OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - LinkedIn Corp. is building a new complex in Omaha, which could lead the company to increase its workforce by more than 500 workers in the next few years.
The professional networking site, owned by Microsoft Corp., plans to open a new 200,000-square-foot, two building complex in Omaha by 2021, The Omaha World-Herald reported. The expansion could allow the company to more than double its Omaha workforce from 450 to 1,000.
The company employed 11 people at the Omaha branch when it first launched in 2007. The city has since become the company’s main center for customer support, said Kelli Pilgrim, a senior director at the company and the firm’s top executive in Omaha.
“Omaha is definitely what we consider the heart of our service operation,” she said.
Most of the expansion will be for global customer and global sales operations, Pilgrim said.
The facility will also emphasize a “work-and-play” attitude that’s exhibited at the company’s current offices, which feature shuffleboard and pingpong tables, scooters and snacks, Pilgrim said. Having the new space appealing to potential employees adds to LinkedIn’s culture and benefits package that make the company a desirable employer, she said.
The company has been happy with the talent in the area, she said.
“The work ethic has been very, very good and our attrition tends to be lower than we would expect in other parts of the country,” Pilgrim said.
The company didn’t receive any state or city incentives for the project, though Gov. Pete Ricketts’ enthusiasm and support were key in securing the expansion, Pilgrim said.
Ricketts said he’s thankful for the company’s commitment to the state.
“Time and again, we were told that Nebraska’s quality workforce was one of the major reasons LinkedIn enjoyed doing business in Omaha,” he said.
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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, http://www.omaha.com
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