Governor Quinn and Mayor Emanuel Announce Salesforce.com is Expanding Chicago Office

CHICAGO - August 20, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced that salesforce.com is creating 200 jobs as it expands into a new facility in River North. The global software company has leased more than 100,000 square feet at 111 W. Illinois and joins the region's growing hub of technology firms.

"Creating jobs is our top priority, and the expansion of companies like salesforce.com is good news for the Illinois economy," Governor Quinn said. "Illinois' high-tech industry is growing fast, and we will continue to create the jobs of the future."

"Salesforce.com is the world's most innovative company according to Forbes Magazine and a great example of a cutting-edge company that is rapidly expanding," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "The company has a vibrant, thriving, and growing presence downtown, and exemplifies the sort of company that will carry Chicago's business community forward in the 21st century."

"I'd like to thank Governor Quinn and Mayor Emmanuel for their support as salesforce.com grows its operations in Chicago," said George Hu, COO, salesforce.com. "The Chicago area's incredibly talented workforce is a perfect match for our fast paced and innovative culture."

With more than 100,000 customers, salesforce.com is the enterprise cloud computing company that is leading the shift to the social enterprise. Social enterprises leverage social, mobile and open cloud technologies to connect with customers and employees in entirely new ways. The company has been named to FORTUNE Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for four consecutive years.

Under the company's agreement with the state of Illinois, salesforce.com will be eligible for tax credits tied to increasing its workforce. The state's targeted investment package, estimated at approximately $10.4 million, includes Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credits, which are based on jobs and distributed over a period of 10 years, and training grants through the Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP). The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will administer the package which will add 200 jobs to salesforce.com's workforce in Illinois.

Under Governor Quinn's leadership, the state of Illinois has worked diligently to identify companies with the potential to bring jobs and economic growth to Illinois. Illinois has added 140,400 private sector jobs since January 2010, when job growth returned to the state following a two-year period of declines during the recession.

For more information on why Illinois is the right place for business, visit http://illinoisbiz.biz.