In a push to create more productive careers for Hoosiers, technology companies are creating new jobs around the Indianapolis area.
Knowledge Services, an information technology company, announced plans Thursday to grow its Indianapolis headquarters by adding 400 new employees by 2019.
Founded in 1994, the company, which provides cloud software and services to organizations, government agencies and Fortune 500 companies such as Hill-Rom, Disney and Mattel., employs 2,000 people across the country. One thousand of these employees are in Indiana.
Knowledge Services has continued to outpace its job creation goals and has increased its Indiana employment by 70 percent in the last three years, according to an Indiana Economic Development Corporation press release.
“Indiana’s talented workforce, favorable business climate and low cost of living have helped put the Hoosier state on the national stage as one of the fastest growing tech hubs,” Governor Mike Pence said in the release.
Pence said the state has worked diligently to cut costs, lower taxes and reduce regulations, which allows companies like Knowledge Services to succeed in Indiana.
He added that the state plans to invest $1 billion over the next 10 years to support Hoosier entrepreneurs and innovators in order to ensure Indiana continues to be the best place to start a business and get a job.
Knowledge Services will also invest $2.1 million to expand its office space on Indianapolis’s north side from 23,000 square feet to 40,000 square feet.
“Indiana continues to be a great place that is conducive for growth and prosperity,” said Julie Bielawski, chief executive officer at Knowledge Services, in the release. “Many factors played into Knowledge Services’ commitment to growing in the Hoosier state. Not only does Indiana offer a favorable business climate, but they also have placed a great emphasis on growing the advanced technology sector.”
From 2012 to 2014, Indiana’s technology sector increased jobs by 18 percent, which is three times faster than the national average, and the Indianapolis area ranks fifth in the nation for women in tech, according to the release.
There is a perception by some that Hoosiers are modest people, said Holly Gillham, Media Relations Specialist at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. However, Indiana, specifically central Indiana, has one of the top technology sectors in the country, she said.
“We have some top players in the tech industry in Indiana, and they’re creating great high-wage jobs,” Gillham said.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Knowledge Services up to $2.1 million in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans, according to the press release.
These tax credits are performance-based, which means until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives.
The city of Indianapolis supports the project in partnership with Develop Indy, a business unit of the Indy Chamber.
“Information technology in Indianapolis is stronger than ever,” Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said in the release.
