The race to secure American dominance in artificial intelligence (AI), a major priority of President Donald Trump and the administration, is paying massive dividends for Missourians, with a Netherlands-based company breaking ground on what will be one of the highest-powered computing data centers in America.
Nebius, an AI cloud company trading on the NASDAQ (NBIS), broke ground on its AI factory campus in Missouri alongside local stakeholders, announcing the latest move in its multi-billion-dollar investment in America. Nebius has previously inked deals with major hyperscalers, including Meta and Microsoft, and is widely seen among the administration as America’s top ally in the race for American AI dominance.
Nebius’ latest American investment builds on its Vineland, New Jersey and Kansas City, Missouri locations, among others.
“Missouri continues to lead in innovation, infrastructure, and investment, and this facility in Independence is another example of that momentum in action,” Gov. Mike Kehoe (R., Mo.) said. “This investment from Nebius strengthens Missouri’s position as a national leader in digital infrastructure, while creating quality jobs, supporting local schools and businesses, and generating long-term opportunity. We are proud to support investments that keep Missouri competitive and moving forward.”
The race to secure American dominance in artificial intelligence (AI), a major priority of President Donald Trump and the administration, is paying massive dividends for Missourians, with a Netherlands-based company breaking ground on what will be one of the highest-powered computing data centers in America.
Nebius, an AI cloud company trading on the NASDAQ (NBIS), broke ground on its AI factory campus in Missouri alongside local stakeholders, announcing the latest move in its multi-billion-dollar investment in America. Nebius has previously inked deals with major hyperscalers, including Meta and Microsoft, and is widely seen among the administration as America’s top ally in the race for American AI dominance.
Nebius’ latest American investment builds on its Vineland, New Jersey and Kansas City, Missouri locations, among others.
“Missouri continues to lead in innovation, infrastructure, and investment, and this facility in Independence is another example of that momentum in action,” Gov. Mike Kehoe (R., Mo.) said. “This investment from Nebius strengthens Missouri’s position as a national leader in digital infrastructure, while creating quality jobs, supporting local schools and businesses, and generating long-term opportunity. We are proud to support investments that keep Missouri competitive and moving forward.”
The nearly $7 billion construction investment is a sizable win for both Kehoe and for Missouri’s economy, and Subash Alias, the CEO of Missouri Partnership. He explained that it “highlights the extraordinary pace of growth in the AI industry, and why Missouri is the right place for that growth.”
“With our central location, robust infrastructure, and ability to deliver power at scale, Missouri offers a compelling environment for next-generation technology investment, and Nebius’ decision reinforces our strength as a global competitor,” Alias added.
Michelle Hataway, the Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, added that “Nebius’ decision to expand in Independence is another strong signal that Missouri is competing and winning in the technology and innovation economy. This billion-dollar investment and creation of new jobs will bring new opportunities to the region while strengthening the state’s growing reputation as a destination for high-tech industry and forward-looking investment.”
It is also a major boost to Kansas City’s local economy, as Tim Cowden, the President and CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council, explained. “The Kansas City region continues to stand out as a top destination for global technology investment. Nebius’ decision to choose Independence underscores the strength of our infrastructure, our talent pipeline and a highly collaborative, business-focused environment that helps companies scale and succeed.”
At full build-out, Nebius’ Independence AI factory is one of the largest in the U.S. in terms of AI computing power, enabling everything from medical research to autonomous vehicles.
At the groundbreaking, Nebius representatives were joined by community members to kick off the next chapter in Independence’s history.
“We’re proud to invest in Independence and build our flagship AI factory in a way that directly benefits the surrounding community,” John Sutter, Vice President of Nebius U.S. Public Affairs said. “We believe in building with the community and, from contracting with local union building trades to intentionally designing the facility to fit in and working to support education outcomes locally, we are committed to being a good partner and earning community trust through our actions.”
The plans call for creating more than 1,000 construction jobs, which the company said will be drawn from local building unions. Upon completion, the facility will support over 130 full-time high-tech positions, and it is expected to generate $650 million in tax revenue for the community over the next 20 years.
Chris Wilson, the CEO of ARCO National Construction, noted that from the construction side, “projects of this scale require deep coordination and technical expertise. We are proud to partner with Nebius to deliver a facility of this complexity and bring it online in Independence.”
Nebius has already made its impact on its latest community known; the company recently made a sizable donation that helped eliminate school meal debt in Independence and Ft. Osage School Districts.
Cynthia Grant, the Deputy Superintendent of Instructional Services for the Independence School District, explained why the Nebius investment is a “once-in-a-generation” investment for her community. “For our district,” she said, “it is projected to generate more than $463 million over the next 20 years, providing long-term stability and allowing us to better support our students, staff, and schools.”
Another Independence expert, Valerie Byrnes, the President of the Independence Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Partnership, added that “this project is a powerful catalyst for sustained economic growth in Independence. This is a pivotal project that elevates a city’s trajectory, attracting new industries, driving infrastructure investment, and creating momentum that will shape our economy for decades to come.”
More broadly, industry experts, like Ned Finkle with NVIDIA, noted that America’s AI expansion works hand-in-hand with traditional blue-collar jobs. “Artificial intelligence is driving the largest infrastructure buildout in history — and that buildout must be rooted here in the United States,” Finkle said. “This Nebius campus will create thousands of jobs, strengthen American supply chains, and build the AI factories that will power the next era of computing. NVIDIA is proud to stand with Nebius and the State of Missouri as we build the future of AI in American communities, with American workers.”
