This month, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Governor Pat Quinn announced that salesforce.com will create 200 jobs as it expands into a new facility in River North. The global software company has leased more than 100,000 square feet at 111 W. Illinois, where it will base its Midwest corporate sales office and join the region's growing hub of technology firms.
World Business Chicago (WBC) assisted salesforce.com in expanding in Chicago, connecting the company with city and state agencies and advising on Chicago’s advantages, including its exceptional workforce.
“I’d like to thank Governor Quinn and Mayor Emmanuel for their support as salesforce.com grows its operations in Chicago,” said George Hu, COO, salesforce.com. “The Chicago area’s incredibly talented workforce is a perfect match for our fast paced and innovative culture.”
“Salesforce.com is the world’s most innovative company according to Forbes magazine and a great example of a cutting-edge company that is rapidly expanding,” said Mayor Emanuel. “The company has a vibrant, thriving, and growing presence downtown, and exemplifies the sort of company that will carry Chicago’s business community forward in the 21st century.”
“Creating jobs is our top priority, and the expansion of companies like salesforce.com is good news for the Illinois economy,” Governor Quinn said. “Illinois’ high-tech industry is growing fast, and we will continue to create the jobs of the future.”
With more than 100,000 customers, salesforce.com is an enterprise cloud computing company that is leading the shift to the social enterprise. Social enterprises leverage social, mobile and open cloud technologies to connect with customers and employees in entirely new ways. The company has been named to Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for four consecutive years.
Chicago’s River North area has become a hub for technology companies, generating attention across the country. In recent months Google announced plans to relocate its Motorola Mobility unit within River North’s Merchandise Mart, which is also home to 1871, a 50,000-square-foot home for Chicago’s digital startups. A wide range of tech companies, from startups, VC firms, and established tech giants, employ thousands in the area, with the number continuing to grow.
Under the company’s agreement with the state of Illinois, salesforce.com will be eligible for tax credits tied to increasing its workforce. The state’s targeted investment package, estimated at approximately $10.4 million, includes Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credits, which are based on jobs and distributed over a period of 10 years, and training grants through the Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP). The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will administer the package.
