CARMEL, Ind. (AP) — Geico plans to open a customer service center just north of Indianapolis, creating as many as 1,200 jobs by 2016, Gov. Mike Pence and company Chairman Tony Nicely announced Monday.
The Washington, D.C.-based consumer insurer will invest millions of dollars to lease, renovate and equip the 109,000-square-foot center, the company and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. said in a joint news release. The center is expected to open by late April, and will house agents, trainers, supervisors and support staff.
The IEDC offered Geico up to $10 million in conditional tax credits and $400,000 in training grants if Geico can show it fills the jobs as promised. Geico, which currently has 27,000 employees across the country, said it plans to begin recruiting immediately.
“We chose central Indiana because we know there is a talented and well-educated workforce in this area and we want to offer people long-term career opportunities as we continue to expand,” Nicely said in a prepared statement.
Pence credited the quality of Indiana’s workforce, its fiscal stability and low taxes.
The IEDC said Indiana has the highest concentration of insurance education programs in the nation, with insurance degree programs offered at Ball State, Indiana State University in Terre Haute and Butler University in Indianapolis.
Geico, part of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, has more than 11 million private passenger customers and insures more than 18 million vehicles.
