CGI opens tech centre at University of Louisiana at Lafayette
CGI has opened a new Onshore IT Services Center of Excellence at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The new centre provides US clients with an onshore outsourcing option for their various needs, while boosting the local economy with 400 direct positions and its UL School of Computing and Informatics’ offering.
CGI, the globe’s fifth largest information technology and business process services firm, operates a series of onshore IT services delivery centres in the US. These ‘CGI Onshore IT Services Center of Excellence’ provide the firm's private and public clients with an IT outsourcing model, which is locally house and ‘made in America’, offering a full suite of end-to-end services. The firm has centres in Belton, Texas; Lebanon, Virginia; and Troy, Alabama.
The professional services giant recently announced that the firm has opened a fourth centre in Lafayette, Louisiana. The 50,000-square-foot information technology centre is situated on the 143-acre University Research Park at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The new facility, with a price tag of $13.1 million, will directly create 400 high-quality IT jobs at full employment for the region.
The process of choosing the new centre’s location took two years, with CGI evaluating a range of possible locations across the US. According to the firm, a deciding factor in the choice for the new location was a 10-year, $4.5 million higher education initiative, led by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The fund, besides attracting CGI to the location, will provide a background in which the University’s School of Computing and Informatics can be propelled to among the Top 25 programmes nationally for the number of computer science bachelor’s degrees awarded each year.
The new centre has so far created 250 jobs, with an additional 50 openings to fill this year. Once fully staffed, the new centre will provide $22 million in payroll annually, and is set to indirectly create an additional 800 new jobs in Acadiana and surrounding regions.
The new centre was recently opened by Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson, Lafayette Mayor-President Joel Robideaux, UL Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie, Lafayette Economic Development Authority CEO Gregg Gothreaux and CGI Federal Vice President Will LaBar.
“This ribbon-cutting would not have been possible without the shared commitment of CGI and its local partners in higher education, economic development, state and local governments and the Acadiana community,” says Tim Hurlebaus, President of CGI Federal. “Together, we envisioned a state-of-the art technology facility that would bring high-quality jobs to Lafayette and provide world-class service to CGI clients. Today, with that vision becoming a reality, we recognise the contributions of those who welcomed our business to this great community, and the CGI team members in Lafayette who are serving our clients across the country and around the world.”
“Today’s dedication represents a significant day in Lafayette’s long-running history with technology and innovation,” says Gothreaux. “In addition to encouraging civic involvement from their employees, CGI is providing their employees with upward mobility options in the technology sector that have previously been lacking in the region. At full employment, CGI will have a $93 million annual impact and create $36.6 million in income annually.”
