Lenoir is one of many North Carolina areas that have been devastated by the exportation of the furniture industry. Hope is on the horizon, however, now that Google, Inc., has decided to build its next “server farm” in the city. A server farm is a warehouse of sorts, housing thousands of computers running applications for the company (such as sorting and storing information). With Google joining Dell and several other large companies in the Tar Heel State, it is hoped that other corporations will see the benefits of expanding into the High Country.

Most leaders in the city believe the employment of these utilities and the increased value of real estate will be a major boost for the Lenoir economy. Google’s decision, however, has not been without controversy. The state of North Carolina waived 100 percent of Google’s business property taxes and 80 percent of its real estate taxes for the next three decades. “We have given away the farm and have gotten almost nothing in return,” T.J. Rohr, a Lenoir City Council member, said of the tax breaks. Many Lenoir residents are livid that their small businesses are not receiving the breaks that Google will enjoy.

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