Atlanta seems to be the flavor of the week in terms of tech office expansions. So many companies are coming here (and bringing all kinds of job opportunities with them) — a sure sign that this already hot, new tech hub is just getting hotter. Keep on reading to learn more. This is the Built In Atlanta weekly refresh.
Norfolk Southern is moving to Midtown. The Fortune 500 transportation company moves items ranging from agriculture to chemicals to consumer products, serving every major container port in the eastern United States. For years, Norfolk Southern’s HQ was in Norfolk, Virginia, but it had decided to move to Atlanta — a prominent transportation hub — citing the city’s diverse tech talent market. The 750,000-square-foot campus will be in Midtown and will house 3,000 employees. [Built In Atlanta]
Amazon is expanding its Atlanta presence. With several locations in the Atlanta area already, the e-commerce giant wants to further its commitment here by expanding on its office space in the Terminus 200 building in Buckhead. It is also increasing its local headcount, with more than 3,800 roles expected in the Atlanta area. Like many tech companies, Amazon has not fully opened any of its offices, but, for now, the return is slated for early next year. [Built In Atlanta]
Code42 is heading south. The Minneapolis-based cybersecurity company is expanding its national presence with a new office here in Atlanta, as well as an office in Austin — another southern mecca for fast-growing tech companies. Boasting a team of more than 500 employees already, Code42 is hiring for several roles across both offices, focusing mainly on web development, talent acquisition, product management, marketing, sales and more. The Atlanta office is set to open in January of 2022. [Built In Atlanta]
Atlanta Tech Quote of the Week
Cooleaf takes on the ‘Great Resignation.’ Over the past several months, a wave of employees across the country have been leaving their jobs — either for another, more desirable one, or to pursue some other passion. Either way, employers are scrambling to figure out ways to retain existing employees. Atlanta-based HR tech startup Cooleaf is working to help them do that, providing a framework to “listen, engage and measure” employee satisfaction, said co-founder Prem Bhatia. [Built In Atlanta]
What3words is coming to the U.S. What3words’ tech is designed to help users find, share and save locations more precisely by assigning random three-word combinations to every individual square on its map of the world. The startup is based in London but has seen a 250 percent increase in U.S. users this year alone, so it would like to continue this growth by establishing an office in Atlanta’s burgeoning tech ecosystem. What3words says it chose Atlanta because of its airport accessibility, U.K.-compatible time zone and proximity to other U.S. businesses. [Built In Atlanta]
ASOS has committed $150M to Atlanta. The popular fashion retailer says it plans to invest $150 million to automate its distribution facility located about 15 miles southwest of downtown Atlanta, choosing this existing center over developing new ones in Arizona or Nevada. The 1,000-person facility will add 20 engineering and software development jobs as part of the improvements. This move speaks to several emerging trends, including the ongoing e-commerce boom, an increase in automation adoption and Atlanta’s overall massive growth as a tech and industry hub. [Atlanta Business Chronicle]