Collaborative Effort Aimed at Landing Tech Firm in Council Bluffs Development
Pillar Technology (pillartechnology.com), a Columbus, Ohio IT consulting firm known for uncovering and executing industry-disrupting opportunities, plans to occupy 8,000 square feet in the first office building of the River’s Edge mixed-use development in Council Bluffs. Presently, Pillar operates The Forge, its unique, energy-driven, integrated workspace, in Columbus, OH; Palo Alto, CA; Ann Arbor, MI; and Des Moines, IA. Its expected expansion to Council Bluffs would be the result of collaboration between Pillar, the Advance Southwest Iowa Corporation, the City of Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, the Greater Omaha Chamber Economic Development Partnership, and the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
The Council Bluffs City Council, Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors, and the Iowa Economic Development Board of Directors will vote on a total of $1.3 million dollars in incentives, an economic investment intended to fuel Pillar’s decision to locate in the region. Pillar would commit to creating 30 new full-time IT positions over the next seven years, and move into the building’s third floor in the first quarter of 2019.
Council Bluffs would be Pillar’s sixth Forge, following an announcement in May that Pillar also plans to open a Forge in Jefferson, Iowa as part of Future Ready Iowa, an initiative with the state and its educational system aimed at keeping attractive IT jobs in the region. Linc Kroeger, Pillar’s Regional Lead in the state, believes the Omaha metro area is an ideal fit for the firm’s expansion plans.
“At Pillar, we know that some of the best IT talent can be found in the Midwest,” Kroeger explained. “But all too often that talent heads to the coasts, in search of more attractive jobs. We believe the potential in the Silicon Prairie is limitless. That’s why we’re expanding our presence here, bringing on board the best software developers and problem solvers the region has to offer in order to build software the right way, right here.“
Pillar would be the River’s Edge office building’s second tenant. The Iowa West Foundation will occupy the building’s fourth floor. Plans for the 21-acre riverfront site include two multi-story office buildings, a parking structure, apartments, townhouses, and various mixed-use buildings. The Noddle Companies is the master developer of the project.