Ernst & Young LLP (EY) will expand its operations in Mecklenburg County, NC, creating 375 jobs. The professional services organization will invest $8.2 million in Charlotte over the next five years. The expansion includes development of an EY wavespace™ innovation center. The center will be part of the EY wavespace global network of growth and innovation centers bringing together multi-disciplinary teams to focus on disruptive growth, improvement strategies and technologies.
“This is an exciting time for EY and the state of North Carolina,” said Malcomb Coley, EY Charlotte Office Managing Partner and Carolinas Market Leader. “We are seeing new and diverse skills bringing creative ideas and innovation to business leaders across the state. It’s our hope that EY wavespace will build on this momentum, providing a physical location where innovative talents come together to collaborate and navigate this transformative age.”
The EY wavespace in Charlotte will help clients face the challenges and opportunities of continuous change, digitization and disruption in their industries, with a focus on specific industry disruptors that impact clients’ growth strategies in financial services and energy. EY wavepsace locations feature a shared methodology and platform that combines EY’s deep industry domain and regulatory experience with EY’s experience in disruptive technologies – such as artificial intelligence, robotic process automation (RPA), blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, digital, customer experience and cyber security.
“North Carolina is a powerhouse for financial and professional services because of the ambitious, talented people who live and work here and the educational and training resources at their fingertips,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “The EY wavespace innovation center in Charlotte will create even more opportunities for North Carolinians to develop new ideas and creative solutions.”
EY will add a variety of job titles and functions with this project, including positions in areas such as forensic investigation, dispute data analytics, digital development, data analytics and robotics.
“With this announcement, EY is committing to adding 375 new jobs and keeping many of the jobs they already support in North Carolina,” said Secretary of Commerce Anthony M. Copeland. “Global leaders like EY continue to pick North Carolina because of our business climate, infrastructure and superior talent.”
The North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of N.C. (EDPNC) and the Charlotte Chamber assisted EY’s expansion along with the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, Mecklenburg County, and the City of Charlotte.
EY’s expansion in Mecklenburg County will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project will help the state’s economy grow by an estimated $596 million. The JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $3.2 million spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.
Because EY chose to locate in Mecklenburg County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 3, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving as much as $1 milion into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business. When new jobs are created in a Tier 3 county such as Mecklenburg, the new tax revenue generated through JDIG grants helps more economically challenged communities elsewhere in the state.
Relocating or Expanding Your Business In North Carolina
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