these two counties.”

Millar said with two high-profile companies either in place or on the way, there is the opportunity to engage in “proactive marketing.”

“The whole data center concept really is pushing the snowball down the hill,” he said.

He noted how critics of the Apple project looked only at the 50 data center employees who will be hired, while ignoring the 250 support staff positions, including security and HVAC, that will be created.

“People have criticized the 50 jobs when it is really 300,” Millar said.

Meanwhile, Whalen reported on a visit earlier this month to Bemis headquarters in Sheboygan Falls, Wis. Accompanied by Caldwell County Commission Vice Chairman Clay Bollinger, Lenoir City Manager Lane Bailey and Bemis’ Jim Chapman, the group met with company officials. Bemis, a worldwide plastics producer, has a manufacturing location in Lenoir.

“It was a valuable meeting to the company,” Whalen said, adding company officials noted they never had been visited by Wisconsin economic development representatives. “It wasn’t just a social meeting.”

In other business, the board:

• Reviewed the status of 11 projects that have been assisted by the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center. To date, more than $1.25 million in grants has been awarded, and more than 200 jobs have been or will be created.

In reviewing his first month in the position, Whalen said progress is being made, and he continues in his effort to find available land in the county that is suitable for industrial development. He added that he has gotten a feel for the area that has been gripped in double-digit unemployment during the past year.

“I’ve heard the good, the bad and the ugly,” Whalen said. “The majority is good. I’ve gotten a little sense of the hopelessness in some people.

“But we’ve got a base here. Our starting point is a lot higher than other communities. We’re going to continue to focus on wealth creation. We’ve got such an attractive area, and we’re not isolated. We’ve got a lot of attributes to put on the table.”

• Discussed the 24th annual Industry Appreciation Awards luncheon that is scheduled for Thursday, Oct, 29 at 11:30 a.m. at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir.

• Made plans for the EDC’s annual planning session that is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 10 from 8 a.m, to 1 p.m. at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center.