A technology and logistics company has announced plans to open an office in Bloomington and hire about 150 workers within its first year.
Contec handles equipment repairs and reverse logistics for tech companies across the U.S. and abroad. The company already has offices in New York, North Carolina, Texas and California.
CEO Joe Joy said the company wanted to expand to Bloomington to reduce the cost of service to Midwestern clients.
“They have a great building with great access to interstates, transportation hubs and there’s a solid labor pool there,” Joy said. “If any one of those three are missing, it won’t be a good location for us.
“In Bloomington we found the right combination.”
Contec plans to lease 56,000 square feet in industrial developer Agracel’s 225,000-square-foot building at 2402 E. Empire St., with plans to occupy more of the building in the future.
“We are thrilled to add Contec to our portfolio of clients and look forward to working together to bring jobs and investment to the Bloomington area,” said Dean Bingham, president and COO of Agracel.
Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council CEO Patrick Hoban said McLean County had to compete with other communities to land the tech firm.
“They were really interested in the workforce that was available within the region, so we matched them up with the data they were looking for,” Hoban said. “They followed up with Agracel themselves, put us in competition with some surrounding communities and ended up landing on Agracel’s building here in Bloomington."
Hoban said the EDC hopes to include Contec in an enterprise zone to help offset renovation costs.
Agracel is planning to invest $675,000 into the building for Contec's arrival.
Joy said Contec is in a growing industry as more tech companies adapt to meet consumers' ever-changing tech needs, everything from television distribution to smart homes.
“It all has to be deliverable to your cell phone,” Joy said. “That whole industry, that whole modern ecosystem of what we expect from what’s delivered over the 5G pipe.
“It’s changing significantly and it’s all coming together.”
Joy said the company wants to start Bloomington operations within two months and will start with 40 to 50 employees.
The company is hiring now. Applications are available at gocontec.com.
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