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Infrastructure
North Dakota spent the last 10 years attracting and expanding some of the most recognizable information technology companies in the world. These companies have surpassed all growth expectations and, in some cases, opened facilities in more than one North Dakota city after experiencing great success with their first site.
In her January 2004 story about North Dakota, Software Development’s Tamara Carter had this to say about the state:
“…the atmosphere of enthusiasm and optimism I’d found in North Dakota impressed me. The people I’d met were passionate about technology…”
“With its inexpensive energy and real estate, and an educated, underemployed workforce, perhaps the answer to offshore lies within our borders and out on the Plains.”
Take a look at these examples of success for business-service companies:
Aetna opened a health insurance shared service center in 1990. It has grown from 27 to 600 employees, a 2,344.4 percent increase. The facility pays medical claims and answers telephone calls for a membership population of 1.5 million health members in the United States.
In 2003, American Express bought three of the four Rosenbluth International customer centers in North Dakota. Since this purchase, American Express has expanded one of the facilities four times, adding well over 100 workers. Company officials said, “The office has presented us with a tremendous pool of individuals whose work ethic, flexibility and ability to quickly learn new skills makes this center a highly productive operation.”
SEI Information Technology opened a facility in 1994 that offers computer systems design and related services. Today, SEI employs more than 400 in two North Dakota locations.
Opened in 1999, the ING Service Center in North Dakota employs more than 750. ING is one of the largest integrated financial services providers in the world. Senior Vice President of Customer Service Mark Smith said the following about North Dakota’s networked infrastructure: “North Dakota has been a leader in establishing a fiber optic infrastructure that meets our need for sophisticated data and voice transfer capabilities across the U.S.”
The new, US$5 million, 28,500-square-foot sales center for PepsiAmericas opened in May 2004. It is home to more than 230 employees as PepsiAmericas consolidates 13 US divisional sales offices in North Dakota. “Basically, what brought them here was the work ethic of our people,” said Vice President and General Manager George Haugo.
The Unisys Shared Service Center opened in North Dakota in 1994 with 105 employees that handle global accounts payable services. Today, the facility of more than 220 has been recognized for its world-class customer service delivered in more than 10 languages.
For additional information about any of these infrastructure issues or to have one of our business development consultants answer specific questions regarding your project, contact us at 1-866-4dakota or 701-328-5300.
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