Technology consulting firm selects Eau Claire

New York-based Genesis10, a nationwide technology consulting company with more than 2,000 employees, announced this week that it will be expanding to Eau Claire and will eventually create up to 150 jobs that will pay wages of at least $30 per hour.

"We are proud that Genesis10 has chosen Eau Claire. It is great news for local information technology professionals," said City of Eau Claire Economic Development Director Mike Schatz.

The business and technology firm will occupy space at 2524 Alpine Rd., Eau Claire, which was previously occupied by Lorman Educational Services. The company will initially add at least 40 jobs to the local economy.

According to Genesis10 Vice President for Workforce Solutions Mike Hartquist, many companies who have considered off-shore operations are now looking for cost-effective ways to keep jobs at home in the United States.

"It's not just corporate profitability driving these choices. More companies are realizing they need U.S. talent and, by the same token, the U.S. needs these jobs for the health of the American economy," said Hartquist, who added, "Eau Claire was a logical choice for us as it has a strong business community, excellent higher education sources, reliable and highly-skilled IT professionals and a good quality of living."

Genesis10, which has already hired 16 project managers in Eau Claire, considered other Midwest locations for its expansion,

including Duluth,MN, and Willmar,MN. The Eau Claire location will allow the company to expand its roles to include business analysts, infrastructure capacity planners, systems administrators, software developers, quality assurance analysts and helpdesk professionals.

The Eau Claire City Council this week approved a $50,000 forgivable loan that will assist the company with its start-up expenses, which are estimated to cost about $151,000.

If Genesis10 adds at least 50 jobs over the course of the next four years, the city's loan is forgiven.

Genesis10, one of the fastest-growing, privately-held business and technology firms in the country, has 15 locations, including a Wisconsin location in Milwaukee. The company reported that its has grown at an annualized rate of 38 percent since the company was founded in 1999 by Harley Lippman.

TBL