Now hiring: IBM subsidiary to add 600 jobs in RTP

Gov. Bev Perdue made the announcement Thursday afternoon.

"We plan to begin hiring staff immediately," an IBM spokesperson told WRAL's Renee Chou. "We will begin operations after implementation planning activities, including all required staff training, have been completed."

IBM already has work for the new employees.

"Employees in the new center will perform various business process outsourcing activities for financial industry clients," the spokesperson said.

IBM already employs some 10,000 people in the Triangle area.

Average pay will be $50,000 per year plus benefits, according to Perdue.

IBM will invest $3.7 million in the facility.

The jobs will be created over two years.

The IBM subsidiary provides technology and business process solutions for lenders.

“The new services operation furthers our commitment to the state of North Carolina and our ongoing presence in Research Triangle Park,” said Bob Greenberg, senior state executive for IBM in North Carolina, in a statement.

“These skilled positions, coupled with our investment earlier this year in an energy-efficient cloud-computing data center, demonstrate that as the marketplace demands new skills and technology, growth opportunities in North Carolina continue to be a hub of activity,” he added.

North Carolina provided a state Job Development Investment Grant as an incentive to IBM. The so-called JDIG would provide a rebate of 65 percent of state withholding taxes for the new jobs and could be worth as much as $7.79 million over 10 years if job goals are met.

“IBM has been a major employer in North Carolina, providing thousands of skilled jobs for more than 30 years,” Perdue said. “We value this company’s ongoing commitment to North Carolina and Research Triangle Park.”

In 2008, IBM decided to expand its a mortgage-processing center in Charlotte and hire 600 workers over the next four years.

IBM said it would invest $2.4 million in the new center, which will include a “mortgage academy” for employee training.

The state helped land the facility with a Job Development Investment Grant. If IBM creates all the jobs called for in the JGID agreement, it would receive more than $9.7 million in tax rebates based on workers’ wages.

The center is also part of IBM Lender Business Process Services. The group already had 68 people based at its headquarters in Charlotte when the 2008 expansion was announced.

In February, IBM opened the new $360 million RTP data center.

The data center in IBM’s largest worksite in the world is designed to support companies moving into cloud computing, where the operating and other software are stored at a remote site and used as needed instead of stored on a user’s computer.

The 60,000 square-foot center serves as a showcase through which IBM offers “cloud computing” capabilities and other services. Another 40,000 square feet of space is available for future expansion.

IBM estimated 10 new jobs will be created to man the facility.

Big Blue chose to build the center in the Triangle due in part to $750,000 in economic incentives provided by Durham County.