Detroit’s budding technology sector is set to receive another boost, helping to grow the city’s presence as a tech savvy market worthy of national attention.
On Monday morning online retail juggernaut Amazon.com announced that it will build a technology hub in downtown Detroit, bringing more full-time tech jobs to the city’s growing downtown business district.
Currently, Amazon has offices in the 150 W. Jefferson office tower located downtown, which is home to roughy 100 employees focusing on advertising sales, engineering and software development.
The expansion will take over additional floors early next year to create its tech hub.
“We have a long-term plan to grow our presence in the great state of Michigan, and bring more full-time, high-tech jobs to the city of Detroit,” said Peter Faricy, vice president for Amazon Marketplace. “We have are focused on hiring in the state and look forward to being a part of the community, professionally and personally. Michigan is a rapidly growing technology corridor and we’re eager to bring the incredible local Detroit talent to Amazon.”
The company has a long-term plan to grow its presence in Michigan and is looking to hire primarily current residents moving forward, though no set number of job opportunities has been announced.
In addition to the development announcement, Amazon also noted its commitment to supporting the surrounding community with a donation of $10,000 and 30 Amazon Fire tablets to the Detroit public School’s Carver STEM Academy program. The program, which offers students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade a curriculum rich in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics, is working toward developing more science and tech talent in the city.
Amazon will join a host of other tech companies helping to develop this sector of Detoroit’s job economy – Quicken Loans already employs more than 10,000 tech workers, while Microsoft, Twitter, and a number of smaller companies like Level Eleven, and Detroit Labs are also creating jobs for Detroiters.
“We are excited to welcome Amazon to the city of Detroit,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “Having a global company establish a base in our city is another example of how more businesses are seeing Detroit as a good investment.”
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