At least 350 new technology jobs are coming to the city of Marietta in the next 18 months as a Fortune 500 company moves two offices from California to our community. First Data, a reseller of payment processing systems, has leased an approximately 260,000 square foot building on Canton Road off I-75 to consolidate its west coast and Kennesaw, Ga., operations. While some California employees may relocate to Marietta, the company says many of the positions will be filled locally.
“First Data was looking at opportunities in several states, and the main reason we are the winner is because of the new Opportunity Zones we created late in 2009,” city manager Bill Bruton said.
Opportunity Zones are a Georgia Department of Community Affairs economic development program that encourages new businesses to locate in the city or expand existing businesses here. When two or more jobs are created, businesses may be eligible to receive $3,500 in employee state tax credits for each new job through October 2019. Marietta’s opportunity zones include portions of Fairground Street, Roswell Street, Powder Springs Street, the South Loop, Franklin Road, and industrial and heavy commercial locations throughout Marietta.
“We are excited that First Data is the first business to relocate in one of Marietta’s new opportunity zones that will help the city’s economy and provide new jobs for our community,” Mayor Steve Tumlin said. “With help from the Georgia departments of Economic Development and Community Affairs, Marietta was one of the leaders in the state to take advantage of the program that encourages companies to create jobs by providing state tax credits. This is a great announcement for Marietta and Georgia.”
For more information, contact the city’s Economic Development division at 770-794-5717.
