IT firm to hire 150 in Charlotte, invest $1.4 million in office upgrade

A Fortune 500 information technology firm plans to hire 150 workers in Charlotte over the next four years as part of an expansion bringing 500 new jobs statewide, officials said Wednesday.

Cognizant, which provides IT, consulting and business process services to companies, will hire 150 people and spend $1.4 million to expand its facility at 10101 Claude Freeman Drive in the University City area.

The Teaneck, N.J.-based company also plans to add 350 jobs at other locations around North Carolina, according to Gov. Pat McCrory’s office.

“North Carolina and the Charlotte area are home to some of our largest current and prospective clients,” said Gordon Coburn, president of the firm. “This combined with the state’s strong educational institutions and technology base makes the Charlotte area an attractive location for our newest IT delivery and operations center.”

The company has more than 75 delivery and operations centers worldwide and more than 31,000 employees in the United States. A leading provider of outsourcing services for corporations, the company said late last year that it intends to hire about 10,000 U.S. workers over the next three years.

The new jobs will average $79,559 annually. The average annual wage in Mecklenburg County is $59,046.

The state is awarding the company an incentive grant that could be worth more than $5 million over 12 years.

Cognizant has ranked in recent years as the country’s largest employer of foreign workers who hold H-1B visas allowing professionals in information technology and other specialized fields to work temporarily in the U.S.

Asked if foreign workers will occupy any of the new jobs, a Cognizant spokesman said the company is committed to hiring the most qualified applicants it can find, including top talent within the U.S. and from around the world.

Coburn told reporters last year that the rebounding U.S. economy has made companies more comfortable with investing in new U.S. workers rather than bringing in foreign consultants.

Charlotte Chamber CEO Bob Morgan called the company’s planned expansion another sign that Charlotte can make a good home for national and international technology firms.

This story was originally published November 12, 2014 at 11:49 AM with the headline "IT firm to hire 150 in Charlotte, invest $1.4 million in office upgrade."