San Jose

Samsung Launches Silicon Valley Headquarters In San Jose

Tech giant Samsung is putting a large footprint in Silicon Valley, with the goal of taking on its arch-rival and now neighbor, Apple.

First Street in North San Jose now houses about 700 Samsung employees; the company says the complex, located at North First Street and Tasman Drive, can house 2,000 employees. The new building is ten stories tall, with everything you'd imagine for a giant tech company: gym, cafeteria, even "chill zones." 

"We will make this 1.1 billion square foot building a place of growth, with two thousand local jobs here," said Dr. O.S. Kwon, CEO of Samsung Electronics.

Samsung is making a big push to hire engineers and other people in Silicon Valley. The company's rivalry with Apple has been well documented, playing out both in retail stores and in courtrooms.

Now, it will play out in the hotbed of technology itself.

"The gamers may go to San Francisco, we're happy to have grownups in San Jose," said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. "A diverse set of tech jobs ... a sustainable set of jobs."

Apple and Google also have plans to expand in San Jose, which is great news for the city. But all these new jobs bring up an old problem: more traffic, and a need for new solutions.

"The big thinking is more transit, we have to bite the bullet, and spend the money," San Jose's vice mayor Rose Herrera said..

Scott follows phones on Twitter: @scottbudman

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Scott Budman
Employees talk outside Samsung in San Jose. Sept. 24, 2015
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