Dive Brief:
- The data lab will be based in Fort Worth, TX, which is headquarters for Alcon Labs, an eye care surgical specialty company with approximately 4,500 employees.
- Novartis acquired Alcon in 2011. It also owns the US-based generics company, Sandoz. Altogether, Novartis has 58 locations in the US.
- The deal comes with tax benefits that will extend out for 10 years.
Dive Insight:
Before deciding to locate its data center on the Alcon Labs campus in Forth Worth, Novartis conducted a location search. The data center, which should be completed by fall 2015, is slated to be 10,000 square feet. In addition, the Alcon Labs campus is part of a reinvestment zone, which means that there are certain tax advantages associated with investing there. In January, the Fort Worth City Council amended a tax abatement agreement, which provides an 80% abatement on real and personal property taxes for 10 years.