Tech company IBM is expanding its presence in the mid-Missouri market. The corporation plans to hire more than 100 new employees from the Columbia area this year.
Columbia mayor Brian Treece says he is optimistic the new employees will allow IBM to qualify for a $3 million tax credit through the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The mayor expressed his excitement about what the tech company’s expansion can offer to his town.
“This is great news for Columbia’s economy. IBM is a good company, and these jobs have been in the works for several months and our economy is the beneficiary of these new high tech, high wage jobs,” Treece said.
IBM spokesperson Clint Roswell described the new hires as a part of IBM’s “new collar initiative.” The enterprise is focused on generating new employment opportunities for people of diverse skills and experience.
“Many of these new collar jobs do not always require a four year college degree, but they’re in some of technology’s fastest growing fields, from cloud computing and cyber security to digital design and data science,” Roswell said.
Many work-from-home employees have been reassigned to the Columbia office, adding to the new influx of activity at the IBM Columbia branch. IBM has shifted many of its employees from across the country from their homes to offices in an effort to create a more collaborative work environment.
IBM will host a job fair at its Columbia facility this Wednesday from 5 to 8 P.M