Posted by Heidi Schwartz
Verizon officially put down concrete and steel roots in Lake Mary as the company’s new Finance Center building, announced in 2013, formally opened its doors to employees and state and local dignitaries at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Also at the ceremony, Gov. Rick Scott announced that Verizon would now add an additional 350 jobs to the original 750 it planned to bring to Lake Mary, raising the total number of new jobs in the area to 1,100.
“Our welcome over the past year from Seminole County and Lake Mary officials, as well as from Gov. Scott and local and state economic development groups, has been top notch, said Fran Shammo, chief financial officer, Verizon. “That, along with our plans to add 350 additional jobs, confirms that our decision to choose Lake Mary was the right one. This state-of-the-art building further represents our commitment to creating and offering good jobs in an industry-leading company with a first-class environment.”
Gov. Scott said, “Verizon’s growing commitment to central Florida is great news for the families of the area. announcement of 350 new jobs means that more Floridians will be able to find a meaningful job with a great company. Since December 2010, Florida has created 563,000 private-sector jobs, and our unemployment rate remains below the national average. We must continue to remain focused on creating an environment where companies like Verizon can continue to succeed and every Floridian has the opportunity to get a great job.”
Verizon’s new finance hub encompasses 220,000 square feet, cost $50 million and took 13 months to finish. It features advanced network capabilities, a 200-person conference center, fitness center, full-service cafeteria with catering capabilities, plus many other amenities.
The building is a candidate for LEED (Leadership in Energy Development & Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and features three electric-vehicle charging stations with a total of six charging ports as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge program. Additionally, preferred parking will be provided for alternative-fuel vehicles.
Finance employees in Lake Mary coordinate into a centralized location functions such as accounting, payroll, commissions and revenue assurance across all lines of business in Verizon. The Lake Mary hub, together with its counterpart hub in Tulsa, will help Verizon improve processes, enhance service to both internal and external customers, and improve career and networking opportunities for employees.
Verizon has filled approximately 500 of the original 750 positions it planned to bring to Lake Mary. The company continues to hire and plans to fill the majority of its newly expanded goal of 1,100 jobs by the end of 2015.
