OVH to establish North American headquarters in Fauquier County

OVH, a major European technology company, will invest $47 million to establish its North American headquarters and first U.S. data center in Fauquier County.

The project is expected to create 54 jobs. Virginia competed against North Carolina to land the deal.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe and other Virginia officials met with OVH leaders during a June 2015 trade and marketing mission to Europe.

McAuliffe approved a $1.25 million grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Fauquier County with the project. The company will also be eligible to receive sales and use tax exemptions on equipment. Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will also be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

Founded in 1999 in France, OVH operates 250,000 servers in 17 data centers and deploys its own fiber-optic network in three continents. OVH customers range from web startups to global enterprises including Zipcar, Rogers, and Michelin.

“The U.S. is a strategic market for OVH as we grow our business, and Virginia was a natural choice for our first presence in this new market,” OVH CEO Laurent Allard said in a statement. “Fauquier County offers a unique mix of a high-end, innovative digital infrastructure combined with a business and employee-friendly environment, along with a dedicated team that greatly facilitated our move.”