Apple to put 'command' center where glass maker operated

Apple Inc. will establish a command center for its global operations in Mesa, Ariz., promising a $2 billion investment over the next 30 years, state officials announced Monday.

The facility will be housed in the location recently occupied by GT Advanced Technologies, the maker of highly durable sapphire glass that filed for bankruptcy in the fall after Apple used rival Corning glass for its new iPhone 6 devices.

The east Mesa center is expected create 150 full-time jobs for Apple, and could generate from 300 to 500 construction and trade jobs while the facility is built out.

Ariz. Gov. Doug Ducey lauded Apple's move in a statement.

"Its decision to bring this new facility to Mesa is a huge win for Arizona and a high testament to our business-friendly climate and talented workforce," Ducey said. "This expansion will bring a significant economic investment, and propel Arizona's position as one of the best states in the nation in which to do business."

The command center will operate at the same site GT Advanced Technologies abandoned last fall, when it filed for bankruptcy. Apple has owned the site since 2013, when it acquired it after First Solar ended its plans to operate a manufacturing plant there.

The revived facility will cover 1.3 million square feet and operate using solar power, the Ariz. Governor's Office said. The company anticipates a 70-megawatt plant, producing the equivalent of what is needed to supply 14,500 homes.

Mesa Mayor John Giles called the announcement great news for the city, which will be getting a bigger, more-prestigious Apple corporate presence.

"The iCloud will be hovering right over Mesa, Arizona," Giles said. "I couldn't imagine a better ending to this story."

Giles said he likes the new deal better than the previous one involving sapphire glass manufacturer GT Advanced Technologies because it involves Apple directly, not a sub-contractor. The jobs will be higher-paying, and the long-term outlook much more stable, he said.

After GT Advanced, pulled out of the site last fall, Apple said it intended to continue to work to bring jobs to Mesa.

Ducey's spokesman, Daniel Scarpinato, said the deal will not involve any money from the Arizona Competes fund, which is the state's deal-closing fund. Apple was promised $10 million from the fund for the facility built by GT Advanced Technologies, but Scarpinato said Apple will not claim that money.