Unit Structures: Google Chapel Hill?

Google Chapel Hill?
Posted 12/22/2006 03:06:00 PM |

Didja know Google has offices in Chapel Hill? Me neither. Today, I came across this article about Google's property purchases in the Southeast, which ended with a somewhat surprising line.

At the close of 2005 Google had 5,700 employees and offices worldwide including Atlanta, Chapel Hill, and Washington.

Who knew! So I did a little research and found a N&O article from 2005 that speculated about Google coming to the Triangle. However, I wasn't able to find any other mentions confirming that Google was in Chapel Hill. Comments on this blog post, though, seems to validate the idea that Google has offices in Chapel Hill.

No, we’re heading off to Google’s office in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Chapel Hill is sort of like a micro version of Portland, just 1/10 the population. It’s a small college town (University of North Carolina), the politics are liberal, and they are friendly to homeschoolers.

Seems about right, so let the speculation begin. Is it a sales/legal office (most likely), a recruiting office (also somewhat likely) or maybe a forward office preparing for the almost inevitable Google RTP campus? All I know is the office isn't listed on Google's current list of locations, and other information is scant. Still, this is cool news for the Triangle - If you've got the scoop on GoogleCH, please leave comments (anonymously or otherwise).

Update: Rumor confirmed. LocalTechWire has the scoop, with the News and Observer closely following. No credit to the Unit Structures, though.

Further Update: Paul Jones discovers that Google's offices in Chapel Hill are located in Southern Village.

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12 Comments: (Post a Comment)

At December 22, 2006 7:28 PM, annie said...: Interesting. I didn't even know there was an office in Atlanta (on the same street where I live, no less). All I know is that whenever their recruiters come to Georgia Tech, they're from California.
At December 22, 2006 8:32 PM, Anonymous said...: Interesting Vallywag Article same day. Wrong part of the Carolinas tho.
At December 23, 2006 4:09 PM, Anonymous said...: I think they're over by Cosmic. I think Google acquired a little start-up that does something with graphics for cell phones.... That's all I know... Keep digging....
At December 23, 2006 4:56 PM, Fred Stutzman said...: Anon - Good call. Reports are coming in there's a Google banner in an office window near cosmic. A company doing phone graphics stuff makes a lot of sense, as UNC is a top computer graphics school, and there are cell tie-ins with Motricity in the area. Plus, an acquisition would explain the fairly random location of the company. Thanks for the great leads.
At December 23, 2006 7:17 PM, Roy said...: The company used to be called Skia (looks like skia.com isn't available anymore). They are located above Johnny T-Shirt, and they do graphics software development for embedded products.
At December 28, 2006 7:14 PM, Paul Jones said...: This just in from several sources -- Google is in negotiations with NC to place a 200+ person shop in the Lenoir area (Caldwell County).
Here from Local Tech Wire and here from WCHL.

Note that the Charleston site is discussed in the Local Tech Wire story as well.
At December 30, 2006 10:14 AM, annie said...: I just saw this Lenoir story too in today's Herald-Sun.

http://www.heraldsun.com/state/6-803775.cfm
At January 03, 2007 1:51 PM, Anonymous said...: Skia in January 2005.
Thanks to Internet Archive's WayBack Machine. Mucho tech info at the SGL tech specs link.
At January 05, 2007 8:06 AM, Anonymous said...: WRAL breaks story...
At January 25, 2007 1:38 AM, the Rab said...: i've heard that CSC grads from local schools that live and work around durham, raleigh, rtp are getting recruitment letters. i got one in december. that would support the notion staffing of the chapel hill branch, perhaps?
At January 25, 2007 1:48 AM, the Rab said...: i've heard that CSC grads from local schools that live and work around durham, raleigh, rtp are getting recruitment letters. i got one in december. that would support the notion staffing of the chapel hill branch, perhaps?
At February 18, 2008 3:47 PM, Anonymous said...: ran into one of their employees today. he told me that he's working on android, the new cell phone OS.

office is 5 people, all dev.