Working with the state of Iowa, the city of Dubuque, Dubuque Initiatives and the Greater Dubuque Development Corp., IBM has signed a 10-year lease, with optional extension years, to occupy the Roshek Building in downtown Dubuque.
The city of Dubuque, Dubuque Initiatives and IBM plan to upgrade the facility to make it a “green” building. The renovation of the building will utilize industry-leading energy-efficient technology.
“We selected the Dubuque based on several criteria, including the strong positive public-private partnership within the city, its competitive business model, and the talent and skills that Iowa and the Midwest have to offer,” said Mike Daniels, senior vice president of IBM Global Technology Services. “We continue to invest in IBM’s future and recruit the skilled persons we need to grow our business. We look forward to working with the city and the state of Iowa to accomplish great things together.”
The Dubuque Service Delivery Center will primarily support IBM’s U.S. strategic outsourcing clients, providing server systems operations, security services and end-user services, including maintenance and monitoring of computer hardware and software systems.
The services utilize collaborative problem solving and defect prevention processes based on service management standards. Employees will manage IBM’s world-class servers and storage systems that are critical for assuring optimal IT infrastructure performance.
IBM intends to employ several hundred people in the new facility by the end of this year and up to 1,300 by the end of 2010.
“We are extremely proud that IBM chose Dubuque for this project and particularly thrilled about the role that Dubuque’s sustainability initiative played in that decision,” said Dubuque Mayor Roy Buol. “IBM’s decision to locate in the Roshek Building, through adaptive reuse of a historic structure in the heart of our downtown, illustrates our shared commitment to sustainable development, historic preservation, and community revitalization.”
Sustainability is defined as a Dubuque’s ability to meet the environmental, economic and social equity needs of the present day without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The city of Dubuque has adopted a three-part approach to sustainability to create policies and programs that address economic prosperity, environmental integrity and social cultural vibrancy.
IBM will work with colleges and universities in the tri-state area of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin for recruitment and training of potential employees. In addition, IBM will look for opportunities to partner with these schools to enhance their curricula to better prepare students for opportunities in the IT industry, including the types of roles found at IBM.
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