% of Industry 

     Average Yearly Salary 

7.23% 

$80,940 

7.10% 

$32,810 

6.26% 

$25,980 

5.09% 

$45,520 

4.82% 

$85,020 

4.61% 

$93,140 

3.75% 

$77,080 

3.32% 

$125,930 

3.11% 

$28,940 

2.96% 

$72,900 

In late 2004, the EDC began receiving requests from a site selection company out of Texas that was looking for a data center site in Grant County. It wasn't until late early 2006 that the site selectors revealed that they were representing Microsoft.

Microsoft broke ground at the Port of Quincy's Industrial Park May 30, 2006 and held the ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the data center less than a year later in April 2007.

The data center was quickly filled to capacity and with the passage of legislation  in 2010 that waived sales tax on server equipment for data centers Microsoft broke ground on a second data center.

Microsoft's second data center utilizes container technology which is more energy and water efficient than the previous data center. Instead of building large areas of raised floor, the data center instead houses individual containers full of servers. The containers look very similar to shipping containers except the inside has been modified into a mini data center. The containers are pre-constructed and loaded with servers and shipped to the new data center where they will be plugged in to the network.

Construction of the new data center is on schedule for completion in 2011.

June 2006

July 2006

August 2006

September 2006

December 2006

February 2007