Local tech companies: Apple's interest speaks to Triangle's potential

Many feel central North Carolina is a perfect fit for the tech company, but there's no doubt the technology giant would affect local startups.

Tom Snyder, the executive director of NC Riot, said rumblings of Apple coming to the Triangle substantiates what he's known for some time.

“There’s incredible talent in this region,” Snyder said. “There’s the diversity of the market opportunities in the region and when you hear a rumor like Apple bringing an east coast hub, it really validates that everything that you see and hear."

NC Riot represents startup companies and international companies in technology, engineering, and academics, encouraging them to share ideas and create new opportunities.

“The balance of talent that we have in hardware and software and so, it’s almost a foregoing conclusion that Amazon and Apple and other companies are going to be looking in this space,” he said.

Apple is close to announcing a deal that would bring as many as 10,000 jobs to North Carolina. Some industry observers predict the jobs will be high-tech research and development jobs.

“You want to go somewhere where there's a variety of different opportunities and having another big anchor like an Apple that joins existing great companies like SAS and IBM and Cisco and others that are here in the area just makes it even more of a no brainer,” Snyder said.

NC Riot went from working with six corporate partners in 2014 to about 70 four years.

Snyder said Apple's potential interest is a testament to the fruitfulness of this area in the world of technology.