An international tech company that helps global corporations manage their relationships with investors is bringing more than 140 new jobs to Hamilton’s downtown core.
Q4 Inc., which provides software and investor relations support for about 2,200 of the world’s biggest companies — including Nike and Visa — is establishing a foothold in Hamilton at a new office on King Street East in Gore Park.
CEO Darrell Heaps, who started the company in 2006, said Hamilton will be home to their fifth office, added to their headquarters in Toronto and bases in New York City, London and Copenhagen.
He said the decision to create a space in Hamilton comes shortly after their recent partnership with S&P Global Market Intelligence, which has led to a significant amount of growth.
“When we looked at that and we knew that we were going to be bringing on around 140 people,” Heaps said, “we started to really look at what are the geographies and the cities that would be a good fit for us.”
Although Q4 looked at possible locations on the east coast or outside of Canada, Heaps said Hamilton boasted a number of qualities that gave it an edge.
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“What we really like about Hamilton is its close proximity to Toronto, but a lower cost of living, lower cost of real estate. Also the access to a very creative and highly technical workforce — both in and around the Hamilton region, but also really anything kind of west of Toronto.
“Just the recruiting pool that we’re able to attract was quite significant.”
The city, meanwhile, welcomed the news of the company’s arrival.
“Q4’s expansion into Hamilton is a testament to our city’s incredible quality of life, strong tech ecosystem, and unique, affordable office space not found elsewhere,” Judy Lam, the city of Hamilton’s manager of commercial districts and small business, said in a release.
The announcement of Q4’s decision to stake their claim in the heart of the city comes hot on the heels of the city’s announcement of a record-breaking year of development.
Once the office opens toward the end of March, Q4 will take up the entire 9,500-square-foot space on the second floor of the four-storey building on King, between Hughson and John streets. The company also plans to expand to the fourth floor, taking up 7,500 additional square feet.
The team of 140 or so in Hamilton will add to an existing roster of about 240 employees, and by the end of the year, Heaps estimates the company will employ nearly 500 people.Roles that will need filling at the King Street office include front-end web developers, customer support and quality assurance specialists, implementation managers, and data entry coordinators.
Q4 will be hosting a career fair at 12 James Street North between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Feb. 5, with the goal of attracting local professionals and recent graduates.
The company says it plans to partner with McMaster University and Mohawk College to continue to develop local talent.
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