Meta's data centers in Gallatin are up and running

By Adam Sichko – Senior Reporter, Nashville Business Journal

The social media giant that owns Facebook and Instagram formally unveiled its data center campus north of Nashville on Thursday — one of the largest business investments in Tennessee history.

Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) showcased its now-operational Gallatin facilities to state and local officials while disclosing that its total investment on its roughly 800-acre property will exceed $1.5 billion.

That price tag will become official once construction on its fourth data center is complete. It's about twice as large as the $800 million initial commitment Meta (then known as Facebook) made four years ago.

"Gallatin has been such an ideal location for Meta," said Brad Davis, Meta's director of community and economic development, at Thursday's event. "It has excellent infrastructure, great access to renewable energy, a strong pool of talent for the construction and operation of the facility."

Close to 3.3 billion users are active on the average day on at least one of Meta's platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. Some of those posts, videos, photos and messages now course through the Gallatin site, where more than 100 people are employed (not counting hundreds of construction workers).

Perhaps just five economic development deals outrank Meta's as far as investment, according to Business Journal research. Most of that elite group is located in Middle Tennessee, including electric vehicle announcements in Clarksville and Spring Hill.