Charlottesville company investing $12.3 million to expand, creating 200 new jobs
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WSET) -- Governor Ralph Northam announced a mobile applications developer is investing $12.3 million to relocate and expand its headquarters in Albemarle County, creating 200 new jobs.
WillowTree, Inc. will also be renovating and leasing 50,000 square feet in the former Woolen Mills factory.
"As a homegrown Virginia company, WillowTree’s rapid growth is a strong testament to what technology companies can achieve in the Commonwealth," said Governor Northam. "Aided by Virginia’s outstanding higher education system and strong tech workforce, this impressive startup has come a long way since its founding in 2008 with three people. We are thrilled WillowTree will remain an integral part of the community, and are confident this innovative company will continue to thrive in its new Albemarle County headquarters."
Founded in 2007, WillowTree, Inc. is a computer software company committed to helping clients realize the potential of rapidly evolving mobile technologies, from developing a mobile strategy to launching mobile products.
WillowTree’s clients range from medium and large businesses to Fortune 500s, and include Regal Cinemas, Wyndham Hotels, BabyCenter (a Johnson & Johnson company), GE, AOL, PepsiCo, and the University of Virginia.
"It was very important to me to be able to keep WillowTree in Virginia," said CEO of WillowTree, Inc. Tobias Dengel. "We are tremendously grateful to the Commonwealth of Virginia and Albemarle County for their financial support, and we hope that this partnership is mutually beneficial and long-lasting. The region’s dynamic workforce and strong quality of life allow us to attract the best employees and support our mission of creating products people love. We intend to add more than 200 members to our team over the next two years, and we are delighted to be able to do it here in Albemarle County."
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Albemarle County and the Central Virginia Partnership to secure the project for Virginia. Governor Northam approved a $500,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Albemarle County with the project.
The Governor also approved $1.5 million in funds from the Virginia Economic Development Incentive Grant.
