MetLife is investing major time, money, and effort in the Research Triangle of North Carolina by building a major Technology Hub in the Carey, NC area. They will be hiring over 1000 tech positions. This is huge because you generally don’t find this large a concentration of tech jobs outside of silicon valley. #MetLifeGTO
Since I heard about this news I have been telling everyone I know in a technology field about it. Let’s be honest, if you’ve ever been to North Carolina then you know how beautiful it is there.
Now, MetLife is shaking things up in a major way. They have relocated their retail headquarters nearby to Charlotte and by building the technology hub they are poised to deliver some pretty cool services to their existing and future clients.
Jobs Jobs Jobs
Over the next 18 months, MetLife intends to hire over 1000 technology positions and by the end of 2015 hire a total of 2600 positions in North Carolina. This is a huge boost for North Carolina and Carey in particular. The fact that you will have 1000 new jobs in a year a half coupled with the fact that those positions are professional positions means that the area will get tax revenue benefits, house purchase benefits, and many other trickle down effects.
The Buildings
The plans are to build two building consisting of 427,000 square feet. Yes…that’s alot of space. I just want to say here that the benefit to the local economy will start with the construction project. Look at all of the skilled workers who will be hired to complete this project.
The buildings will be built on 26 acres and will be facing a 520 acre lake (Lake Crabtree). MetLife is going for at least Gold LEED certification and wants to build a state of the art workplace which will lead to innovation and creativity.
The Perks
MetLife plans to also have an amphitheater on the campus as well as a huge lawn, basketball and volleyball courts, and other areas that will assist in collaboration. Here’s the deal, the workforce here will probably be younger than most and providing them the environment to stay active and interact with each other on campus will probably lead to more bonding. And when people are happy with those they work with the team is generally more creative and productive.
Location Location Location
The MetLife campus will be located just off I-40 and near the Raleigh-Durham Airport. This has obvious benefits and just makes life easier for everyone involved when it comes to travel.
Why The Technology Hub?
When I first read about this, I asked myself why. I started really looking at it and I see the benefit now. You can have your I.T. force spread out over the world and they will do a great job. They can use video conferencing to meet face to face and all will be good. But to truly spur innovation, there is nothing like working in the same physical location. There is something about being able to bounce ideas off of someone in the next office (or cubicle). It leads to more in depth discussions and much more elegant solutions.
With this new campus in North Carolina, I believe MetLife is truly putting it’s money where it’s mouth is and making a commitment to innovation.
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