METLIFE BREAKS GROUND ON NEW GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY HUB IN NORTH CAROLINA'S RESEARCH TRIANGLE AREA
Cary, N.C. November 01, 2013
MetLife, Inc., (NYSE:MET), a leading global life insurance and employee benefits company, announced today that it is breaking ground in North Carolina’s Research Triangle area for a new best-in-class global technology hub.
Located in Cary, N.C., the new hub will house the infrastructure that enables MetLife to deliver world-class service to its customers. MetLife’s entry into the Research Triangle area, coupled with its new U.S. retail headquarters in Charlotte, represents a $125.5 million investment in North Carolina. This is on top of the $1.2 billion in insurance funds that MetLife has invested in North Carolina housing, agriculture, commercial real estate, health care and utilities.
To celebrate this important milestone, local stakeholders and supporters, including members of the political, academic and business communities, will join MetLife today at a groundbreaking ceremony. Speakers include Governor Pat McCrory, U.S. Senator Richard Burr, MetLife Chairman, President and CEO Steven A. Kandarian, MetLife EVP and Head of Global Technology & Operations (GTO) Marty Lippert, MetLife Global Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Elizabeth Nieto and Highwoods Properties CEO Ed Fritsch. Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and Wake County Board of Commissioners Chair Joe Bryan will also attend.
“We thank our partners in North Carolina for their steadfast support and for joining us to celebrate this milestone,” said Steven A. Kandarian, Chairman, President and CEO, MetLife. “Our investment in North Carolina underscores our commitment to using technology to deliver a world-class customer experience.”
“North Carolina welcomes MetLife with open arms,” said Governor McCrory. “MetLife is a strong corporate partner to add to the Triangle’s expanding tech-sector and push for continued economic growth of our state.”
In March 2013, Governor McCrory announced that MetLife intends to create 2,600 jobs in North Carolina by the end of 2015, the largest jobs announcement in recent state history.
MetLife is dedicated to recruiting world-class talent and is actively hiring a diverse, global and highly skilled workforce. Over the next 18 months there will be more than 1,000 positions open across various functions including engineering, development, app maintenance, IT risk & security and tech support.
“Today’s ceremony underscores MetLife’s belief that technology will play a significant role in transforming the customer experience,” said Marty Lippert, EVP and Head of GTO, MetLife. “We are committed to establishing a best-in-class technology hub grounded in collaboration, talent and innovation, and strive to be the employer of choice for the dynamic, forward-thinking workforce in the Triangle area.”
Construction on MetLife’s new technology hub is slated for completion in 2015. MetLife is targeting LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Gold certification or higher for the state-of-the-art workplace, which will feature an environment designed to facilitate collaboration and innovation. The campus will consist of 427,000 square feet in two 213,500 square foot office buildings with structured parking. The buildings will be situated on 26.5 acres fronting the 520-acre Lake Crabtree, which is adjacent to I-40 and the nearby Raleigh-Durham International Airport. In addition, the campus will feature sprawling outside space including a great lawn, amphitheater, patio and places to engage in activities such as basketball and volleyball.
The hub is being developed by Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) on existing Highwoods-owned land. Headquartered in Raleigh, Highwoods is a leading real estate investment trust that provides leasing, management, development and construction for its properties and for third parties. The base building architecture team is RTJ+R, which has a growing staff of LEED-accredited professionals dedicated to incorporating sustainable design concepts. The interior architecture team is STUDIOS Architecture, an international design firm focused on architecture, master planning, interior design, environmental graphic design and strategic consulting services. Construction will be managed by Brasfield & Gorrie, one of the largest privately-held construction firms in the country.
For more information about MetLife GTO, including job opportunities, visit www.metlifegto.com. MetLife GTO is on Twitter. Follow @ML_TechandOps at https://twitter.com/ML_TechandOps.
About MetLife
MetLife, Inc. is a leading global provider of insurance, annuities and employee benefit programs, serving 90 million customers. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.